Question 1

Which is NOT an input to the Acquire Program Team process?
A)Staffing assignments
B)Program schedule
C)Program budget
D)Staffing management plan

Accepted Answer

Staffing assignments are not an input to the Acquire Program Team process.
Key Takeaway: The Acquire Program Team process is literally the process of obtaining the key players who will participate in a given program. The inputs to the Acquire Program Team process are the staffing management plan (from the Human Resource Planning process), the program budget (from the Cost Estimating and Budgeting process), and the program schedule (from the Schedule Development process).

Question 2

The Develop Program Team process produces which of the following outputs?
A)Staffing management plan and personnel records
B)Performance assessment and updates to team competency assessments
C)Updates to training records and personnel records
D)Performance assessment and personnel records

Accepted Answer

Performance assessment and updates to team competency assessments are outputs of the Develop Program Team process.
Key Takeaway: The program team is assessed during the Develop Program Team process, with the goal of increasing the performance of the team and its individual members. The outputs of this process are the performance assessments and updates to team competency assessments.

Question 3

Program quality assurance includes all of the following except:
A)Cross-project quality activities
B)Cross-program quality activities
C)Quality activities for some selected projects at the project level
D)Quality activities for the non-project but program-related work

Accepted Answer

Quality activities for some selected projects at the project level are not included in program quality assurance.
Key Takeaway: Quality assurance is the application of the planned systematic quality activities. The Perform Quality Assurance process regularly evaluates the program performance to make sure the program complies with the planned quality standards. Quality assurance at the program level focuses on: cross-program quality activities, cross-project quality activities, activities to address the overarching quality needs of the customers, and quality activities for the non-project program work including service management.

Question 4

In order, the normal stages a project team will go through are:
A)Forming, storming, norming, performing
B)Forming, warming, norming, performing
C)Warming, forming, norming, performing
D)Forming, storming, performing, norming
E)What in the world are you talking about?

Accepted Answer

In the forming stage, the team is just getting together. The storming stage involves conflict and resolution over exactly what, who and how the project will get done. In the norming stage, the team starts to learn how one another works and moves towards optimal performance. Finally, the team will achieve the performing stage, where the group works like a well-oiled machine.
Key Takeaway: Good project managers can get their teams through the storming phase quickly. Bad ones never get out of it. As program manager, you must keep a close eye on how your project managers build team relationships.

Question 5

True or false: Expectancy theory states that employees who are motivated by incentives will remain motivated and productive so long as the rewards meet their expectations.

Accepted Answer

Expectancy theory states that employees who are motivated by incentives will remain motivated and productive so long as the rewards meet their expectations.
Key Takeaway: While this is simple, expectancy theory starts to become complex. What if a person is generally over-incentivized? Well, it is much harder to motivate someone who is overpaid with what might seem fair to someone who is reasonably paid. That is why overpaying a long-term employee can be damaging to long-term productivity.

Question 6

True or false: The Project Management Office should have a significant role in selecting a Project Management Information System (PMIS).

Accepted Answer

The Project Management Office should definitely have a significant role in selecting a Project Management Information System!
Key Takeaway: The PMO should know the needs of project manager's in their organization better than anyone. As such, the PMO should have substantial input into the selection of a PMIS.

Question 7

What is phase four of a program life cycle called?
A)Deliver incremental benefits
B)Program setup
C)Establish program infrastructure
D)Executing

Accepted Answer

Phase four of a program life cycle is called deliver incremental benefits.
Key Takeaway: The program life cycle consists of: Pre-program setup, Program setup, Establishing Program Infrastructure, Delivering Benefits, and Closing the Program.

Question 8

Which of the following are Monitoring and Controlling processes which belong to the Integration Management knowledge area?
A)Integrated Change Control, Monitor and Control Program Work, and Performance Reporting
B)Resource Control, Issue Management and Control, and program Contract Administration
C)Resource Control, Issue Management and Control, and Monitor and Control Program Work
D)Resource Control, Issue Management and Control, and Communication Control

Accepted Answer

Resource Control, Issue Management and Control, and Monitor and Control Program Work are Monitoring and Controlling processes that belong to the Integration Management knowledge area.
Key Takeaway: The Integration Management knowledge area is comprised of four planning processes: the Develop Program Management Plan, Interface Planning, Resource Planning, and Transition Planning. Integration Plans refer to the big picture aspect of planning a program that will require integrating several different departments/processes and coordinating those processes across several different groups and/or knowledge areas.

Question 9

For which of the following should you use a formal, written communications method?
A)Negotiating a contract
B)Change request
C)Asking for additional project funds or resources
D)Telling a project team member that they did poorly their first week on the job
E)Status report to the CEO

Accepted Answer

The only one that doesn't require a formal style is informing a team member they didn't quite cut it their first week on the job. Unless their performance was really poor, a informal verbal communication with feedback on how to improve is recommended.
Key takeaway: Formal written documentation is a way of covering yourself, but also articulating the importance of a request or task. For instance, a formal request for more resources must be taken seriously be a senior manager. In organization, there are constant informal requests for more resources. "I'm overworked" or "If we only had another guy on this team" are common refrains but generally ignored. A written request says "I'm serious, this project needs more for us to get it done."

Question 10

The program process Performance Reporting belongs to which of the following?
A)The Communication process group
B)The Monitoring and Controlling process group
C)The Integration Management knowledge area
D)The Executing process group

Accepted Answer

Performance Reporting belongs to the Monitoring and Controlling process group.
Key Takeaway: The Monitoring and Controlling process group gathers performance information relating to the program and analyzes it in order to make improvements. This process group includes measuring the program performance against the original program management plan, comparing it against the initial budgets, costs, program schedules, and program scope. In addition, this process takes information from the various constituent projects to understand how each fits into the whole program and how it contributes at the program-level.

Question 11

What is a stage gate process?
A)A form of rolling wave planning
B)Formal deliverable acceptance
C)Phased project procedure where at the end of each stage management debates whether or not to continue the project
D)Scope management technique
E)A way of assessing projects using metrics

Accepted Answer

A stage gate process has a set time or milestone, known as a gate. At each gate, the continuation of the project is decided by management.
Key Takeaway: Stage gates are very common in Research and Development projects where as more information is revealed, the viability of the project should be re-considered. In many cases, this will not only be information from the project, but rather material changes in the overall environment. For instance, a project to develop a new product may get killed if another company has already gotten to market.

Question 12

The program process Program Contract Administration belongs to which of the following?
A)The Communication process group
B)The Monitoring and Controlling process group
C)The Integration Management knowledge area
D)The Executing process group

Accepted Answer

Program Contract Administration belongs to the Monitoring and Controlling process group.
Key Takeaway: Program Contract Administration deals with the administration of the various contracts that are negotiated with sellers. This administration includes managing relationships with buyers and sellers while allowing the program groups to have their own autonomy with the same buyers and sellers on the project level, and managing contract-related issues with the programs and constituent projects. The inputs to successful contract administration are: contracts, a contract management plan, work results from the seller, seller performance reports, the program management plan (including cost, quality, and procurement plans), and seller invoices.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT an input to the Resource Control process?
A)Performance reports
B)Resource management plan
C)Expenditure reports
D)Program budget

Accepted Answer

Expenditure reports are not an input to the Resource Control process.
Key Takeaway: Resource Control manages all program and project resources and their associated costs, in accordance with the original program management plan.

Question 14

Doris Mayweather is managing the execution of the Would You Be Mine? program, and she wants to make forecasts about the expected progress and performance of the program. Which process should she perform?
A)Performance Reporting
B)Extrapolate Performance
C)Monitor and Control Program Work
D)Direct and Manage Program Execution

Accepted Answer

Doris should perform the process Monitor and Control Program Work which produces forecasts as an output.
Key Takeaway: The Monitor and Control Program Work process gathers program performance information and measures it in order to make improvements. The outputs of this process are change requests, forecasts, and communication messages for stakeholders.

Question 15

In which phase is the infrastructure for monitoring and controlling the constituent projects in a program established?
A)One
B)Two
C)Three
D)Four

Accepted Answer

the infrastructure for monitoring and controlling the constituent project in a program is established in phase four.
Key Takeaway: Five phases make up a program life cycle: pre-program setup, program setup, establishing program infrastructure, delivering incremental benefits, and closing the program. Establishing the infrastructure for monitoring and controlling constituent projects in a program is handled in phase four: Delivering incremental benefits. Although it sounds like this should be handled in Phase Three: Establishing Program Infrastructure, that only refers to the program's infrastructure-not that of the individual projects. Establishing the infrastructure for monitoring and controlling individual projects happens in the Delivering Benefits phase-phase four.

Question 16

Which process group does performance reporting belong to?
A)Monitoring and Controlling
B)Performance
C)Planning
D)Executing

Accepted Answer

Performance reporting belongs to the Monitoring and Controlling process group.
Key Takeaway: While the program manager is busy directing and managing a program, program deliverables are being produced. Mere production of these deliverables does not ensure the success of any given program and its projects. Hence, performance reporting is necessary to monitor the success of a program and its individual projects. Performance reporting presents a clear picture of the performance of the program to stakeholders to ensure that the program deliverables are being produced efficiently.

Question 17

Which is NOT part of the Integrated Change Control process?
A)Approve Change requests
B)Implement the approved change requests
C)Determine if a change has occurred
D)Escalate the change requests

Accepted Answer

Implement the approved change requests is not part of the Integrated Change Control process.
Key Takeaway: The Integrated Change Control process coordinates changes in areas such as: cost, schedule, scope, and quality across the whole program. This ensures that changes have gone through a review process before being implemented. The Integrated Change Control Process includes the following tasks: approval and refusal of change requests, Escalate the change requests, determine if a change has occurred, influence factors that create changes, and determine how and when the changes will be applied.

Question 18

What is the BEST way to notify the team about an approved change request?
A)Send an e-mail out to all team members
B)Walk around to communicate with each team member
C)Post on an internal website
D)Send an e-mail out to everyone in the division
E)Consult with change control process

Accepted Answer

A through D might all be effective individual choices given the project that you are managing. However, E, consulting the change control process is correct. Every company has a formal change process which specifies who must be notified when a change is approved. If there isn't one, then you're off the hook, but you might do well to help the firm put one in place.
Key Takeaway: We included this question to remind you that you should do whatever is formally required by the change control processes at the organization you are at. Additionally, a manager should use their discretion in how they would notify other parties.

Question 19

Brendan is managing a large IT project at a venture-backed startup that is scaling up. The project requires frequent change requests due to multiple IT initiatives simultaneously happening within the growing firm. A particular business manager with a lot of clout is pressing Brendan to make changes that may not only impact the project's scope, but cost and timeline as well. Which exemplifies the best route for Brendan to take?
A)He could use corrective action.
B)He could suggest the formation of a change control board.
C)He could employ dynamic programming.
D)He could hold a kickoff meeting.
E)He could consult the scope creep committee.

Accepted Answer

Brendan can effectively remove the pressure that he's receiving from this manager by placing change request responsibility into the hands of a group.
Corrective action is used when a project is not performing well according to its baselines, while dynamic programming is a mathematical approach used to select projects. A kickoff meeting is something that is held at the onset of a project. A scope creep committee may seem like a good idea to you experience project managers, but we've never actually heard of one being created. A change control process is the closest thing really.
Key Take Away: Experienced Project Managers effectively use the power of group decision-making to discourage pressuring tactics on any one person, which could potentially sway decisions for the wrong reasons, and put the project at risk. Most large firms have processes in place for this, but in growing companies, a lack of a formal change control process can be a nightmare for a project manager and result in major scope creep.

Question 20

Which is NOT an input to the Resource Control process?
A)Cross-charges
B)Lease agreements
C)Performance reports
D)Program management plan

Accepted Answer

Cross-charges are not an input to the Resource Control process.
Key Takeaway: The Resource Control process manages all the program resources and the associated cost as prescribed by the program management plan. The input to the Resource Control process includes: lease agreements, requirements for equipment facilities, material, and personnel, program management plan, resource management plan, staffing management plan, program budget, ad performance reports. Cross-charges are an output of the Resource Control process.

Quiz 1: Program and Project Management

Which is NOT an input to the Acquire Program Team process?

The Develop Program Team process produces which of the following outputs?

Program quality assurance includes all of the following except:

In order, the normal stages a project team will go through are:

True or false: Expectancy theory states that employees who are motivated by incentives will remain motivated and productive so long as the rewards meet their expectations.

True or false: The Project Management Office should have a significant role in selecting a Project Management Information System (PMIS).

What is phase four of a program life cycle called?

Which of the following are Monitoring and Controlling processes which belong to the Integration Management knowledge area?

For which of the following should you use a formal, written communications method?

The program process Performance Reporting belongs to which of the following?

What is a stage gate process?

The program process Program Contract Administration belongs to which of the following?

Which of the following is NOT an input to the Resource Control process?

Doris Mayweather is managing the execution of the Would You Be Mine? program, and she wants to make forecasts about the expected progress and performance of the program. Which process should she perform?

In which phase is the infrastructure for monitoring and controlling the constituent projects in a program established?

Which process group does performance reporting belong to?

Which is NOT part of the Integrated Change Control process?

What is the BEST way to notify the team about an approved change request?

Which is NOT an input to the Resource Control process?