Chapter 4 - Project Management Test Bank

Scope definition is among the first tasks that must happen in projects. How is projectscope defined?

D) What you expect to deliver to your customer when the project is complete

A project professional is viewing a document that delineates the specific deliverables and sub-deliverables required to complete the writing of a technical support manual. He is most likely viewing the

C) work breakdown structure.

Five steps are involved when defining a project. Which of the following is the first?

B) Define the project scope

A project professional has just been assigned manager of a project to develop a newadvertising campaign for an established product. What is the second step the project manager should do?

A) Establish project priorities.

Scope creep is a big issue when managing projects. Which of the following is NOT true regarding scope creep?

B) It is when the project budget is exceeded.

An expected output over the life of a project would be classified as

D) a deliverable.

Within any project, the first step of project scope definition is to

D) define the overall objective to meet the customer's needs.

In reviewing the project plan, a project professional sees that the first prototype must be completed by October 12. This would be best classified as a

C) milestone.

The ability of a 911 emergency system to identify the caller's phone number and location is considered to be a

A) technical requirement.

You are writing a project scope definition document. Which of the following is NOT one of the items that would appear on a project scope statement or checklist?

D) Work breakdown structure

"To construct a high-quality, custom home within five months at costs not to exceed $150,000" is best classified as

C) an objective

There are 5 steps involved when defining a project; which of the following is the second?

C) Establish project priorities

One of the primary jobs of a project manager is to manage the trade-offs associated withthe project. Which of the following is NOT one of the basic classifications of project priorities?

A) Profit

After reviewing the project scope statement, the owner specifies that costs MUST stay within $400,000. This criterion is classified as

A) constrained.

You have just been given a project that has a specific completion date. After a discussion with top management you find that while the date is important the cost is more important and a slip in delivery would be acceptable if required to meet the cost targets. The completion date is best classified as

C) accepted.

The _________ is used to assist in making project trade-offs among schedule, budget, and performance objectives.

C) project priority matrix

The lowest element in the hierarchical breakdown of the WBS is

B) a work package.

The highest element in the hierarchical breakdown of the WBS is

D) the project.

All of the following are ways the WBS helps in managing projects EXCEPT

D) allows the project manager to establish the overall objective of the project.

All of the following are usually included in a work package EXCEPT

E) All of these are included in a work package.

The integration of the lowest level of the WBS with the organizational units responsiblefor performing the work is known as

B) organization breakdown structure.

There are 5 steps involved when defining a project; which of the following is the last?

A) Code the WBS for tracking

When work packages are integrated with organizational units, a control point is created called a

D) cost account.

If a project is small and does not require an elaborate system to assign tasks, which of the following is a good choice?

D) Responsibility matrix

The project scope statement indicates that the client is responsible for training the people who will be using the equipment and that the project team will train the client's trainers. This is an example of

C) limits and exclusions.

The tendency for the project deliverables to expand over time—usually by changing requirements, specifications, and priorities—is called

B) scope creep.

Which of the following is a good example of a Process Breakdown Structure?

New software program

Which of the following is least likely to be included in a work package?

Overhead expenses

Having a strong communication plan can go a long way toward mitigating project problems. A communication plan should address all of the following EXCEPT

E) all of these should be addressed in a communication plan.

A communication plan is a key component for giving guidelines on how to track project____.

A) issues.

A “Dissemination Mode” is

C) what defines how project communication is to occur.

33) A key aspect to communication plans are that they allow the project manager and the project team to

D) actively control the flow of information.

A Responsibility Matrix will clarify

D) who supports and who is responsible.

35) One way for a project manager to communicate the authority granted to individual project members is to publish a

D) responsibility matrix.

A Process Breakdown Structure can provide a reasonable alternative to a WorkBreakdown structure for an extensive development project if

A) phase exit criteria are firmly established.

A selective outline of the project that ensures the identification of all tasks and an understanding of what is to be done is called a(n) ____________.

B) work breakdown structure

The first step in planning any project is to ___________.

C) define the project scope

The definition of the end result or mission of your project, or what you expect to deliverto your customer when the project is complete is the project ___________.

A) scope

40) Significant events in a project that occur at a specific point in time, are natural control points, and are easily recognized by project participants are known as ___________.

C) milestones

The need for a functioning computer in countries having different electrical systems is an example of a ________.

E) technical requirement

42) The agreement that training will be the responsibility of the customer and not the team is an example of a project ________.

B) limits and exclusions

The last element of a project scope statement or checklist ensures an understanding and agreement of expectations. This is known as ____________.

B) acceptance criteria

44) In regard to project priorities, if a project parameter such as the completion date or the cost of a project is fixed and must be met, it is considered ____________.

C) constrained

45) Taking advantage of opportunities to reduce costs or accelerate the schedule are examples of project criteria classified as ____________.

A) enhanced

46) In making project trade-offs, a criterion that is allowed not to meet the original target, for example, allowing the schedule to slip, is classified as ___________.

B) accepted

A technique that clearly establishes priorities with customers and top management so as to create shared expectations and avoid misunderstandings is developing a(n) ___________.

D) project priority matrix

The result of subdividing the work of a project into smaller and smaller work elements is called a(n) __________.

A) work breakdown structure

The most detailed element in the hierarchical breakdown of the project work to be accomplished is known as the __________.

C) work package

50) The intersection of work packages and the organizational unit creates a project control point called a(n) ___________.

E) cost account

51) When specific work packages are assigned to a particular group or person within the organization, the result is called a(n) ___________.

C) organization breakdown structure

52) The final step in defining a project is __________ the WBS for the information system.

D) coding the WBS

53) The WBS is best suited for design and construction projects that have tangible outcomes.When the final outcome of the project is less tangible or it is the result of a series of steps or phases, some project managers choose to utilize a(n) ___________.

B) Process Breakdown Structure (PBS)

Once the __________ has been established, it is the basis for making trade-off decisions later in the project.

D) project priority matrix

The type of information that will need to be collected during a project and who will receive this information can be found in the project __________ plan.

A) communication

56) One tool that is used by project managers of small projects to summarize the tasks to be accomplished and who is responsible for what on a project is called a(n) __________.

C) responsibility matrix

57) A document that is issued by upper management and provides the project manager with written authority to use organizational resources for project activities is called a(n) __________.

A) project charter

58) Scope creep can be reduced by carefully writing a(n) __________.

E) scope statement

One of the primary jobs of a project manager is to manage the trade-offs among time,cost, and performance. To do so, the project manager must define and understand the___________ of the project.

C) priorities

The gradual expansion of project requirements, specifications and priorities during the execution of project is known as ____________.

B) scope creep

A robust ______________ can go a long way to reducing project problems over the life of the project and will establish how, when and to whom information must be supplied.

D) communications plan

Scope creep results in changes to requirements, specifications, and priorities and these in turn result in _____ and _____.

D) cost overruns, delays

Which of the following is not a common cause of scope creep?

E) Policy change

In many cases, the causes of scope creep reflect a misfit between ____.

A) traditional project management methods being applied to high uncertainty projects

65) If the project scope needs to change, it is critical to have a sound _______ in place that records the change.

C) change control process

Which of the following items on the Project Scope Checklist answers the question “What is the problem or opportunity the project is addressing?”

C) Justification

Which of the following items on the Project Scope Checklist answers the question “What end result is wanted?”

B) Product scope description

Which of the following items has to do with the expected measurable outputs over thelife of the project?

D) Deliverables

Which of the following items has to do with the overall goal of meeting your customer’s needs?

A) Project objective

Which of the following items has to do with significant events in the life of a project, such as completion of deliverables, at a specific point in time?

E) Milestones

Which of the following items has to do with conditions that must be met before the deliverables are accepted?

E) Acceptance criteria

Which of the following tools would you as project manager likely prefer if you are managing a medium-to-large software development project? Your project is driven by performance requirements, not by plans/blueprints.

C) PBS

Scope creep occurs when your project is completed over-budget.

false

There is a strong correlation between project success and clear project scope definition.

true

Project scope describes what you expect to deliver to your customers when the project is complete.

true

One of the items included on a project scope statement or checklist is the acceptance criteria.

true

An expected output over the life of a project would be classified as a target.

false

An activity that represents a major segment of work is a good example of a milestone.

false

96) The fact that a new home being built must meet local building codes is an example of a limit and exclusion.

false

97) If a project criterion should be optimized if at all possible, it is classified as being constrained.

false

If the project time should be accepted, then the project must be completed on time.

false

During the course of a project, it is possible that the project priorities may change.

true

Profit, time and performance are all basic classifications of project priorities.

false

101) Integrating a project's work packages within the organization's management structure is known as work breakdown structure.

false

102) The highest element in the hierarchical breakdown of the WBS is the first major deliverable for the project and the lowest element is a work package.

false

103) Process breakdown structures are used when the size and the scope of the project do not warrant an elaborate WBS or OBS.

false

104) Responsibility matrices are used primarily with small and medium-sized projects and have limited use in large projects.

false

105) A communication plan should include limits on who has access to certain kinds of information.

true

106) The intersection of work packages and the organizational unit creates a project control point called a cost account.

true

107) The project charter provides the project manager with written authority to use organizational resources for project activities.

true

108) For large companies, the organization breakdown structure is used rather than the work breakdown structure.

false

109) The hierarchical work breakdown structure provides management with information appropriate to each level.

true

110) The final step in defining a project is coding the organization breakdown structure or OBS for the information system.

false

111) The use of "acceptance criteria" only refers to projects with external customers who are paying for the project.

false

112) A typical responsibility matrix will include not only those responsible for a specific task but can also include those who supply support and assistance.

true

113) Creating a communication plan typically follows a process that begins with a stakeholder analysis.

true

114) Responsibility Matrices are useful for assigning and organizing responsibilities.

true

115) A Process Breakdown Structure is a replacement for the Work Breakdown Structure for projects with tangible outcomes.

false