Question 1

Is it possible for the members of the Project Board to provide guidance to the Project Manager outside the standard documentation/reporting procedures specified in PRINCE2?

Accepted Answer

Yes, they are allowed to give ad-hoc direction any time they like.
Key takeaway: The ability of the Project Board to give ad-hoc direction is somewhat of a catch-all to ensure there is an open communication channel to the Project Manager at all times. Usually they will give ad-hoc advice in response to a request for advice from the Project Manager, a raised exception, or a report of some description. It can happen, however, that there are corporate issues that need to be communicated to the Project Manager, in which case the trigger for the ad-hoc advice will be external to the project.

Question 2

During which process is the request to approve the next Stage Plan made?

Accepted Answer

Managing a Stage Boundary.
Key takeaway: The Managing a Stage Boundary process supports the PRINCE2 principle of Continued Business Justification. It exists so that the Project Board can review the current stage, satisfy themselves that everything has proceeded as it should, and to confirm the business justification is still valid so that the project can proceed to the next stage.

Question 3

Which role is responsible for drafting the outline Business Case?

Accepted Answer

Executive. Although the task can be delegated.
Key takeaway: Since the Executive is the one single person with ultimate responsibility for ensuring the project meets its objectives and delivers the expected benefits, the Executive also has responsibility for the Business Case.

Question 4

The purpose of Configuration Management is:

Accepted Answer

The purpose of Configuration Management is to track products.
Key takeaway: It should be possible within the configuration management routines to obtain the current version of any product, including whether it has been through quality reviews, approval processes, delivered to the customer, and any other statuses which may be valid for that product

Question 5

According the Prince2 principles, the scope of a plan is defined by:

Accepted Answer

According the Prince2 principles, the scope of a plan is defined by the set of products to be delivered.
Key takeaway: One of the principles of a PRINCE2 project is Focus on Products. It is the products which define a project (as opposed to the activities or processes). As such, the scope of the project is also defined by the products to be delivered.

Question 6

Which of the following do progress controls help with?
1)Quality controls
2)Authorization of further work
3)Problem detection and risk identification
4)Comparing the level of achievement with the plan

Accepted Answer

Quality controls are, of course, part of the Quality theme.
Key takeaway: The Progress theme allows planned objectives to be tracked against those achieved, to keep control of any unacceptable deviations from the plan, and to provide project forecasts. As part of these controls, it is necessary to obtain authorisation for any further work so that it does not impact on the delivery of the original plan.

Question 7

Which product is an input for the Closing a Project process?

Accepted Answer

The Project Initiation Documentation.
Key takeaway: When closing a project, it first needs to be evaluated to ensure that all objectives have been met. Since the Project Initiation Documentation is the primary source of information for the project, it is one of the most important inputs to this process. Other inputs include the End of Project Report, the Lessons Log, and the various registers.

Question 8

What name is given to the piece of work performed by a Team Manager for the Project Manager?

Accepted Answer

Work Package.
Key takeaway: The idea of a Work Package is to allow the Team Manager to handle it in whatever way they deem necessary. This could mean not using PRINCE2 methods. Essentially, it is an interface between a PRINCE2 project and the project's product suppliers (both internal and external).

Question 9

Which of the following activities does PRINCE2 recommend when preparing the Communication Management Strategy?
1)Review the project brief
2)Review the risk and issue registers
3)Consult with the suppliers that will be used throughout the project
4)Consult with project assurance

Accepted Answer

Suppliers cannot all be consulted. It is quite possible they have not all been identified at this point.
Key takeaway: Much of the Communication Management Strategy will likely come from corporate guidelines. The most important part of it is identifying the various stakeholders so that appropriate lines of communication can be drawn up. This means reviewing any documentation which may help in that process.

Question 10

Which 3 products are created once the authority to initiate the project has been received?

Accepted Answer

Risk Management Strategy, Quality Management Strategy, Configuration Management Strategy.
Key takeaway: These 3 strategies feed into the Communication Management Strategy, and so must be completed first. The Communication Management Strategy then feeds into the Project Plan, which in turn allows the Business Case to be refined. Finally, the Project Initiation Documentation can be assembled.

Question 11

Which of the following are optional when calculating the budget?
1)Costs of Project Management activities
2)Risk Budget
3)Change Budget
4)Cost Tolerances

Accepted Answer

A Risk Budget and a Change Budget are both optional.
Key takeaway: Risk Budgets and Change Budgets exist when it is anticipated that there will be requests for change/off-specifications and/or risks that fall outside of the specified tolerances for risk. It is important not to fund either of these actions by utilising surplus tolerances or with a 'suck it and see' mentality. The procedures are there precisely to prevent that sort of scope creep.

Question 12

During a Quality Review it is the responsibility of which role to request approval for the product?

Accepted Answer

Presenter.
Key takeaway: The Quality Review is there to assess a product and its quality and to provide confirmation that it is complete and ready for approval. It introduces 4 roles: The chair (responsible for the review), the presenter (introduces the product and represents the producers), the reviewer (perform the actual review), the administrator (admin support for the review team, providing minutes, record results, and actions).

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT true for a PRINCE2 Plan?

Accepted Answer

It includes named resources responsible for achieving the target.
Key takeaway: PRINCE2 does not deal with named resources-rather it centres around the principle of defined roles. While a Plan may include information as to what roles need to be involved in order to achieve a target, named resources need not be specified for it to qualify as a PRINCE2 plan.

Question 14

Which process triggers the request to deliver a project?

Accepted Answer

Initiating a Project. At this point, only management products have been produced.
Key takeaway: The initiation stage assembles all the relevant project information in the form of the Project Initiation Document. This is then presented to the Project Board, who will then decide whether or not to proceed with the project.

Question 15

A Change Authority is responsible for:

Accepted Answer

Reviewing and approving/rejecting all requests for change/off-specifications within delegated limits set by the Project Board.
Key takeaway: Change will often be dealt with by the Project Board themselves. If it is a large project, though, or a lot of changes are anticipated, a Change Authority may be appointed (possibly the Project Manager and/or somebody from Project Assurance). This will then reduce the workload on the Project Board, who should not have to devote too much of their time to any single project (something which is usually supported by the PRINCE2 principle of Manage by Exception).

Question 16

Which documents are used to produce the Risk Management Strategy?
1)Quality Management Strategy
2)Product Descriptions
3)Project Brief
4)Business Case

Accepted Answer

Together with the Corporate or Programme Management's risk management guide, strategy, or policy.
Key takeaway: The Risk Management Strategy defines the standards, techniques, and responsibilities within the project when it comes to risk. To do so, it is important to understand not only the corporate attitude to risk, but the attitude of the Project Board for the specific project. The Project Brief and the Business Case should both help to determine both how much risk is expected, and how the Project Board would prefer to deal with it.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a valid response to an off-specification?

Accepted Answer

Provide guidance. In addition to the responses specified, the Project Board may also defer a decision, request more information, or ask for an Exception Plan.
Key takeaway: The Project Board may choose to accept the off-specification without taking any immediate action. This is called a concession and requires that the Product Description be updated before the product is handed over.

Question 18

A member of the Project Board should:
1)Be able to delegate
2)Have authority
3)Have credibility
4)Be available

Accepted Answer

A member of the Project Board should have authority and credibility, be available, and be able to delegate.
Key takeaway: A project board member should have the authority and the credibility to represent their interests and be able to assign resources when necessary. Beyond that, they should be available to deal with project issues as they arise. Ideally, this availability will be for the length of the project, but while continuity is good, it is not unknown for the same role to be filled by different people at different points in the project.

Question 19

When authorising a project the Project Board must confirm:
1)A suitable Business Case exists and shows a viable project
2)Suitable resources have been assigned to support the Project Plan
3)The projects strategies and controls support delivery of the Project Plan
4)The Project Plan is adequate to deliver the Business Case

Accepted Answer

The Business Case must be viable, the project plan adequate, and the strategies appropriate.
Key takeaway: Reviewing the Business Case is simply holding to the principle of Continued Business Justification, and is not just done when authorising a project, but at every stage boundary when authorising the next stage. In addition to this, the project plan must be able to deliver the Business Case as it is described, and the project strategies must support this delivery. If any one of these criteria fails, then approval should not be given until the problems have been rectified. If the Business Case is not valid, then the project may be shut down completely before it has even properly begun.

Quiz 1: Projects in Controlled Environments Foundation