Project Management Chapters 1–4 Short-Answer Review

What is a project?

A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

What is project management?

The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.

What are the main advantages of using formal project management?

1. Better control of financial, physical, and human resources. 2. Improved customer relations and shorter development times. 3. Lower costs, higher quality, and increased reliability. 4. Better coordination, stronger strategic alignment, and higher worker morale.

What are the main attributes of a project?

1. It has a unique purpose or well-defined objectives. 2. It is temporary, with a definite start and end. 3. It drives change and creates value through progressive elaboration. 4. It requires resources and involves uncertainty.

How can project success be defined?

1. The project meets its scope, time, and cost goals. 2. The project satisfies the customer or sponsor. 3. The results meet the main objective, such as saving or earning money or providing a good return on investment.

What are examples of IT projects mentioned in the notes?

1. Creating and selling a smartphone application. 2. Developing a driverless car. 3. Developing a system to track child immunizations. 4. Consolidating systems after a global bank acquires other financial institutions.

What are project stakeholders?

Stakeholders are people who are involved in or affected by project activities.

What are project management tools and techniques, and what are some examples?

They are tools and methods used to plan, organize, monitor, and improve project work. Examples include project management software, scope statements, requirements analysis, lessons-learned reports, progress reports, kick-off meetings, Gantt charts, and change requests.

What are "super tools" in project management?

Super tools are tools that have high usage and high potential for improving project success. Examples include project management software, scope statements, requirements analysis, and lessons-learned reports.

What factors help projects succeed?

1. Top management support. 2. An agile process and clear business objectives. 3. User involvement. 4. Skilled resources.

What are the four best practices used by companies with strong project delivery?

1. Use an integrated toolbox of project management tools, methods, and techniques. 2. Grow project leaders through career opportunities, training, and mentoring. 3. Develop a streamlined project delivery process that reduces variation and bottlenecks. 4. Measure project health using metrics such as customer satisfaction and return on investment.

What are the six traits of highly effective project managers?

1. Be a strategic business partner. 2. Encourage and recognize valuable contributions. 3. Respect and motivate stakeholders. 4. Be fully invested in success. 5. Stress integrity and accountability. 6. Work in the gray and deal with ambiguity.

What is ethics in project management?

Ethics is a set of principles that guides decision-making based on personal values about what is right and wrong.

What are the three main categories of project management software tools?

1. Low-end tools: support single or small projects and cost less than about $\$200$ per user. 2. Midrange tools: support multiple projects and users; Microsoft Project is a popular example. 3. High-end tools: enterprise project management software, often licensed per user.

What is a program?

A program is a group of related projects managed in a coordinated manner to obtain benefits and control that would not be available if the projects were managed individually.

What is program management?

Program management provides leadership and direction to the project managers responsible for the projects within a program.