CAPM : Certified Associate in Project Management (PMI-100) : Part 15

CAPM : Certified Associate in Project Management (PMI-100) : Part 15

1. The following is a network diagram for a project.

   

   The total float for the project is how many days?

   •  3
   • 5
   • 7
   • 9

2. Tools and techniques used in Direct and Manage Project Work include:

   • Process analysis and expert judgment
   • Analytical techniques and a project management information system
   • Performance reviews and meetings
   • Expert judgment and meetings

   Explanation:

   4.3.2.3 Meetings
   Meetings are used to discuss and address pertinent topics of the project when directing and managing project work. Attendees at the meetings may include the project manager, the project team and appropriate stakeholders involved or affected by the topics addressed. Each attendee should have a defined role to ensure appropriate participation. Meetings tend to be one of three types:
   – Information exchange;
   – Brainstorming, option evaluation, or design; or
   – Decision making.
   Meeting types should not be mixed as a best practice. Meetings should be prepared with a well-defined agenda, purpose, objective, and time frame and should be appropriately documented with meeting minutes and action
   items. Meeting minutes should be stored as defined in the project management plan. Meetings are most effective when all participants can be face-to-face in the same location. Virtual meetings can be held using audio and/or video conferencing tools, but generally require additional preparation and organization to achieve the same effectiveness of a face-to-face meeting.

   4.1.2.1 Expert Judgment
   Expert judgment is often used to assess the inputs used to develop the project charter. Expert judgment is applied to all technical and management details during this process. Such expertise is provided by any group or individual with specialized knowledge or training and is available from many sources, including:
   – Other units within the organization,
   – Consultants,
   – Stakeholders, including customers or sponsors,
   – Professional and technical associations,
   – Industry groups,
   – Subject matter experts (SME), and
   – Project management office (PMO).

   Process: 4.3. Direct and Manage Project Work
   Definition: The process of leading and performing the work defined in the project management plan and implementing approved changes to achieve the project’s objectives.
   Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is that it provides overall management of the project work.

   Inputs
   1. Project management plan
   2. Approved change requests
   3. Enterprise environmental factors
   4. Organizational process assets
   Tools & Techniques
   1. Expert judgment
   2. Project management information system
   3. Meetings
   Outputs
   1. Deliverables
   2. Work performance data
   3. Change requests
   4. Project management plan updates
   5. Project documents updates

3. Completion of the product scope is measured against the product:

   • prototypes
   • requirements
   • analyses
   • benchmarks

4. An issue log is an input to which Project Human Resource Management process?

   • Manage Project Team
   • Acquire Project Team
   • Plan Human Resource Management
   • Develop Project Team
   Explanation:

   9.4.1.4 Issue Log
   Issues arise in the course of managing the project team. An issue log can be used to document and monitor who is responsible for resolving specific issues by a target date.

   Process: 9.4 Manage Project Team
   Definition: The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing changes to optimize project performance.
   Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is that it influences team behavior, manages conflict, resolves issues, and appraises team member performance.

   Inputs
   1. Human resource management plan
   2. Project staff assignments
   3. Team performance assessments
   4. Issue log
   5. Work performance reports
   6. Organizational process assets
   Tools & Techniques
   1. Observation and conversation
   2. Project performance appraisals
   3. Conflict management
   4. Interpersonal skills
    Outputs
   1. Change requests
   2. Project management plan updates
   3. Project documents updates
   4. Enterprise environmental factors updates
   5. Organizational process assets updates

5. The component of the risk management plan that documents how risk activities will be recorded is called:

   • tracking
   • scoping
   • timing
   • defining

6. Which Control Stakeholder Engagement tool or technique allows the project manager to consolidate and facilitate distribution of reports?

   • Information management systems
   • Work performance reports
   • Stakeholder analysis
   • Data gathering and representation
   Explanation:

   Process: 13.4 Control Stakeholder Engagement
   Definition: The process of monitoring overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders.
   Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is that it will maintain or increase the efficiency and effectiveness of stakeholder engagement activities as the project evolves and its environment changes.

   Inuts
   1. Project management plan
   2. Issue log
   3. Work performance data
   4. Project documents
    Tools & Techniques
   1. Information management systems
   2. Expert judgment
   3. Meetings
    Outputs
   1. Work performance information
   2. Change requests
   3. Project management plan updates
   4. Project documents updates
   5. Organizational process assets updates

7. Which basic quality tool explains a change in the dependent variable in relationship to a change observed in the corresponding independent variable?

   • Cause-and-effect diagram
   • Histogram
   • Control chart
   • Scatter diagram
   Explanation:

   • Scatter diagrams, plot ordered pairs (X, Y) and are sometimes called correlation charts because they seek to explain a change in the dependent variable, Y, in relationship to a change observed in the corresponding independent variable, X. The direction of correlation may be proportional (positive correlation), inverse (negative correlation), or a pattern of correlation may not exist (zero correlation). If correlation can be established, a regression line can be calculated and used to estimate how a change to the independent variable will influence the value of the dependent variable.

8. High-level project risks are included in which document?

   • Business case
   • Risk breakdown structure
   • Project charter
   • Risk register
   Explanation:

   4.2.1.1 Project Charter
   Described in Section 4.1.3.1. The size of the project charter varies depending on the complexity of the project and the information known at the time of its creation. At a minimum, the project charter should define the high-level boundaries of the project. The project team uses the project charter as the starting point for initial planning throughout the Initiating Process Group.

   4.1.3.1 Project Charter
   The project charter is the document issued by the project initiator or sponsor that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. It documents the business needs, assumptions, constraints, the understanding of the customer’s needs and high-level requirements, and the new product, service, or result that it is intended to satisfy, such as:
   – Project purpose or justification,
   – Measurable project objectives and related success criteria,
   – High-level requirements,
   – Assumptions and constraints,
   – High-level project description and boundaries,
   – High-level risks,
   – Summary milestone schedule,
   – Summary budget,
   – Stakeholder list,
   – Project approval requirements (i.e., what constitutes project success, who decides the project is successful, and who signs off on the project),
   – Assigned project manager, responsibility, and authority level, and
   – Name and authority of the sponsor or other person(s) authorizing the project charter.

   Process: 4.1. Develop Project Charter
   Definition: The process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
   Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is a well-defined project start and project boundaries, creation of a formal record of the project, and a direct way for senior management to formally accept and commit to the project.

   Inputs
   1.     Project statement of work
   2.     Business case
   3.     Agreements
   4.     Enterprise environmental factors
   5.     Orgaselection

   Inizational process assets
    Tools & Techniques
   1.     Expert judgment
   2.     Facilitation techniques
   Outputs
   1.     Project charter

9. The scope management plan and scope baseline are contained in:

   • organizational process assets
   • a requirements traceability matrix
   • the project charter
   • the project management plan

10. Projects that share common outcomes, collective capability, knowledge, or skills are often grouped into a:

    • portfolio
    • program
    • selection
    • sub portfolio

11. A project requires a component with well-understood specifications. Performance targets are established at the outset, and the final contract price is determined after completion of all work based on the seller’s performance. The most appropriate agreement with the supplier is:

    • Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF).
    • Fixed Price Incentive Fee (FPIF).
    • Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF).
    • Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment (FP-EPA).
    Explanation:
    12.1.1.9 Organizational Process Assets
    Described in Section 2.1.4. The various types of contractual agreements used by the organization also influence decisions for the Plan Procurement Management process. The organizational process assets that influence the Plan Procurement Management process include, but are not limited to:
    • Formal procurement policies, procedures, and guidelines. Most organizations have formal procurement policies and buying organizations. When such procurement support is not available, the project team should supply both the resources and the expertise to perform such procurement activities.
    • Management systems that are considered in developing the procurement management plan and selecting the contractual relationships to be used.
    • An established multi-tier supplier system of prequalified sellers based on prior experience.
    All legal contractual relationships generally fall into one of two broad families: either fixed-price or cost reimbursable. Also, there is a third hybrid type commonly in use called the time and materials contract. The more popular contract types in use are discussed below as discrete types, but in practice it is not unusual to combine one or more types into a single procurement.
    • Fixed-price contracts. This category of contracts involves setting a fixed total price for a defined product, service, or result to be provided. Fixed-price contracts may also incorporate financial incentives for achieving or exceeding selected project objectives, such as schedule delivery dates, cost and technical performance, or anything that can be quantified and subsequently measured. Sellers under fixed-price contracts are legally obligated to complete such contracts, with possible financial damages if they do not. Under the fixed-price arrangement, buyers need to precisely specify the product or services being procured. Changes in scope may be accommodated, but generally with an increase in contract price.
    ○○ Firm Fixed Price Contracts (FFP). The most commonly used contract type is the FFP. It is favored by most buying organizations because the price for goods is set at the outset and not subject to change unless the scope of work changes. Any cost increase due to adverse performance is the responsibility of the seller, who is obligated to complete the effort. Under the FFP contract, the buyer should precisely specify the product or services to be procured, and any changes to the procurement specification can increase the costs to the buyer.
    ○○ Fixed Price Incentive Fee Contracts (FPIF). This fixed-price arrangement gives the buyer and seller some flexibility in that it allows for deviation from performance, with financial incentives tied to achieving agreed upon metrics. Typically such financial incentives are related to cost, schedule, or technical performance of the seller. Performance targets are established at the outset, and the final contract price is determined after completion of all work based on the seller’s performance. Under FPIF contracts, a price ceiling is set, and all costs above the price ceiling are the responsibility of the seller, who is obligated to complete the work.
    ○○ Fixed Price with Economic Price Adjustment Contracts (FP-EPA). This contract type is used whenever the seller’s performance period spans a considerable period of years, as is desired with many long-term relationships. It is a fixed-price contract, but with a special provision allowing for pre defined final adjustments to the contract price due to changed conditions, such as inflation changes, or cost increases (or decreases) for specific commodities. The EPA clause needs to relate to some reliable financial index, which is used to precisely adjust the final price.
    The FP-EPA contract is intended to protect both buyer and seller from external conditions beyond their control.
    • Cost-reimbursable contracts. This category of contract involves payments (cost reimbursements) to the seller for all legitimate actual costs incurred for completed work, plus a fee representing seller profit.
    Cost-reimbursable contracts may also include financial incentive clauses whenever the seller exceeds, or falls below, defined objectives such as costs, schedule, or technical performance targets. Three of the more common types of cost-reimbursable contracts in use are Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF), Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF), and Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF).
    A cost-reimbursable contract provides the project flexibility to redirect a seller whenever the scope of work cannot be precisely defined at the start and needs to be altered, or when high risks may exist in the effort.
    ○○ Cost Plus Fixed Fee Contracts (CPFF). The seller is reimbursed for all allowable costs for performing the contract work, and receives a fixed-fee payment calculated as a percentage of the initial estimated project costs. A fee is paid only for completed work and does not change due to seller performance. Fee amounts do not change unless the project scope changes.
    ○○ Cost Plus Incentive Fee Contracts (CPIF). The seller is reimbursed for all allowable costs for performing the contract work and receives a predetermined incentive fee based upon achieving certain performance objectives as set forth in the contract. In CPIF contracts, if the final costs are less or greater than the original estimated costs, then both the buyer and seller share costs from the departures based upon a prenegotiated cost-sharing formula, for example, an 80/20 split over/under target costs based on the actual performance of the seller.
    ○○ Cost Plus Award Fee Contracts (CPAF). The seller is reimbursed for all legitimate costs, but the majority of the fee is earned only based on the satisfaction of certain broad subjective performance criteria defined and incorporated into the contract. The determination of fee is based solely on the subjective determination of seller performance by the buyer, and is generally not subject to appeals.
    • Time and Material Contracts (T&M). Time and material contracts are a hybrid type of contractual arrangement that contain aspects of both cost-reimbursable and fixed-price contracts. They are often used for staff augmentation, acquisition of experts, and any outside support when a precise statement of work cannot be quickly prescribed. These types of contracts resemble cost-reimbursable contracts in that they can be left open ended and may be subject to a cost increase for the buyer. The full value of the agreement and the exact quantity of items to be delivered may not be defined by the buyer at the time of the contract award. Thus, T&M contracts can increase in contract value as if they were costreimbursable contracts. Many organizations require not-to-exceed values and time limits placed in all T&M contracts to prevent unlimited cost growth. Conversely, T&M contracts can also resemble fixed unit price arrangements when certain parameters are specified in the contract. Unit labor or material rates can be preset by the buyer and seller, including seller profit, when both parties agree on the values for specific resource categories, such as

12. Which enterprise environmental factors may influence Plan Schedule Management?

    • Cultural views regarding time schedules and professional and ethical behaviors
    • Historical information and change control procedures
    • Risk control procedures and the probability and impact matrix
    • Resource availability and organizational culture and structure
    Explanation:

    6.1.1.3 Enterprise Environmental Factors
    Described in Section 2.1.5. The enterprise environmental factors that influence the Plan Schedule Management process include, but are not limited to:
    – Organizational culture and structure can all influence schedule management;
    – Resource availability and skills that may influence schedule planning;
    – Project management software provides the scheduling tool and alternative possibilities for managing the schedule;
    – Published commercial information, such as resource productivity information, is often available from commercial databases; and
    – Organizational work authorization systems.

    Process: 6.1 Plan Schedule Management
    Definition: The process of establishing the policies, procedures, and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing, and controlling the project schedule.
    Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is that it provides guidance and direction on how the project schedule will be managed throughout the project.

    Inputs
    1. Project management plan
    2.Project charter
    3. Enterprise environmental factors
    4. Organizational process assets
     Tools & Techniques
    1. Expert judgment
    2. Analytical techniques
    3. Meetings
    4.  Outputs
    5. Schedule management plan

13. Which type of dependency used in the Sequence Activities process is sometimes referred to as preferred logic, preferential logic, or soft logic?

    • Internal
    • External
    • Discretionary
    • Mandatory
    Explanation:

    6.3.2.2 Dependency Determination
    Dependencies may be characterized by the following attributes: mandatory or discretionary, internal or external, as described below. Dependency has four attributes, but two can be applicable at the same time in following ways: mandatory external dependencies, mandatory internal dependencies, discretionary external dependencies, or discretionary internal dependencies.

    – Mandatory dependencies. Mandatory dependencies are those that are legally or contractually required or inherent in the nature of the work. Mandatory dependencies often involve physical limitations, such as on a construction project, where it is impossible to erect the superstructure until after the foundation has been built, or on an electronics project, where a prototype has to be built before it can be tested.

    Mandatory dependencies are also sometimes referred to as hard logic or hard dependencies. Technical dependencies may not be mandatory. The project team determines which dependencies are mandatory during the process of sequencing the activities. Mandatory dependencies should not be confused with assigning schedule constraints in the scheduling tool.

    – Discretionary dependencies. Discretionary dependencies are sometimes referred to as preferred logic, preferential logic, or soft logic. Discretionary dependencies are established based on knowledge of best practices within a particular application area or some unusual aspect of the project where a specific sequence is desired, even though there may be other acceptable sequences. Discretionary dependencies should be fully documented since they can create arbitrary total float values and can limit later scheduling options. When fast tracking techniques are employed, these discretionary dependencies should be reviewed and considered for modification or removal. The project team determines which dependencies are discretionary during the process of sequencing the activities.
    – External dependencies. External dependencies involve a relationship between project activities and non-project activities. These dependencies are usually outside the project team’s control. For example, the testing activity in a software project may be dependent on the delivery of hardware from an external source, or governmental environmental hearings may need to be held before site preparation can begin on a construction project. The project management team determines which dependencies are external during the process of sequencing the activities.
    – Internal dependencies. Internal dependencies involve a precedence relationship between project activities and are generally inside the project team’s control. For example, if the team cannot test a machine until they assemble it, this is an internal mandatory dependency. The project management team determines which dependencies are internal during the process of sequencing the activities.

14. When the business objectives of an organization change, project goals need to be:

    • realigned.
    • performed.
    • improved.
    • controlled.

15. Which of the Perform Quality Assurance tools and techniques may enhance the creation of the work breakdown structure (VVBS) to give structure to the decomposition of the scope?

    • Activity network diagrams
    • Affinity diagrams
    • Matrix diagrams
    • Interrelationship digraphs
    Explanation:

    8.2.2 Perform Quality Assurance: Tools and Techniques
    8.2.2.1 Quality Management and Control Tools
    The Perform Quality Assurance process uses the tools and techniques of the Plan Quality Management and Control Quality processes. In addition, other tools that are available include (see also Figure 8-10):
    – Affinity diagrams. The affinity diagram is similar to mind-mapping techniques in that they are used to generate ideas that can be linked to form organized patterns of thought about a problem. In project management, the creation of the WBS may be enhanced by using the affinity diagram to give structure to the decomposition of scope.

    Process: 8.2 Perform Quality Assurance
     Definition: The process of auditing the quality requirements and the results from quality control measurements to ensure that appropriate quality standards and operational definitions are used.
    Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is that it facilitates the improvement of quality processes.

    Inputs
    1. Quality management plan
    2. Process improvement plan
    3. Quality metrics
    4. Quality control measurements
    5. Project documents

    Tools & Techniques
    1. Quality management and control tools
    2. Quality audits
    3. Process analysis
     Outputs
    1. Change requests
    2. Project management plan updates
    3. Project documents updates
    4. Organizational process assets updates

16. A project manager who communicates to the project team though email is using which type of communication?

    • Formal
    • Informal 
    • Horizontal
    • Unofficial

17. An input to the Perform Integrated Change Control process is:

    • expert judgment
    • seller proposals
    • the project charter
    • the project management plan
    Explanation:

    4.2.3.1 Project Management Plan
    The project management plan is the document that describes how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. It integrates and consolidates all of the subsidiary plans and baselines from the planning processes.

    Process: 4.5 Perform Integrated Change Control
    Perform Integrated Change Control is the process of reviewing all change requests; approving changes and managing changes to deliverables, organizational process assets, project documents, and the project management plan; and communicating their disposition. It reviews all requests for changes or modifications to project documents, deliverables, baselines, or the project management plan and approves or rejects the changes.
    Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is that it allows for documented changes within the project to be considered in an integrated fashion while reducing project risk, which often arises from changes made without consideration to the overall project objectives or plans.

    Inputs
    1. Project management plan
    2. Work performance reports
    3. Change requests
    4. Enterprise environmental factors
    5. Organizational process assets

    Tools & Techniques
    1. Expert judgment
    2. Meetings
    3. Change control tools

    Outputs
    1. Approved change requests
    2. Change log
    3. Project management plan updates
    4. Project documents updates

18. Which tool or technique is required in order to determine the project budget?

    • Cost of quality
    • Historical relationships
    • Project management software
    • Forecasting
    Explanation:

    7.3.2.4 Historical Relationships
    Any historical relationships that result in parametric estimates or analogous estimates involve the use of project characteristics (parameters) to develop mathematical models to predict total project costs. Such models may be simple (e.g., residential home construction is based on a certain cost per square foot of space) or complex (e.g., one model of software development costing uses multiple separate adjustment factors, each of which has numerous points within it).
    Both the cost and accuracy of analogous and parametric models can vary widely. They are most likely to be reliable when:
    – Historical information used to develop the model is accurate,
    – Parameters used in the model are readily quantifable, and
    – Models are scalable, such that they work for large projects, small projects, and phases of a project.

    Process: 7.3 Determine Budget
    Definition: The process of aggregating the estimated costs of individual activities or work packages to establish an authorized cost baseline.
    Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is that it determines the cost baseline against which project performance can be monitored and controlled.
    Inputs
    1. Cost management plan
    2. Scope baseline
    3. Activity cost estimates
    4. Basis of estimates
    5. Project schedule
    6. Resource calendars
    7. Risk register
    8. Agreements
    9. Organizational process assets
     Tools & Techniques
    1. Cost aggregation
    2. Reserve analysis
    3. Expert judgment
    4. Historical relationships
    5. Funding limit reconciliation
     Outputs
    1. Cost baseline
    2. Project funding requirements
    3. Project documents updates

19. Requirements documentation will typically contain at least:

    • Stakeholder requirements, staffing requirements, and transition requirements.
    • Business requirements, the stakeholder register, and functional requirements.
    • Stakeholder impact, budget requirements, and communications requirements.
    • Business objectives, stakeholder impact, and functional requirements.
    Explanation:
    5.2.3.1 Requirements Documentation
    Requirements documentation describes how individual requirements meet the business need for the project.
    Requirements may start out at a high level and become progressively more detailed as more about the requirements is known. Before being baselined, requirements need to be unambiguous (measurable and testable), traceable, complete, consistent, and acceptable to key stakeholders. The format of a requirements document may range from a simple document listing all the requirements categorized by stakeholder and priority, to more elaborate forms containing an executive summary, detailed descriptions, and attachments.
    Components of requirements documentation can include, but, are not limited to:
    Business requirements, including:
    ○ Business and project objectives for traceability;
    ○ Business rules for the performing organization; and
    ○ Guiding principles of the organization
    • Stakeholder requirements, including:
    ○ Impacts to other organizational areas;
    ○ Impacts to other entities inside or outside the performing organization; and
    ○ Stakeholder communication and reporting requirements.
    • Solution requirements, including:
    ○ Functional and nonfunctional requirements;
    ○ Technology and standard compliance requirements;
    ○ Support and training requirements;
    ○ Quality requirements; and
    ○ Reporting requirements, etc. (solution requirements can be documented textually, in models, or both).
    Project requirements, such as:
    ○ Levels of service, performance, safety, compliance, etc.; and
    ○ Acceptance criteria.
    – Transition requirements.
    – Requirements assumptions, dependencies, and constraints.

20. Which process involves the creation of a document that provides the project manager with the authority to apply resources to a project?

    • Define Activities
    • Direct and Manage Project Work
    • Develop Project Management Plan
    • Develop Project Charter
    Explanation:

    Process: 4.1. Develop Project Charter
    Definition: The process of developing a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
    Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is a well-defined project start and project boundaries, creation of a formal record of the project, and a direct way for senior management to formally accept and commit to the project.

    Inputs
    1.     Project statement of work
    2.     Business case
    3.     Agreements
    4.     Enterprise environmental factors
    5.     Organizational process assets
    Tools & Techniques
    1.     Expert judgment
    2.     Facilitation techniques
     Outputs
    1.     Project charter