PMI Exam

(Integration - Initiation) Develop Project Charter (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Statement of Work (SOW)

Business Case

Selection Methods

Agreements

EEFs & OPAs

Retrospective Meetings

Used mainly in agile, these meetings occur at the end of a phase or sprint to discuss what went well, what didn’t, and how processes can be improved for the next cycle; goal is continuous improvement and team learning

Virtual Organizational Structure (Predictive-suitability)

Suited for projects where team members work remotely; predictive approaches can be challenging due to less frequent in-person interactions, but are manageable with clear documentation and planning

Colocation Organization Structure (Predictive-suitability)

Ideal for predictive methodologies as team members are physically located together, facilitating easier communication and adherence to the planned approach

Matrix Structure Organization (Predictive-suitability)

Can accommodate predictive methodologies if roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, ensuring that project and functional managers effectively communicate

Hierarchical/Traditional Organization Structure (Predictive-suitability)

Well-suited to predictive methodologies as the clear chain of command supports structured planning and execution processes

Virtual Organization Structure (Agile-suitability)

Agile can enhance communication and collaboration through frequent touch points and virtual agility ceremonies

Colocation Organization Structure (Agile-suitability)

Agile benefits from direct interaction, making it highly effective in collocated teams for quick decision-making and problem solving

Adaptive Project Tracking

Emphasize flexibility and responsiveness to change; tracking in agile involves monitoring sprint progress, backlog items, and velocity to adjust plans as needed

Predictive Project Tracking

Focuses on adherence to a baseline plan, with changes managed though formal processes

Velocity Charts

Track the amount of work a team completes during a sprint and forecast future sprint capacity, aiding in planning and efficiency improvements

SCRUM Methodologies

Sprints, Product Backlog, Sprint Backlog, Daily Standups, Sprint Reviews and Retrospectives

Extreme Programming (XP)

Pair Programming, Test-driven Development, Continuous Integratino, Refactoring

Pair Programming

Two programmers work together at one workstation

Test-driven Development

Writing tests before code to improve quality

Continuous Integration

Frequently merging code changes into a shared repository

Refactoring

Regularly improving the design of existing code without changing its behavior

Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe)

Agile Release Trains, Program Increments, PI Planning

Kanban

Visual Boards, Work In Progress (WIP), Flow Management, Flexibility in methodology, Frequent Delivery, Reflective Improvement, Osmotic Communication

Agile Release Trains

Long-lived teams that deliver value in a value stream

Program Increments

A timeboxed planning interval during which an Agile Release Train delivers incremental value in the form of working, tested software, and systems

PI Planning

A cadence-based, face-to-face planning event that serves as the heartbeat of the Agile Release Train

Osmotic Communication

Advocates for an environment that facilitates free and open communication, particularly for co-located teams, to enhance knowledge sharing and collaboration

(Integration - Planning) Develop Project Management Plan (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project charter

Outputs from planning processes

EEFs and OPAs

(Integration - Executing) Direct and Manage Project Work (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Approved Change Requests

EEFs and OPAs

(Integration - M&C) Monitor & Control Project Work (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Validated Changes

EEFs & OPAs

Project Charter

High Level; Once approved is not updated; Issued and signed by the project initiator OR sponsor (someone outside the project executing organization)

Gold plating

Happens when the project team adds new features not requested by customer and not approved by Change Ctrl. Board

Crashing

Adding more resources - increase cost

Fast Tracking

Reorder activities to be performed in parallel - increase risk; loses effectiveness of how resources are used

Schedule Network Analysis

Technique that generates the project schedule model

Rough order of magnitude

-25% / =75%

Definitive Estimate

-5% / +10%

Cost Impact Definition Table

Used to describe, define, and assign the impact of risks (i.e., low, medium, high, super high)

Management Reserve

Amount of project budget withheld for management control purposes, reserved for Unknown-Unknown, that can affect the project and is NOT included in the cost baseline; only added to cost baseline IF approved

Project Budget

Cost baseline + Management Reserves

Vendor Management Strategies

Change Nature of Demand - Leverage Competition - Manage Spend - Seek Joint Advantage

Qualitative Risk Analysis

Probability and Impact Assessments, Probability and Impact Matrix, Risk Categorization

Quantitative Risk Analysis

Can be skipped if risks don’t warrant such approach.

Types of organizational structures

Projectized, functional, matrix

Estimate Costs

To develop an approximation of monetary resources needed to complete project activities.

Determine budget

To aggregate costs of activities and work packages for cost baseline

Control Account

To integrate and compare scope, budget, cost, and schedule to EVM to evaluate performance

Precedence Diagramming Method

Used to establish logical relationships (example: F>S, S>S, F>F, or S>F)

Collect Requirements

Also done through “Observations” and job shadowing

Define Scope

Similar to project charter, but more detailed

Monitor and Control Project Work

Status Reports, Performance Measurements and Forecasts; how scope is executed

Pareto Law

80% of problem is caused by same 20% of source

Cost of Quality

Costs of doing things wrong; includes the costs in preventing nonconformance to requirements, appraising the product or service for conformance to requirements and failing to meet requirements (rework)

Validate Scope

Ensure that product, service, or result of the project matches the scope, formalize acceptance of completed project deliverables; used to accept deliverables

Control Scope

Maintain control of the project by preventing scope change requests from overwhelming the project; allow the scope baseline to be maintained through project

Costs of Quality Formula

Prevention Costs + Appraisal Costs (aka conformance) + Failure Costs (aka nonconformance)

Appraisal Costs

Costs related to testing

Failure Costs

Money spent to fix issues

Process Improvement Plan

Includes process boundaries, configuration, metrics, and targets for improved performance

Quality Metrics

Ensure stability and performance; describe a project or product feature; defined in planning; focuses on defects as they occur and compliance

Rolling Wave

Form of progressive elaboration; work to be accomplished in near future is planned in detail, future work in a high level

Lifecycle Costing

Total cost of ownership from creation to disposal

Value engineering

Get more out of the project in every possible way

(Integration - Closing) Close Project or Phase (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Accepted Deliverables

(No EEFs or OPAs)

(Scope - Planning) Develop Scope Management Plan (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Project Charter

EEFs & OPAs

(Scope - Planning) Define Scope (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Stakeholder Register

Requirements Management Plan

Stakeholder Management Plan

Project Charter

(Not EEFs or OPAs)

(Scope - Planning) Collect Requirements (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Scope Management Plan

Project Charter

Requirements Documentation

(No EEFs or OPAs)

(Scope - Planning) Develop WBS (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Scope Management Plan

Scope Statement

Requirements Documentation

EEFs and OPAs

(Scope - M&C) Validate Scope (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Requirements Documentation

Requirements Traceability Matrix

Verified Deliverables

Work Performance Data

(No EEFs or OPAs)

(Scope - M&C) Control Scope (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Work Performance Data

Project Management Plan

Requirements Documentation

Requirements Traceability Matrix

(No EEFs or OPAs)

(Schedule - Planning) Plan Schedule Management (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Project Charter

EEFs & OPAs

(Schedule - Planning) Define/ID Activities (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Schedule Management Plan

Scope Baseline

EEFs and OPAs

(Schedule - Planning) Sequence Activities (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Schedule Management Plan

Activity & Milestone List

Project Scope Statement

EEFs and OPAs

(Schedule - Planning) Determine Activity Resources (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Schedule Management Plan

Activity List & Resource Register

Resource Calendars

EEFs and OPAs

(Schedule - Planning) Determine Activity Durations (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Schedule Management Plan

Activity List & Resource Requirements

Resource Calendars

EEFs and OPAs

(Schedule - Planning) Develop Schedule (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Schedule Management Plan

Activity List & Resource Calendar

Network Diagrams & Duration

EEFs and OPAs

(Schedule - M&C) Control Schedule (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Project Schedule

Work Performance Data

Project Calendars

Schedule Data

(No EEFs or OPAs)

(Cost - Planning) Develop Cost Management Plan (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Project Charter

EEFs and OPAs

(Cost - Planning) Estimate Costs (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Cost & HR Management Plans

Scope Baseline

Project Schedule

Risk Register

EEFs and OPAs

(Cost - Planning) Determine Budget (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Cost Management Plan

Basis of Estimates

Resource Calendars

Agreements

Scope Baseline

Activity Cost Estimates

Project Schedule

Risk Register

(No EEFs or OPAs)

(Cost - M&C) Control Costs (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Project Funding Requirements

Work Performance Data

(No EEFs or OPAs)

(Quality - Planning) Develop Quality Management Plan (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Scope, Cost, and Schedule Baselines

Stakeholder Register

Risk Register

Requirements Documentation

EEFs and OPAs

(Quality - Executing) Manage Quality (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Quality Management Plan

Process Improvement Plan

Quality Metrics

Quality Control Measurements

Project Documents

No EEFs or OPAs

(Quality - M&C) Control Quality (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Deliverables

Quality Metrics & Checklists

Work Performance Data

Project Documents

Approved Change Requests

No EEFs or OPAs

(Resources - Planning) Develop Resource Management Plan (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Activity Resource Requirements

EEFs and OPAs

(Resource - Executing) Acquire Resources (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

HR Management Plan

EEFs and OPAs

(Resources - Executing) Develop Team (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

HR Management Plan

Project Staff Assignments

Resource Calendars

No EEFs or OPAs

(Resource - Executing) Manage Team (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

HR Management Plan

Issue Logs

Project Staff Assignments

Team Performance Assessments

Work Performance Reports

No EEFs or OPAs

(Communications - Planning) Develop Communications Management Plan (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Stakeholder Register

EEFs and OPAs

(Communications - Executing) Manage Communications (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Communication Management Plan

Work Performance Reports

No EEFs or OPAs

(Communications - M&C) Monitor Communications (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Communications

Issue Logs

Work Performance Reports

No EEFs or OPAs

(Risk - Planning) Develop Risk Management Plan (INPUTS)

Project Management Plan

Project Charter

Stakeholder Register

EEFs and OPAs

(Risk - Planning) Identify Risks (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Activity Cost and Duration Estimates

Stakeholder Register

Project Documents

Procurement Documetns

Risk, Cost, Schedule, Quality, and HR Management Plans

Scope Baseline

EEFs and OPAs

(Risk - Planning) Perform Qualitative Analysis (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Risk Management Plan

Scope Baseline

Risk Register

No EEFs or OPAs

(Risk - Planning) Perform Quantitative Analysis (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Risk Management Plan

Cost & Schedule Management Plans

Risk Register

EEFs and OPAs

(Risk - Planning) Plan Risk Response (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Risk Management Plan

Risk Register

No EEFs or OPAs

(Risk - M&C) Monitor Risks (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Risk Register

Work Performance Data

Work Performance Reports

No EEFs or OPAs

(Procurement - Planning) Plan Procurement Management Plan (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Requirements Documentation

Risk Register

Activity Resource Register

Projected Schedule

Actual Cost Estimates

Stakeholder Register

EEFs and OPAs

(Procurement - Executing) Manage Procurements (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Procurement Management Plan

Procurement Documents

Source Selection Criteria

Seller Proposals

Make-Buy Decisions

Procurement Statement of Work

No EEFs or OPAs

(Procurement - M&C) Control Procurements (INPUTS)

INPUTS =

Project Management Plan

Procurement Doucments and Agreements

Approved Change Requests

Work Performance Reports & Data

No EEFs or OPAs

Work Packages

Lowest level of WBS for which cost and duration can be estimated and managed

Contingency Reserve

Funds to prevent Known Unknown factors that might impact the project.