Question 1

Project management is the process of scoping, planning, staffing, organizing, directing, and controlling the development of an acceptable system at a minimum cost within a specified time frame.

Accepted Answer

Project management involves these activities to ensure that a project is completed efficiently, on time, and within budget, while meeting the project's objectives and requirements.

Question 2

The causes of failed projects include shortcuts taken during the project, expectations mismanagement, lack of or unreasonably precise targets, poor estimating techniques, budget overruns, missed schedules, and lack of management and leadership.

Accepted Answer

These are common factors that can lead to project failure, as they affect planning, execution, and control processes.

Question 3

Feature creep is the uncontrolled addition of technical features to a system under development without regard to schedule and budget.

Accepted Answer

Feature creep refers to the continuous or uncontrolled addition of new features in a product, which can lead to delays and budget overruns.

Question 4

A common and effective project management technique is to assign more people to the team if a project gets behind schedule.

Accepted Answer

Adding more people to a project that's behind schedule can lead to inefficiencies and communication issues, often described by Brooks' Law, which states that "adding manpower to a late software project makes it later."

Question 5

A project is considered successful if, (1) the resulting information system is acceptable to the customer;(2) the system was delivered on time; (3) the system was within budget; and (4) the system development process had a minimal impact on ongoing business operations.

Accepted Answer

A project is typically deemed successful if it meets the customer's requirements, is delivered on time and within budget, and does not significantly disrupt business operations.

Question 6

One key to successful project management is to commit to a fixed budge and schedule as early as possible and then stick to it.

Accepted Answer

Flexibility is crucial in project management to adapt to changes and unforeseen challenges, which may require adjustments to the budget and schedule.

Question 7

Over-optimism is the tendency for systems analysts and project managers to fail to recognize that project slips in one phase or activity can cause corresponding slips in many other phases and activities, and contribute to cost overruns.

Accepted Answer

Over-optimism leads to underestimating the impact of delays, causing a ripple effect on subsequent phases and increasing costs.

Question 8

If the project's importance changes during the project, or if the management or the business reorganizes, projects should be reassessed for compatibility with those changes and their importance to the business.

Accepted Answer

Projects should align with the current goals and priorities of the business, so any significant changes in importance or organizational structure necessitate a reassessment to ensure continued relevance and value.

Question 9

Cost overruns are not a reason for project failure.

Accepted Answer

Cost overruns can lead to budget constraints, resource shortages, and financial instability, which can contribute to project failure.

Question 10

A Gantt chart is a simple horizontal bar chart that depicts project tasks against a calendar.

Accepted Answer

A Gantt chart is a visual project management tool that uses horizontal bars to represent tasks over time, showing their start and end dates against a calendar timeline.

Question 11

Each bar on a Gantt chart represents a named project task.

Accepted Answer

A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that represents a project schedule, where each bar corresponds to a specific task or activity within the project.

Question 12

Scope defines the boundaries of a project.

Accepted Answer

Scope outlines what is included and excluded in a project, setting its boundaries and deliverables.

Question 13

Planning identifies the required tasks to complete the project based on the project goal.

Accepted Answer

Planning involves outlining the necessary tasks and steps needed to achieve the project's objectives, ensuring alignment with the project goal.

Question 14

The project schedule should be developed with an understanding of the required tasks, task duration, and task prerequisites.

Accepted Answer

A project schedule is effectively developed by understanding the tasks involved, their durations, and any dependencies or prerequisites, ensuring a realistic and achievable timeline.

Question 15

The project schedule should be developed based on the desired due date for project completion based on management decree.

Accepted Answer

The project schedule should be developed based on realistic assessments of the project's scope, resources, and constraints, rather than solely on a desired due date set by management.

Question 16

GANTT is an acronym that stands for Group Activity Network Time Table.

Accepted Answer

GANTT is not an acronym; it is named after Henry Gantt, who developed the Gantt chart, a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule.

Question 17

A project manager must demonstrate people management skills to coordinate, delegate, motivate, advise, appraise, and reward team members.

Accepted Answer

People management skills are essential for a project manager to effectively lead and manage a team, ensuring successful project execution and team satisfaction.

Question 18

The project manager must monitor and report progress against goals, schedule, and costs, and make appropriate adjustments when necessary.

Accepted Answer

A project manager's role includes tracking progress, ensuring the project stays on schedule and within budget, and making adjustments as needed to meet project goals.

Question 19

PERT charts were developed to make clear the interdependence between project tasks.

Accepted Answer

PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) charts were developed to help project managers identify task dependencies and sequence tasks effectively to optimize project timelines.

Question 20

Gantt charts clearly show the overlapping tasks, that is, the tasks that can be performed at the same time.

Accepted Answer

Gantt charts use horizontal bars to represent tasks over time, allowing for easy visualization of overlapping tasks and concurrent activities.

Quiz 4: Project Management