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21 common questions on project management answered with short answers

By David Okul
July 25, 2019

The field of project management is wide and contains a plethora of concepts from project initiation to the project closure stage. Silvica has selected 21 questions from Module 1 questions of Australian Institute of Project Management. The answers are relevant to students and enthusiasts of project management 

1)            What Best defines a project?

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

2)            List some three Characteristics of a project

a) Constrained by limited resources

b) Planned, executed, and controlled

c) Creates a unique product or service

3)            What is the ideal project structure?

  1. a) There is no ideal structure

4)            What are included in the five PMBOK process group include?

a) Initiating

b) Planning

c) Executing

d) Monitoring and controlling

e) Closing

According to PBMOK Guide, there are 47 project management processes. The projects can be categorized into 10 knowledge areas of project management or five process groups that include initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure(Source: https://www.workfront.com/blog/project-management-process-groups)

5)            How can project management offices (PMOs) assist in the delivery of projects?

a) Developing project tools, templates, and other shared documentation

b) Coaching, mentoring and training project teams

6)            what  is a ‘projectitis’ ?

a) An us-versus-them attitude that can develop within organizations based on assigning project teams prestige or perks

7)            Identify project stakeholders to their relevant description, role and or responsibility:

  1. Project manager: is in charge of all aspects of the project including providing accurate & timely reporting of project metrics
  2. Project sponsor: would normally ‘champion’ the project
  3. Project management office (PMO): defines and maintains standards for project management within the organization
  4. Functional manager: management role within an administrative or functional area of the business Operations manager: deal directly with producing and maintaining the saleable products or services of the enterprise
  5. Customers and users: will use the project’s product or service or result
  6. Suppliers: enter into a contractual agreement to provide components or services necessary for the project
  7. Regulators: are government and occasionally industry agencies

8)            What is the function of a project reference group?

a) They provide independent advice and technical assistance on specific project aspects

 

9)            What is the advantage of pull over push communication?

a) You gain better feedback from pull communications

 

10)          What does group brainstorming encourage?

a) Team building

b) Analysis of alternatives

c) Uninhibited verbalization

11)          What does SMART goals or objectives mean

a) Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound

 

12)          What are some of the inputs to the project charter?

a) Contract

b) Business case

c) Project schedule

d) Feasibility study

 

13)          Alex Brown argues that the project charter is the project’s best marketing tool because

a) A charter should be simple, straightforward and short

b) A charter does not have to be one document

c) The charter need not be written by the project sponsor

d) The project charter can improve organizational maturity

  1. What is the ‘iron triangle’ of project management?

This is a concept in project management which posits that quality is determined by the ‘triple constraints’ of scope, time and cost. Even a minor change on any of the three aspects can have serious repercussion to a project.

  1. How do stakeholder influence, risk and uncertainty change over the life of a project?

The influence of stakeholders is highest during the start of the project and decrease as the project changes over time. Similarly, risk and uncertainty influence decreases as the project progresses.

  1. What are three benefits of applying a methodology to the management of projects? a. They make it easier to solve problems quicker, therefore financial benefits are accrued earlier. b. They reduce the occurrence of risks, therefore, reduced waste of resources and injuries. c. They also assist in reducing costs of projects, and this result to more effective use of resources.
  2. According to Kelly Hunsberger, what are two ways The Accidental Project Manager an develop their skills?

Accidental project managers get into the positions of project management without asking for it. Among the two ways Kelly Hunsberger suggests that they can develop their skills include:

a. They should learn how to differentiate the different people in the project and their roles. For instance, they should differentiate between the stakeholders to identify where to prioritize certain energies.

b. Accidental project managers can also network with their peers to find effective ways of managing projects. The accidental project manager should not view the suggestions for improvement as a sign of mistrust.

18. What might happen if you fail to recognize a project stakeholder?

A project stakeholder refers to any person who is influenced either directly or indirectly by a project.

The failure to recognize project stakeholders can lead to failure of the project. This is because some stakeholders, such as negative stakeholders, intend for a project to fail. Therefore, a project manager should not only identify but also analyze the interest of stakeholders in projects. The definitive and dangerous stakeholders have the most power, urgency, and legitimacy to direct a project.

  1. What is the difference between primary and secondary sources?

Primary sources refer to the stakeholders one collects information from in the process of developing a business case.

Secondary sources are derived from ‘desktop research.’ They include reports, reviews, and cases.

  1. What are five factors should you consider when selecting a vendor for procurement? a. The technical capability of the vendor b. If the vendor offers a warranty and the conditions of the warranty c. If the vendor has the required business type and size d. The past experience of the vendor in terms of performance e. The overall cost, which is the total cost of ownership
  2. What are three things that make government projects different from most?a. They usually have more legal constraints compared to other projects. b. The project manager in government projects is accountable to many stakeholders beyond the immediate stakeholders, as is it the norm with private project managers. c. Public projects are funded by public resources such as taxes. Government projects also have a responsibility to future generations over long-term debt and infrastructure.

David Okul is a freelance writer, and a PhD student at a Kenyan university