PgMP : Program Management Professional : Part 15

  1. The program sponsor requests a weekly performance report. The tools and techniques to monitor and control program performance include which of the following?

    • Program management performance variances, business criteria reweighting, root cause identification, and statistical sampling.
    • Interviewing, SWOT analysis, run chart, and matrix-based charts.
    • Earned value management, financial reporting systems, performance measurement techniques, and program management information systems.
    • Delphi technique, scatter diagram, Pareto chart, and organization charts.
  2. A new program is comprised of four component projects. The program manager must assign project managers to each of the four projects. There are eight potential project managers to consider.

    What should the program manager do before assigning the project managers?

    • Determine budgetary constraints related to the project managers’ salaries
    • Request performance feedback from the project managers’ line managers
    • Evaluate the project managers’ skills and match them to the needs of the projects
    • Interview each project manager to determine their career aspirations
  3. The chief executive officer reminds a program manager that a program must deliver a 30% reduction in customer complaints by the end of the year.

    Where is this expectation documented?

    • Program quality standards
    • Customer management plan
    • Benefits management plan
    • Benefits sustainment plan
  4. A two-year program is coming to an end. Many of the initial governance board members have moved from their current posts or left the company. Several new members have joined, but have a short association with the program, which changes the board’s expectations and focus. During the final phase gate review, some board members are uncertain of their roles and expectations in the process.

    How should the program manager handle this situation?

    • Review the final program outcome with the program sponsor
    • Prepare a program change request utilizing new board member input
    • Review the strategic plan and benefits management plan with the board
    • Present the final program status, costs, and schedule reports
  5. A program manager is working with the sponsor, stakeholders, and steering committee to formulate a program’s benefits sustainment and transition plan. What should the program manager do to create this plan?

    • Identify key measures to compare expected benefits in the benefits management plan with actual performance once benefits sustainment and program transition starts.
    • Assign creation of the benefits sustainment plan to the organization responsible for monitoring and controlling the sustainment period.
    • Interview stakeholders, and revise the benefits management plan to provide new insight into the program’s execution and benefits sustainment period.
    • Update the benefits management plan, and provide a copy to the organization responsible for measuring the sustainment period.
  6. The program manager must define the program and understand the organization’s target market and customer needs.

    What should the program manager do first?

    • Brainstorm with the program team to decide on the definitions of the target market.
    • Meet with peers to identify the company’s competitors in the target market.
    • Meet with the project managers to identify the target market.
    • Work with the program sponsor to assess the needs of the target market.
  7. A program manager notices that one project manager tends to withdraw during important team discussions to avoid conflict.

    What technique could the program manager use to gain more input from this project manager?

    • Institute an incentive program to create competition among the team members.
    • Make the project manager share an office with a more assertive team member.
    • Solicit ideas from each team member individually, giving each person a chance to express their opinions.
    • Create an online message board so team members can see and respond to everyone’s ideas.
  8. To increase its presence and promote its products and services in new markets, a company begins to implement its new business strategy. The company’s CEO endorses a new program to promote and support this strategy. However, before the program is formally initiated, this strategy must be aligned with the organization’s strategic goals and objectives.

    What should the program manager develop first?

    • Program’s risk threshold
    • Program risk management plan
    • Program resource management plan
    • Program risk and issue governance forum
  9. An organization requests that a junior project manager, with no previous experience or training in the industry, take over a complex program component. The program component involves senior subject matter experts and has dependencies with other large projects to deliver key benefits to the organization.

    How should the junior project manager respond to this request?

    • Accept the assignment, identify the skill gaps, and request training.
    • Reject the assignment, because of the ethical requirement not to accept work for which the project manager is not qualified.
    • Accept the assignment as a challenge and an opportunity to acquire new skills and seek advice from a senior project manager.
    • Reject the assignment because of fear of failure and resulting negative career impact.
  10. Program A is dependent upon program B to complete benefits sustainment for two benefits. Program A is on track to meet program benefits. However, program B’s program manager has just advised that program B has been closed.

    What should program A’s program manager update and review first with the stakeholders?

    • Benefits sustainment plan
    • Benefits register
    • Benefits management plan
    • Benefits transition plan
  11. What actions are taken in the process of developing and maintaining a program risk register?

    • Assign ownership of risks with appropriate responsibilities, document agreed-upon response strategies, and provide the foundation for the risk management plan.
    • Assign ownership of risks with appropriate responsibilities, document agreed-upon response strategies, and identify the root cause of potential risks.
    • Assign ownership of risks with appropriate responsibilities, document agreed-upon response strategies, and proactively manage program issues.
    • Assign ownership of risks with appropriate responsibilities, document agreed-upon response strategies, and identify residual risks.
  12. A hotel chain initiates a program to expand meeting offerings to include telecommunications technology and virtual meetings. The program has component projects, each of which requires team members to have different technical skills and expertise. The program manager assembles a team of project managers to lead each of the projects, and learns that the desired resources will not be available at the start of the program.

    As a result, the program manager must do which of the following?

    • Utilize team members that are currently available, even though they do not have the expertise needed.
    • Assign the tasks on the critical path to the resources available to adhere to the project schedule.
    • Delay the start of the program until the assigned resources are available.
    • Apply resource leveling considering the constraints of time, budget, and quality.
  13. An aircraft manufacturer is engaged by an airline to build a fleet of new airliners. The program charter has been approved, but the stakeholders are concerned that the delivery method of the program may not meet their expectations.

    Using the program master schedule, what will the program manager incorporate to align the program with the expectations of the stakeholders?

    • Program work breakdown structure (PWBS), program scope statement, and benefits management plan
    • PWBS, benefits management plan, and program financial management plan
    • Program charter, PWBS, and program scope statement
    • Program scope statement, benefits management plan, and program financial management plan
  14. A program experiences issues during execution. The stakeholders are concerned and the program manager feels pressure to act on these issues.

    What tool should be used to trigger a planned response when receiving lower than expected results?

    • Key performance indicators
    • Benefits management plan
    • Communications management plan
    • Ishikawa diagram
  15. The program manager defines the program objectives, requirements, and develops a high-level road map.

    To ensure program alignment with the enterprise strategic plan, the program manager should work with which of the following?

    • Program governance board
    • Program management office
    • Change control board
    • Project managers on the program
  16. A company is releasing a new product geared toward a specific geographic area. The program manager has received the program objectives and developed the program roadmap, which consists of six program components. Approval from the program governance board has been obtained.

    What is the program manager’s next step?

    • Assign project managers and resources
    • Classify the program’s benefits
    • Identify the program sponsor and program stakeholders
    • Develop the program business case
  17. A project is assigned to a qualified project manager by the program manager. The client rejects the project manager due to a lack of proper qualifications to manage such a project.

    What should the program manager do next?

    • Reassess the project manager’s credentials
    • Assign a different project manager
    • Review the skill requirements of the project
    • Apply the competence assessment techniques to resolve the issue
  18. A program manager concurrently implements a software program at four client locations. The client’s objective is to maintain quality while shortening the software implementation timeline.

    What key elements should be included in the benefits register to achieve this goal?

    • Plans for tracking and communicating risks associated with the program
    • Plans for conducting program quality assurance and control on a regular basis
    • Plans for program schedule control to meet the shorter timeline
    • Plans for defining metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs), and procedures to measure benefits.
  19. A three-year program using vendor contracts, incorporating related projects, and each with specific stakeholders is coming to an end. What should be completed first to close all appropriate contracts?

    • Certify contract completion
    • Conduct a procurement audit to review the procurement process
    • Assess all contracts to ensure all agreed conditions are met
    • Review contract management plan for completeness
  20. A natural disaster shuts down operations for two days. The program has a major milestone that includes a timed payment of US$1 million.

    Since the shutdown was not anticipated, what should the program manager do first?

    • Implement the appropriate risk response plan and inform the stakeholders of the planned actions.
    • Utilize contingency reserves to hire contractors, which will accelerate the schedule to meet the original milestone.
    • Evaluate the impact, reassess the program risk, and determine options to be presented to the governance board.
    • Collaborate with the sponsor to determine options and negotiate a new date for the milestone.
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