ABSTRACT
Rolling wave planning provides progressive detailing of the work to be accomplished throughout the life of the project. Decomposition is a tool and technique in Create WBS and recognizes rolling wave planning may be needed for deliverables or subcomponents that will not be accomplished until much later in the project. In this case, the team waits until more information about the deliverable or subcomponent is available. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 131 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 1
2. b. These concerns may become issues
During the Manage Stakeholder Engagement process, activities include addressing potential stakeholder concerns that have not yet become issues. It involves anticipating future problems that may be raised by stakeholders. It is important, then, to identify and discuss these concerns as soon as possible to assess project risks. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 405 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 7
3. c. Analytical techniques
Analytical techniques are a tool and technique in Conduct Procurements. They are used to help organizations identify the readiness of a vendor to provide the desired end state, determine costs to support budgeting, and avoid cost overruns because of changes. By evaluating past performance they identify areas that have more risk and that may need to be monitored closely for project success. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 376 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 1
4. a. Action requirements
Such classification systems are helpful in both defining and documenting stakeholder needs to meet project objectives. Project requirements are ones that involve actions, processes, or other conditions the project needs to meet. Solution requirements involve functional and nonfunctional requirements. The functional requirements describe the behaviors of the product. The nonfunctional requirements supplement the functional ones and describe the conditions or qualities required for the product to be effective. The other answers are examples of nonfunctional requirements. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 112 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 2
5. b. Organizational process assets
Organizational process assets include formal and informal plans, policies, procedures, and guidelines. As an input to the Develop Project Management plan process, they include the items listed as well as standardized guidelines, instructions, proposal evaluation criteria, and performance measurement criteria; project management plan template; project files from previous projects; and historical information and lessons learned [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 75 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 1
6. a. Control Procurements
The purpose of Control Procurements is to ensure that the contractual requirements are met by the seller. This objective is accomplished by managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance and making changes and corrections to contracts if appropriate. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 379 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 7
7. b. The lowest level of detail to derive information
Work performance data are an output of the Direct and Manage Project Work process. They are the raw observations and measurements identified during activities being performed to do the project work. Therefore they are often viewed as the lowest level of detail from which to derive information by other processes. The data are gathered and then passed to the controlling processes of each process area for further analysis. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 85 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2
8. b. Requirements baseline
The scope, schedule, and cost baselines may be combined into a performance measurement baseline. It also may include technical and quality parameters. It then is used as an overall project baseline against which project execution is compared, and deviations are managed for project control. It also is used for earned value measurements. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 302, 549 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 1
9. c. Job shadowing
Observations are a tool and technique in the Collect Requirements process. They provide a way to view individuals in their environment and to see how they perform their jobs or tasks and carry out processes. Job shadowing usually is done by an observer viewing the user performing his or her job. It can also be done by a ‘participant observer’ who is performing a process or procedure to experience how it is done to uncover hidden requirements. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 116 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 2
10. b. Improvement of quality processes
Perform Quality Assurance involves auditing the quality requirements and the results from quality control measurements to ensure appropriate quality standards and operational definitions are used. The key benefit of this process is it facilitates the improvement of quality processes. It seeks to build confidence that a future output or an unfinished output will be completed in a way that meets specified requirements and expectations. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 242-243 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3
11. c. Use an affinity diagram
In quality assurance an affinity diagram is used to generate ideas that can be linked to form organized patterns of thought about a problem. Using them in project management, one can enhance the creation of the WBS by using it to give structure to the decomposition of scope. The affinity diagram is similar to a mind mapping technique. They are part of quality management and control tools, a tool and technique in Perform Quality Assurance. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 245 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3
12. d. Managing the interfaces among the sellers
The Control Procurements process involves managing procurement relationships, monitoring contract performance, and making changes and corrections to contracts as needed. On a large project with multiple sellers, as in this question, a major aspect is managing the interfaces among the sellers. Many organizations have contract administration as an administrative function separate from the project organization. While a procurement administrator may be on the core team, typically this person reports to someone other than the project manager in a different department. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 379-380 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 7
13. c. Document the specific responsibilities of each stakeholder in the Perform Integrated Change Control process
Configuration management is an integral part of the Perform Integrated Change Control process. It is necessary because projects by their nature involve changes. Configuration control is focused on the specification of deliverables and processes. It emphasizes configuration identification (answer a), configuration status accounting (answer b), and configuration verification and audit (answer d). For further Information refer to PMI’s Practice Standard for Configuration Management, 2007. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 96-97 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 2
14. b. Procurement management plan
The procurement management plan describes how the project management team will acquire goods and services from outside the performing organization. It describes how the procurement processes will be used from developing procurement documents through closing contracts. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 366-367 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 7
15. a. Scope, quality, schedule, budget, and risk
The constraints include, but are not limited to scope, schedule, budget (cost), quality, resources, and risk. Constraints are competing, and specific project characteristics and circumstances can influence them. They are limiting factors that affect project execution so must be monitored and controlled. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 6, 124 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 1
16. d. Ecological impact
The business case is created in this question primarily as a result of an ecological need. Answer b refers to a customer request such as an electrical utility authorizing a project to build a new substation to serve a new industrial park. Answer c relates to a social need such as a nongovernmental organization in a developing country to provide portable water systems plus other items to communities suffering from high rates of cholera. Other reasons are a market demand, an organizational need, a technological advance or a legal requirement. Sustainability does not apply. The business case is an input to the Develop Project Charter process. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 69 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 1
17. d. A quality audit
A quality audit is a tool and technique in the Perform Quality Assurance process. It is primarily used to determine whether the project team is complying with organizational and project policies, processes, and procedures. It identifies good and best practices being implemented; areas of nonconformity, gaps, and shortcomings; good practices introduced or implemented in similar projects or in the industry; ways to improve implementation of processes to help the team increase productivity; and highlights contributions of the audit in the lessons-learned repository. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 247 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3
18. b. Defect repairs
Change requests are an input to the Perform Integrated Change Control process. They also may include corrective action and preventive action. It should be noted that corrective and preventive actions tend not to affect the project baselines in most cases but do affect performance against the baselines. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 97 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 2
19. d. Identified in the project management plan
Usually, the project manager or the project sponsor can approve or reject a documented change request. At times, a Change Control Board (CCB) is used, which later may require customer or sponsor approval. Regardless, the responsible person is identified in the project management plan or by organizational procedures. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 96 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 1
20. d. Change control meetings
Meetings, referred to as change control meetings, are a tool and technique in Integrated Change Control. Often, a project will set up a Change Control Board, which has the responsibility for meeting and reviewing the change requests, and approving, rejecting, or other disposition of the changes. Decisions of the board are documented and agreed upon by appropriate stakeholders in the change management plan. The CCB decisions are documented to stakeholders for information and follow-up actions. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 99 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 2
21. b. Adds business value as it links to business and project objectives
The requirements traceability matrix is a grid that links requirements to their origin and traces them throughout the life cycle. It is an output in Collect Requirements This approach helps to ensure that each requirement adds value as it links to the business and project objectives. It also tracks requirements during the life cycle to help ensure that the requirements listed in the requirements document are delivered at the end of the project. It provides a structure to manage changes to product scope. See Figure 5-6 in the PMBOK® Guide, 2013 for an example. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 118-119 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 3
22. b. Enterprise environmental factors
They are an input to the Direct and Manage Project Work process. Other examples are organizational, cultural, and customer culture, infrastructure, personnel administration, and the PMIS. An example of stakeholder risk tolerances is allowable cost overrun percentages. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 82 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 7
23. b. Configuration management system
The formal configuration management system is an important part of Perform Integrated Change Control and focuses on the specifications for deliverables and processes. Its activities involve configuration identification, configuration status accounting, and configuration verification. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 96-97 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 2
24. a. Root cause analysis
Determining the root cause of the problem means to determine the origin of the problem. What may appear to be the problem on the surface is often revealed, after further analysis, not to be the real cause of the problem. Process analysis includes root cause analysis used to identify as problem, discover the underlying causes that lead to it and develop preventive actions. Process analysis is a tool and technique in Perform Quality Assurance. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 247 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3
25. d. Validate Scope typically precedes Control Quality
Validate Scope focuses on accepting project deliverables, and to be accepted, they must meet the quality requirements. Control Quality is one way to ensure the correctness of the deliverables and meeting the quality specifications for the deliverables, which is why Control Quality typically is done before Validate Scope. Further, the verified deliverables obtained from Control Quality have been reviewed with the customer or sponsor to ensure they are completely satisfied and have received formal acceptance from the customer or sponsor. In the Validate Scope process, verified deliverables are a tool and technique, used to ensure project deliverables are completed and checked for correctness through Control Quality. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 134 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 3
26. c. Making sure all the activities necessary to satisfy exit criteria for a phase or the entire project are followed
Administrative activities are necessary to close the project or a phase. To do so, the project manager needs to engage the proper stakeholders in the process. The first activity that must be done to close a project or a phase is the answer to the question. The second activity involves transferring the products, services, or results to the next phase or productions or operations-basically transitioning the product, services, or results. The final step is to collect or close project records, audit project success or failure, gather lessons learned, and archive information for future use, hopefully with a knowledge transfer system. [Closing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 101 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Closing, 10, Task 7
27. c. Identifying the key issues and any suitable alternatives
Identifying the key issues and suitable alternatives are the purpose of prioritization matrixes, a quality management and control tool used as a tool and technique in Perform Quality Assurance. In a prioritization matrix, these issues and alternatives to be prioritized are considered as a set of decisions for implementation. Then, criteria are prioritized and weighted before they are applied to all possible alternatives to obtain a mathematical score to rate the options. In this question, such an approach would provide a way to better focus attention on areas in need of improvement. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 246 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3
28. a. Identifies project assumptions
The project scope baseline is an input to identifying risks. Project assumptions, which should be enumerated in the project scope statement, are areas of uncertainty, and therefore, potential causes of project risk. The WBS is also part of the scope baseline, and it is a critical source to consider in identifying risks as it facilitates an understanding of risks at the micro and macro levels. Risks can be identified and then tracked at the summary, control account, and/or work package levels. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 322 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 10
29. c. Prototypes
Prototypes are used to obtain early feedback on requirements by providing a working model of the expected product before it is built. Stakeholders then can experiment with this model rather than discussing abstract representations of requirements. This approach supports progressive elaboration, because it is used in iterative cycles of mockup creation, user experimentation, feedback generation, and prototype revision. When enough feedback cycles have been completed, it then is time to move to design or build as the next phase. Prototypes are a tool and technique in Collect Requirements. [Planning]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 116 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Planning, 6, Task 2
30. a. Control Quality and Plan Quality Management
Data from Plan Quality Management and Control Quality are used in Perform Quality Assurance. The Perform Quality Assurance process also uses affinity diagrams, process decision program charts, interrelationship digraphs, tree diagrams, prioritization matrices, activity network diagrams, matrix diagrams, quality audits, and process analysis. [Executing]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 245-247 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 3
31. d. Continuously monitor the project
The Monitor and Control Project Work process is performed throughout the project and includes collecting, measuring, and disseminating performance information and assessing measurements and trends to effect process improvement. Continuous monitoring is important because it provides insight into the project’s health, highlighting areas requiring special attention. [Monitoring and Controlling]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 88 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Monitoring and Controlling, 9, Task 1
32. d. Determine whether the project should continue to the next phase
The review at the end of a project phase is called a phase-end review. It also may be called a stage gate, milestone, phase review, or kill point. The purpose of this review is to determine whether the project should continue to the next phase for detecting and correcting errors while they are still manageable and for ensuring that the project remains focused on the business need it was undertaken to address. It is important in the Develop Project Charter phase as the charter formally authorizes the project, providing the project manager with the authority to apply resources to the project. The charter then serves as an excellent review point before it is approved to determine if the project should move into planning. Clear descriptions of the project objectives may be developed including why a specific project is the best alternative to satisfy requirements. An example of a single process, showing among other things initiating leading to planning, is found in Figure 2-10 in the PMBOK® Guide, 2013. [Initiating]
PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 41-42, 55, 71, 549 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Initiating, 5, Task 5
33. c. Celebrating
During the adjourning stage of team development, the emphasis is on tasks and relationships that promote closure and celebration. There is recognition and satisfaction as the team is moving on and separation. Management skills involve evaluating, reviewing, and improving, while leadership qualities are celebrating and bringing closure. Project staff members are released as deliverables are completed or as part of closure; however these phases of team development (others are forming, storming, norming, and performing) are part of team-building techniques, a tool and technique in the Develop Project Team process. [Executing]
Verma, V.K., Managing the Project Team, 1997, 40 PMI®, PMBOK® Guide, 2013, 276 PMI® PMP Examination Content Outline, 2015, Executing, 8, Task 2
34. b. At +$300, the situation is favorable, as physical progress is being accomplished ahead of your plan.
