CIT492 Technology Management I

Which of the following is NOT one of the driving forces behind the increasing demand for project management?

Declining need for product customization

Like many other professions such as accounting, marketing and finance, there is a professional organization for project managers. One professional organization for project managers has grown from 93,000 in 2002 to more than 565,000 currently and is the ________blank.

Project Management Institute (PMI)

Which of the following choices is a professional organization for project managers?

PMI.

Project management is ideally suited for a business environment requiring all of the following EXCEPT

Repeatability.

A series of coordinated, related, multiple projects that continue over an extended time period and are intended to achieve a goal is known as a

Program.

Which of the choices listed below is NOT considered to be a characteristic of a project?

For internal use only

Which of the following is typically the responsibility of a project manager?

All of these are typical responsibilities

Project management is not limited to the ________blank sector.

private

One of the defining characteristics of a project is that it has a singular purpose, i.e., an established ________blank.

objective

In which stage of the project life cycle is the product of the project delivered to the customer and resources are released from the project?

Closing

A project life cycle

can vary based on the industry.

In which stage of the project life cycle are project objectives established, teams formed, and major responsibilities assigned?

Defining

Which of the following is NOT one of the stages of a project life cycle?

Identifying

Project Managers are

all of these: not timid. ultimately responsible for performance. a direct link to the customer. able to multitask.

Which of the following represents the correct order of stages within the project life cycle?

Defining, Planning, Executing, Closing

Projects with high predictability are said to have ________blank.

the best circumstances for use of traditional project management

Agile project management involves ________blank whereas traditional project management involves ________blank.

iterative and incremental delivery, upfront planning with high predictability

Project managers must have many competencies, among them leadership, teamwork and negotiation. Leadership, teamwork, and negotiation are examples of the ________blank dimension of the project management process.

sociocultural

Which dimension of project management centers on creating a temporary social system within a larger organizational environment that combines the talents of a divergent set of professionals working to complete the project?

Sociocultural

The two dimensions within project management processes are

Technical and sociocultural.

Why do project managers need to understand their organization's mission and strategy?

So they can make appropriate decisions and adjustments and be effective project advocates

In a SWOT analysis, good product quality, low debt, and an established supplier network are examples of internal ________blank.

strengths

Which of the following is NOT one of the requirements for successful implementation of strategies through projects?

Quality management

Which of the following is NOT one of the traditional components found in mission statements?

Profitability

________blank translate the organization's strategy into specific, concrete, and measurable terms.

Objectives

A project selection process that is strongly linked to strategy results in

better utilization of the organization's resources.

Which of the following terms is often used to denote a project that a powerful, high-ranking official is advocating?

Sacred cow

All of the following are symptoms of organizations struggling with strategy disconnect and unclear priorities EXCEPT

not enough projects within the portfolio to make a profit.

Typically, a project sponsor is

instrumental in approving a project and key to support a project to its' completion.

People within an organization working on multiple efforts concurrently is an indicator of

too many projects taken on at once.

Projects are usually classified into all but one of the following categories. Which one is NOT one of the typical classifications?

Political necessity

In classifying the kinds of projects an organization has in its portfolio, projects that are typically those needed to meet regulatory conditions required to operate in a region are ________blank projects.

Compliance (must do)

The management system that spans the lifetime of the project is called the ________blank.

phase gate model

The first part of the management system that spans the lifetime of the project is called the ________blank.

project selection process

When considering criteria used to select projects, capturing a larger market share or reducing the dependency on unreliable suppliers would both be examples of ________blank criteria.

Nonfinancial

Project selection criteria are typically classified as

financial and nonfinancial.

A project screening matrix typically contains all of the following EXCEPT

costs to complete each project.

A list of potential projects, several criteria, weights for those criteria, and criteria scores for those projects are all typically included on a(n) ________blank matrix.

Project screening

When it comes to project prioritization, senior management is responsible for

All of the these choices are correct: developing a culture where everyone contributes to the goals of the organization. setting the course for the organization. determining the priority of each project. directing the organization to a strong future position.

The following are responsibilities of the governance team when managing a portfolio system EXCEPT

deciding how organizational resources are allocated among the different types of projects.

Two of the major disadvantages of the ________blank organizational approach are that projects may lack focus and it can take longer to complete projects.

functional

Firms where projects are the dominant form of business and the entire organization is designed to support project teams are usually structured as a(n) ________blank organization.

projectized

The approach to project management that uses the existing hierarchy of the organization to manage projects is ________blank organization and it uses no overlaid structure.

functional

No radical alteration in the design or operation of the parent organization is a major advantage of ________blank organization.

functional

Growing pains can arise from implementing a matrix organization due to

the long lead time of implementation.

The ________blank structure is designed to optimally utilize resources by having individuals work on multiple projects as well as being capable of performing normal functional duties.

matrix

In a(n) ________blank system, there are usually two chains of command, one along functional lines and the other along project lines.

matrix

The ________blank matrix form of project organization is likely to improve technical quality as well as provide a better system for managing conflict across projects because the functional manager assigns personnel to different projects.

weak

Which of the following PMO types would address questions like ‘How are our projects progressing? Which ones are on track? Which ones are not? How are we doing in terms of cost? Which projects are over budget?’

Weather station.

Which of the following PMO types makes sure the project is aligned with business objectives and conforms to accepted practices?

Command and control center.

All of the following are organizational considerations when determining the right project management structure EXCEPT

budget constraints.

It is common to use the functional organizational model when

one functional area plays a dominant role in the project.

If you are considering moving to a matrixed organization, you will need

both time and strong leadership.

Organization ________blank refers to a system of shared norms, beliefs, values, and assumptions which bind people together, thereby creating shared meanings.

culture

Research suggests that there is a strong connection between project management structure, organizational ________blank, and project success.

culture

Which of the following cultural characteristics relates to the degree to which employees identify with the organization as a whole rather than with their type of job or field of professional expertise?

Member identity

Conflict tolerance, risk tolerance, reward criteria and unit integration are all examples of cultural ________blank.

characteristics

Which of the following cultural characteristic relates to the degree to which rules, policies, and direct supervision are used to oversee and control employee behavior?

Control

The cultural characteristic that refers to the degree to which employees are encouraged to be aggressive, innovative, and risk seeking is known as ________blank.

risk tolerance

In all cases of looking for an ideal project culture, there is always the need for

balance among multiple project dimensions.

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

technical requirement.

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

technical requirement

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

acceptance criteria

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

Project objective

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

Acceptance criteria

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

a deliverable.

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

cost overruns, delays

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

scope statement

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

Profit

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 ________blank of the project.

priorities

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 ________blank.

constrained

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

cost account

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

work breakdown structure

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

Overhead expenses

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.

PBS

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

organization breakdown structure

The WBS is best suited for projects that have a tangible outcome. Which of the following is used when the final outcome of the project is less tangible or is a product of a series of steps or phases?

Process breakdown structure

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

responsibility 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 ________blank plan.

communication

A robust ________blank 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.

communications plan

What is the relationship between organizational culture and estimating?

Cultural norms affect the accuracy of estimates.

The estimating factor that considers the prevailing belief in some firms that detailed estimating takes too much time and is not worth the effort is an example of the ________blank factor.

organizational culture

The estimating factor that considers the skill level of participants doing the estimating is known as the ________blank factor.

people

A home builder is collecting estimates for a house that he will have the funding to build in 12 months. Which of the following factors does he need to consider in regard to the quality of these estimates?

Planning horizon

Which of the following is NOT one of the recommended guidelines for developing useful work package estimates?

Estimates should include a normal level of contingency.

The information necessary to conduct a bottom-up estimate of project time and cost starts with the ________blank.

work package

The top-down method of estimating project time and costs that is useful for projects requiring the same task, group of tasks, or product repeated several times, especially if it is labor intensive, is the ________blank.

learning curves

A scrum master is responsible for estimating a work package that has a significant amount of uncertainty associated with the time and cost to complete. Due to the uncertainty involved he will be making a low, an average and a high estimate. He is using which estimating approach?

Range estimating

In practice, estimating processes are frequently classified as

top down or bottom up.

Which of the following methods is NOT considered a top-down approach to estimating project time and cost?

Template

The bottom-up method of estimating where work package time and costs for past projects are used as a starting point for a new project and adjustments are made based on differences in the new project is known as the ________blank.

template method

A construction estimator is forecasting project time and cost for constructing a new building by multiplying the total square footage by a given dollar amount. Which of the following methods is he using?

Ratio

Which of the following is a good condition for top-down estimating?

Internal, small project

Which of the following would best represent direct project costs?

Labor, materials and equipment

The salary of the project manager and temporary rental space for the project team would be classified as ________blank costs.

direct project overhead

Refining estimates may be necessary for a number of reasons. For example, design flaws being revealed after the fact, extreme weather conditions, and accidents occurring are good examples of

things going wrong on a project.

Companies are using which of the following for improving the estimating process for future projects?

Creating historical databases of previous projects

Benefits of Reference Class Forecasting include

All of these alternatives are correct: helps to avoid unsound optimism. leads to improved accountability. acts as a reality check. provides a basis for contingency funds.

Estimating can be challenged by

All of these alternatives are correct: political dynamics. human nature. difficulty in predicting the future. size of the project.

A(n) ________blank is something that is a valuable but burdensome possession.

white elephant