CAPM : Certified Associate in Project Management (PMI-100) : Part 22
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What tool and technique is used to determine whether work and deliverables meet requirements and product acceptance criteria?
- Decomposition
- Benchmarking
- Inspection
- Checklist analysis
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To which process is work performance information an input?
- Administer Procurements
- Direct and Manage Project Execution
- Create WBS
- Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis
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Which defines the portion of work included in a contract for items being purchased or acquired?
- Procurement management plan
- Evaluation criteria
- Work breakdown structure
- Procurement statement of work
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Cost baseline is an output of which of the following processes?
- Control Costs
- Determine Budget
- Estimate Costs
- Estimate Activity Resources
Explanation:
7.3.3.1 Cost Baseline
The cost baseline is the approved version of the time-phased project budget, excluding any management reserves, which can only be changed through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison to actual results. It is developed as a summation of the approved budgets for the different schedule activities.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 -
Which group creativity technique asks a selected group of experts to answer questionnaires and provide feedback regarding the responses from each round of requirements gathering?
- The Delphi technique
- Nominal group technique
- Affinity diagram
- Brainstorming
Explanation:
Delphi technique. The Delphi technique is a way to reach a consensus of experts. Project risk experts participate in this technique anonymously. A facilitator uses a questionnaire to solicit ideas about the important project risks. The responses are summarized and are then recirculated to the experts for further comment. Consensus may be reached in a few rounds of this process. The Delphi technique helps reduce bias in the data and keeps any one person from having undue influence on the outcome. -
At which point of the project is the uncertainty the highest and the risk of failing the greatest?
- Final phase of the project
- Start of the project
- End of the project
- Midpoint of the project
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What type of project structure is a hierarchically organized depiction of the resources by type?
- Organizational breakdown structure (OBS)
- Resource breakdown structure (RBS)
- Work breakdown structure (WBS)
- Project breakdown structure (PBS)
Explanation:
6.4.3.2 Resource Breakdown Structure
The resource breakdown structure is a hierarchical representation of resources by category and type. Examples of resource categories include labor, material, equipment, and supplies. Resource types may include the skill level, grade level, or other information as appropriate to the project. The resource breakdown structure is useful for organizing and reporting project schedule data with resource utilization information. -
When can pre-assignment of project team members occur?
- When the project uses capital expenditures
- When the required staff can be acquired from outside sources
- When the project would be ignored due to travel expenses
- When the project is the result of specific people being promised as part of a competitive proposal
Explanation:
9.2.2.1 Pre-assignment
When project team members are selected in advance, they are considered pre-assigned. This situation can occur if the project is the result of specific people being identified as part of a competitive proposal, if the project is dependent upon the expertise of particular persons, or if some staff assignments are defined within the project charter. -
An output of the Create WBS process is:
- Scope baseline.
- Project scope statement.
- Organizational process assets.
- Requirements traceability matrix.
Explanation:5.4.3.1 Scope Baseline
The scope baseline is the approved version of a scope statement, work breakdown structure (WBS), and its associated WBS dictionary, that can be changed only through formal change control procedures and is used as a basis for comparison. It is a component of the project management plan. Components of the scope baseline include:
– Project scope statement. The project scope statement includes the description of the project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints.
– WBS. The WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. Each descending level of the WBS represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. The WBS is finalized by assigning each work package to a control account and establishing a unique identifier for that work package from a code of accounts. These identifiers provide a structure for hierarchical summation of costs, schedule, and resource information. A control account is a management control point where scope, budget, actual cost, and schedule are integrated and compared to the earned value for performance measurement. Control accounts are placed at selected management points in the WBS. Each control account may include one or more work packages, but each of the work packages should be associated with only one control account. A control account may include one or more planning packages. A planning package is a work breakdown structure component below the control account with known work content but without detailed schedule activities.
– WBS dictionary. The WBS dictionary is a document that provides detailed deliverable, activity, and scheduling information about each component in the WBS. The WBS dictionary is a document that supports the WBS. Information in the WBS dictionary may include, but is not limited to:
○ Code of account identifier,
○ Description of work,
○ Assumptions and constraints,
○ Responsible organization,
○ Schedule milestones,
○ Associated schedule activities,
○ Resources required,
○ Cost estimates,
○ Quality requirements,
○ Acceptance criteria,
○ Technical references, and
○ Agreement informationProcess: 5.4 Create WBS
Definition: WBS is the process of subdividing project deliverables and project work into smaller, more manageable components.Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is that it provides a structured vision of what has to be delivered.
Inputs
1. Scope management plan
2. Project scope statement
3. Requirements documentation
4. Enterprise environmental factors
5. Organizational process assets
Tools & Techniques
1. Decomposition
2. Expert judgment
Outputs
1. Scope baseline
2. Project documents updates -
Change requests are an output from which Project Integration Management process?
- Direct and Manage Project Execution
- Develop Project Management Plan
- Close Project
- Develop Project Charter
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Which process involves aggregating the estimated costs of the individual schedule activities or work packages?
- Estimate Costs
- Estimate Activity Resources
- Control Costs
- Determine Budget
Explanation:
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 -
Plan Risk Management is the process of defining how to:
- Communicate identified risks to the project stakeholders.
- Conduct risk management activities for a project.
- Analyze the impact a specific risk may have on the project.
- Address unexpected risks that may occur during a project.
Explanation:Process: 11.1 Plan Risk Management
Definition: The process of defining how to conduct risk management activities for a project.
Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is it ensures that the degree, type, and visibility of risk management are commensurate with both the risks and the importance of the project to the organization. The risk management plan is vital to communicate with and obtain agreement and support from all stakeholders to ensure the risk management process is supported and performed effectively over the project life cycle.Inputs
1. Project management plan
2. Project charter
3. Stakeholder register
4. Enterprise environmental factors
5. Organizational process assets
Tools & Techniques
1. Analytical techniques
2. Expert judgment
3. Meetings
Outputs
1. Risk management plan -
If the most likely duration of an activity is five weeks, the best-case duration is two weeks, and the worst-case duration is 14 weeks, how many weeks is the expected duration of the activity?
- One
- Five
- Six
- Seven
Explanation:
E = (a + 4m + b) / 6
(2+ (4*5) +14)=36 /6 =6 -
The CPI is .92, and the EV is US$172,500.What is the actual cost of the project?
- US$158,700
- US$172,500
- US$187,500
- US$245,600
Explanation:CPI = budgeted cost of work performed (BCWP) / actual cost of work performed (ACWP)
US$172,500 / US$187,500 = 0.92
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Which type of analysis is used to examine project results through time to determine if performance is improving or deteriorating?
- Control chart
- Earned value
- Variance
- Trend
Explanation:
6.7.2.1 Performance Reviews
Performance reviews measure, compare, and analyze schedule performance such as actual start and finish dates, percent complete, and remaining duration for work in progress. Various techniques may be used, among them:
– Trend analysis. Trend analysis examines project performance over time to determine whether performance is improving or deteriorating. Graphical analysis techniques are valuable for understanding performance to date and for comparison to future performance goals in the form of completion dates.
– Critical path method (Section 6.6.2.2). Comparing the progress along the critical path can help determine schedule status. The variance on the critical path will have a direct impact on the project end date. Evaluating the progress of activities on near critical paths can identify schedule risk.
– Critical chain method (Section 6.6.2.3). Comparing the amount of buffer remaining to the amount of buffer needed to protect the delivery date can help determine schedule status. The difference between the buffer needed and the buffer remaining can determine whether corrective action is appropriate.
– Earned value management (Section 7.4.2.1). Schedule performance measurements such as schedule variance (SV) and schedule performance index (SPI), are used to assess the magnitude of variation to the original schedule baseline. The total float and early finish variances are also essential planning components to evaluate project time performance. Important aspects of schedule control include determining the cause and degree of variance relative to the schedule baseline (Section 6.6.3.1), estimating the implications of those variances for future work to completion, and deciding whether corrective or preventive action is required. For example, a major delay on any activity not on the critical path may have little effect on the overall project schedule, while a much shorter delay on a critical or near-critical activity may require immediate action. For projects not using earned value management, similar variance analysis can be performed by comparing planned activity start or finish dates against actual start or finish dates to identify variances between the schedule baseline and actual project performance. Further analysis can be performed to determine the cause and degree of variance relative to the schedule baseline and any corrective or preventative actions needed. -
Which is one of the major outputs of Sequence Activities?
- Responsibility assignment matrix (RAM)
- Work breakdown structure (WBS) update
- Project schedule network diagram
- Mandatory dependencies list
Explanation:6.3.3.1 Project Schedule Network Diagrams
A project schedule network diagram is a graphical representation of the logical relationships, also referred to as dependencies, among the project schedule activities. Figure 6-11 illustrates a project schedule network diagram. A project schedule network diagram is produced manually or by using project management software. It can include full project details, or have one or more summary activities. A summary narrative can accompany the diagram and describe the basic approach used to sequence the activities. Any unusual activity sequences within the network should be fully described within the narrative.Process: 6.3 Sequence Activities
Definition: The process of identifying and documenting relationships among the project activities.
Key Benefit: The key benefit of this process is that it defines the logical sequence of work to obtain the greatest efficiency given all project constraints.
Inputs
1. Schedule management plan
2. Activity list
3. Activity attributes
4. Milestone list
5. Project scope statement
6. Enterprise environmental factors
7. Organizational process assets
Tools & Techniques
1. Precedence diagramming method (PDM)
2. Dependency determination
3. Leads and lags
Outputs
1. Project schedule network diagrams
2. Project documents updates -
The Human Resource Management processes are:
- Develop Human Resource Plan, Acquire Project Team, Develop Project Team, and Manage Project Team.
- Acquire Project Team, Manage Project Team, Manage Stakeholder Expectations, and Develop Project Team.
- Acquire Project Team, Develop Human Resource Plan, Conflict Management, and Manage Project Team.
- Develop Project Team, Manage Project Team, Estimate Activity Resources, and Acquire Project Team.
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What are the formal and informal policies, procedures, and guidelines that could impact how the project’s scope is managed?
- Organizational process assets
- Enterprise environmental factors
- Project management processes
- Project scope management plan
Explanation:
2.1.4 Organizational Process Assets
Organizational process assets are the plans, processes, policies, procedures, and knowledge bases specific to and used by the performing organization. They include any artifact, practice, or knowledge from any or all of the organizations involved in the project that can be used to perform or govern the project. The process assets also include the organization’s knowledge bases such as lessons learned and historical information. Organizational process assets may include completed schedules, risk data, and earned value data. Organizational process assets are inputs to most planning processes. Throughout the project, the project team members may update and add to the organizational process assets as necessary. Organizational process assets may be grouped into two categories: (1) processes and procedures, and (2) corporate knowledge base. -
Organizational planning impacts projects by means of project prioritization based on risk, funding, and an organizations:
- Budget plan
- Resource plan
- Scope plan
- Strategic plan
Explanation:
4.1.1.1 Project Statement of Work
The project statement of work (SOW) is a narrative description of products, services, or results to be delivered by a project. For internal projects, the project initiator or sponsor provides the statement of work based on business needs, product, or service requirements. For external projects, the statement of work can be received from the customer as part of a bid document, (e.g., a request for proposal, request for information, or request for bid) or as part of a contract. The SOW references the following:
– Business need. An organization’s business need may be based on a market demand, technological advance, legal requirement, government regulation, or environmental consideration. Typically, the business need and the cost-beneft analysis are contained in the business case to justify the project.
– Product scope description. The product scope description documents the characteristics of the product, service, or results that the project will be undertaken to create. The description should also document the relationship between the products, services, or results being created and the business need that the project will address.
– Strategic plan. The strategic plan documents the organization’s strategic vision, goals, and objectives and may contain a high-level mission statement. All projects should be aligned with their organization’s strategic plan. Strategic plan alignment ensures that each project contributes to the overall objectives of the organization. -
When does Monitor and Control Risks occur?
- At project initiation
- During work performance analysis
- Throughout the life of the project
- At project milestones