Project Management

Final Exam
Please select the most appropriate answer the following (MCQ) questions (Q # 1 to Q #
13): (26 points of the total exam score)
1- A project is:
a. A group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain the benefits and
control not available from managing them individually.
b. A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.
c. An organizational function performing the ongoing execution of activities that produce
the same product or provide a repetitive service.
d. A function of operations that focuses on sustaining business that may have a one-time
configuration or ongoing processes.
e. A seemingly insurmountable challenge that when approached in a systematic way
makes it appear doable, if only temporarily.
2- Project management is:
a. The centralized coordinated management of a program to achieve the program’s
strategic objectives and benefits.
b. The application of information systems to manage in a coordinated way a group of
related projects.
c. The centralized coordination of operations and programs to achieve the program’s
strategic objectives and benefits.
d. The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet
the project requirements.
3- Portfolio management is about
a. Managing financial projects
b. Managing related projects
c. Managing long projects
d. Managing projects that could be relevant or irrelevant to achieve strategic objectives
4- Project stakeholders
a. Are supportive to the project
b. Present Obstacle on the project
c. Can influence the project based on their power
d. Have less power over the PM
5- One of the most important characteristics of an effective project manager is to be able to:
a. Communicate clearly and effectively with all stakeholders.
b. Be able to understand and do all of the technical work required to complete the project.
c. Create excellent quality plans.
______________________________________________________

d. Lead dynamic presentations to the customer.

6- Project critical path

a. Is the Longest path
b. Is only one path
c. Can be more than one
d. A&C
7- The most common type of activity relationship is (also the default on Primavera P6 or MS
Project):
a. Start-to-Finish
b. Finish-to-Finish
c. Start-to-Start
d. Finish-to Start
8- Critical Path means
a. Negative float
b. Zero float
c. Positive float
d. Has nothing to do with the float

9- For the following Network diagram: Calculate the total duration of the project and highlight the

Task B

2 2

Task A Task D
6

Task C

b. 10 days, Critical
a. 10 days, Critical path: ABD path: ACD
c. 11 days, Critical path: ACD ES OD EF
d. 10 days, Critical path: ABD Task Name

LS TF LF
 ______________________________________________________

10- A RACI chart is an example of a .

a. Network

b. Flowchart

c. Responsibility assignment matrix

d. Hierarchical-type organization chart

11- Managing a project typically includes:

a. Balancing the competing project constraints, which include scope, quality, schedule,
budget, resources, and risks.

b. Integrating requirements of profitability, low cost, and legal responsibility.

c. Implementation of software, hardware, and other systems to enhance organizational

efficiency.

d. Supporting human factors, communications, discipline, and performance management.

12- All of the following statements about the project life cycle and the product life cycle are true
EXCEPT:

a. In the project predictive life cycle, the project scope, and the time and cost required to
deliver that scope, are determined as early in the project life cycle as practically possible.

b. In the project iterative and incremental life cycles, project phases intentionally repeat
one or more project activities as the project team's understanding of the product
increases.

c. The product life cycle is the series of phases that represent the evolution of a product,
from concept through delivery, growth, maturity, and to retirement.

d. The product life cycle is contained within the predictive project life cycle.

13- Performing the Initiating processes at the start of each phase:

a. Is wasteful and should be avoided whenever possible.

b. Helps to keep the project focused on the business need that the project was undertaken
to address.
 ______________________________________________________

c. Helps to ensure that the project continues regardless of changes in the success criteria.

d. Helps to ensure continuous employment of project team members even if the project is
unlikely to satisfy the business need that it was undertaken to address.

Question No. 14: (7 points of the Exam Score)

Mention / Illustrate the typical/basic approach of managing a project successfully

“according to PMBOK © Guide 5th edition”? Illustrate the most important documents
you need to receive or develop to manage a project successfully and mention briefly
the benefit of each document?

BASIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES

Most management models identify three basic management processes that serve to organize the ongoing activity
of the enterprise:
• Planning-devising a workable scheme to accomplish an objective
• Executing-carrying out the plan
• Controlling—measuring progress and taking corrective action when necessary
These processes occur at all levels of the enterprise, in many different forms, and under many different names.
For example, planning is a constant, not a onetime event.
. A senior manager may develop a strategic plan that looks out 5-10 years, or a crisis response plan that addresses
5-10 days.
. A line manager may develop an organization plan and execute it with the aid of an annual staffing plan.
. Major corrective action may require a plan of its own.
Although there are many variations on this basic model, all view management as an ongoing activity with neither
a clear beginning nor an expected end (except as an event to be avoided). Projects, however, are temporary;
they have both an identifiable starting point and an emphasis on timely future termination. Projects thus
include two additional basic management processes:
• Initiating—setting overall project direction and defining project objectives
• Closing—formalizing acceptance of the product of the project and bringing the project itself to an end
These additional processes also occur at all levels of the project, in many different forms, and under many
different names. For example, the initiating process may be called feasibility analysis while the closing process
may be called turnover or start-up.
Basic Project Management Processes  Basic Project Management Processes Over Time

BASIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESS INTERACTIONS

A process is “a series of actions bringing about a result” while a result is a “concrete outcome” (American Heritage
Dictionary). The major (but by no means the only) concrete outcomes of the five basic project management
processes are as follows:
• Initiating—a description of the product of the project, initial documentation of project objectives, and
assignment of a project manager
• Planning—a documented project plan and documented updates to the plan as the project progresses
• Executing—verifiably completed project deliverables
• Controlling—periodic measurements of progress vs. plan, corrective action when needed, and identification of
when the project is done
• Closing-documented acceptance of the results of the project
These outcomes provide a direct link between the processes—the output from one becomes an input to another
as illustrated in Figure 3.1. Each project management process can then be described in terms of its:
• Inputs—documents (e.g., a scope statement) or documentable items (e.g., task dependencies) that will be acted
upon
• Tools and techniques—mechanisms (e.g., earned value computations) applied to the inputs (e.g., task results)
to create the outputs (e.g., a progress report)
• Outputs—documents or documentable items that are the result of the process
In addition, these processes are not discrete, one-time events; they are iterative and repetitive and occur at
varying levels of intensity throughout the project as illustrated in Figure 3.2.
Finally, each of the mechanisms is a process in its own right. For example, cost budgeting is a technique used to
develop a project plan. It uses the Work Breakdown Structure (an output of task definition) and preliminary
cost estimates (an output of cost estimating) and provides detail task budgets as an input to plan integration.
These detail process interactions are described in the next section.
DETAIL PROCESS INTERACTIONS
The detail process interactions described here reflect generally accepted project management practices. They do
not reflect project-specific or application area-specific practices, nor do they include general management
processes. For example:
• Most projects will produce a written scope statement—scope statements are generally accepted.
• Expediting is a process that occurs on many but not most projects—expediting is not a generally accepted
practice.
• The process of negotiating is not significantly different on a project—it is a general management process and is
not included here.
The detail processes listed here are described more fully in the appropriate knowledge area

Detail Planning Process Relationships
Initiating
This basic process includes only one detail process:
• Concept development—describing the product of the project, documenting initial project objectives, and
assigning a project manager.

Planning
Planning is of major importance on a project—you are doing something unique and you only get one chance to
get it right. As a result, there are relatively more detail processes in this section. However, the number of
processes does not mean that project management is primarily planning—the amount of planning should
always be commensurate with the scope of the project.
The relationships among the project planning processes are shown in Figure 3.3 (note that this chart is an
explosion of the ellipse labeled “planning” in Figure 3.1 ). These processes are subject to frequent iterations
prior to completing the plan. For example, if the initial completion date is too late, project scope may need to
be reduced or costs increased.
Some detail planning processes have clear dependencies that require them to be performed in sequence. For
example, tasks must be defined before they can be scheduled or costed. The dependent planning processes
include:
• Scope definition-developing a written scope statement that includes the project justification, the major
deliverables, and the project objectives
• Project definition—decomposing the major deliverables into more granular deliverables to provide better
control (the top levels of the Work Breakdown Structure)
• Task definition—identifying the tasks that will be performed in order to produce the project's deliverables (the
lower levels of the WBS)
• Task sequencing—identifying dependencies among tasks
• Duration estimating—estimating the probable duration of individually scheduleable tasks and activities
• Schedule development—determining and documenting specific dates for tasks
• Cost estimating—developing initial estimates of the overall project cost
• Cost budgeting—developing detail estimates of the cost of individual tasks
• Plan integration—creating and documenting a coherent project plan from the outputs of the other planning
processes

Basic Project Management Processes and the Project Life Cycle
 Interactions among other planning processes are more dependent on the nature of the project. For example, on
some projects, there may be little or no identifiable risk until after most of the planning has been done and
the team recognizes that the cost and schedule targets are extremely aggressive and involve considerable
risk. These facilitating processes are performed sporadically throughout the course of project planning. They
include:
• Quality planning—determining how to ensure that the project quality objectives will be met
• Role and responsibility definition—determining the broad outlines of project responsibilities
• Organization planning—deciding how the project will be organized, establishing reporting relationships
• Project staffing—deciding who will fill what positions and assume which roles and responsibilities over time
• Communications planning—determinng who needs what information, when they will need it, and how it will be
given to them
• Risk identification—determining which risks are likely to affect the project
• Risk assessment—quantifying and evaluating the probability of risk occurrence and risk impact
• Solution development—defining deflection and mitigation steps for downside risk and enhancement steps for
opportunities
• Procurement planning—deciding what items will be obtained under contract and how such contracts will be
defined and awarded
• Solicitation—identifying possible sources for contractual services and obtaining responses from them
• Procurement—negotiating and contracting for outside products and services

Executing
This basic process includes the following detail processes:
• Plan execution—carrying out the project plan by performing the tasks identified therein and managing the
various technical and organizational interfaces
• Contract administration—managing the contractual aspects of the procured products and services

Controlling
Project progress must be measured regularly to identify variances from the plan as well as to determine when the
project is finished. Variances are fed into the control processes in the various knowledge areas. To the extent
that significant variances are observed (e.g., those that jeopardize the project objectives), adjustments to the
plan are made by repeating the appropriate project planning processes. For example, a missed task finish
date may require adjustments to the current staffing plan, reliance on overtime, or trade-offs between budget
and schedule objectives.
• Progress measurement and reporting—collecting and disseminating progress information
• Scope change management—documenting and controlling changes to project scope
• Quality control—measuring project deliverables and activities to assess whether quality objectives are being
met
• Quality improvement—evaluating project performance on a regular basis to determine how to improve project
quality
• Time/schedule control—controlling and responding to schedule changes
• Cost control—controlling and responding to cost changes
• Risk control—responding to changes in risk over the course of the project
Closing
This basic process includes the following detail processes:
• Scope verification-ensuring that the project deliverables have been completed satisfactorily
• Contract close-out—resolution of any outstanding administrative matters and archiving of contract
documentation
• Project closure—gathering and disseminating information to formalize project completion

PROJECT PROCESSES AND THE PROJECT LIFE CYCLE

Most projects are done as a collection of phases (called the project life cycle) whose number and names are
determined by the control needs of the performing organization. The basic process interactions repeat within
each phase as illustrated in Figure 3.4. In addition:
• Scope definition has an added dimension. In addition to considering the overall scope of the project (the
product of the project), scope definition must also focus on what specifically must be done to bring the
current phase of the project to successful completion.
• The tools and techniques applied when executing the plan vary considerably. For example, the architect's tools
will be vastly different from those of the constructor even through they are both involved in the same project.
• Initiating and closing are closely linked. For example, closing a “design” phase requires customer acceptance of
the design document. Simultaneously, the design document defines the broad conceptual outlines for the
ensuing implementation phase.

CUSTOMIZING THE INTERACTIONS

The interactions described above meet the test of general acceptance— they apply to most projects most of the
time. However, they may be modified when necessary to meet project-specific or application area-specific
needs. For example:
• An organization that makes extensive use of contractors may explicitly describe where in the planning process
each of the contract/procurement processes occurs.
• Projects which are dependent on unique resources (software development, biopharmaceuticals, etc.) may
define roles and responsibilities prior to scope definition since the resources available to do the work will
have an effect on what can be done.
• On subprojects and smaller projects, relatively little effort will be spent on processes whose outputs have been
defined at the project level, (e.g., a subcontractor may ignore risks explicitly assumed by the prime
contractor) or on processes that provide only marginal utility (there may be no formal communications
management plan on a four-person project).
The interactions described here should be followed except when there is a cogent reason to do otherwise. When
there is a need to modify the interactions, the change should be clearly identified, carefully evaluated, and
actively managed.

SCOPE DEFINITION
 Scope definition is the process of developing a written scope statement as a foundation for future project
activities. The scope statement forms the basis for an agreement between the project team and the project
customer by (1) defining the major project deliverables and (2) formally documenting the project objectives.
Proper scope definition is critical to project success. “When there is poor scope definition, final project costs can
be expected to be higher because of the inevitable changes which disrupt project rhythm, cause rework,
increase project time and lower the productivity and morale of the workforce.” (CII, 1986)
Although closely related, scope definition should not be confused with product definition. When the product of
the project is unknown or uncertain (e.g., when developing a product that relies on innovative technology),
the scope of the project can still be properly defined by documenting known areas of uncertainty and
acknowledging that project scope may need to be modified as these areas are clarified.

Inputs to Scope Definition

1. Product description. The product description is an output of concept development. The initial product
description will be regularly updated as part of the progressive elaboration of the product attributes.
2. Justification. An explanation of why the project has been undertaken (to form the basis for evaluating future
trade-offs).
3. Project objectives. A list of criteria that must be met for the project to be considered successful. Project
objectives typically include at least cost, schedule, and quality constraints.

Tools and Techniques For Scope Definition

1. Systems analysis. Systems analysis in this context is a generic term for any type of structured analysis of
alternatives. It includes techniques such as systems engineering and value analysis.
2. Cost/benefit analysis. Cost/benefit analysis involves estimating tangible costs (outlays) and benefits (returns)
of various project alternatives, and then using financial measures such as return on investment to assess the
relative desirability of the identified alternatives.
3. Alternative identification. This is a catch-all term for any technique used to generate new ideas. There are a
variety of general management techniques often used here, the most common of which are brainstorming
and lateral thinking.
4. Subject matter experts. Subject matter experts may be used to generate alternatives or assess them. Any group
or individual with specialized training or knowledge may be considered a subject matter expert.

Outputs From Scope Definition

1. Scope statement. The scope statement forms the basis for establishing a summary agreement between the
project team and the project customer (the project plan will provide a more detailed agreement). It should
include the project justification, an updated set of project objectives, and a list of the deliverables
(measurable, tangible and verifiable items) whose full and satisfactory delivery marks completion of the
project. This implies as well that anything not explicitly included is explicitly excluded.
2. Scope management plan. This document describes how project scope will be managed, and how scope changes
will be integrated into the project

Question No. 15: (7 points of the Exam Score)

You are contractor constructing a fence on the parameter of a rectangular piece of land
of the dimension (30m X 20m), your contract is unit price contract of 1000 LE per
meter length of the fence, your planned schedule duration is 10 days, after 5 days
you were reviewing the progress and you found out that you constructed the fence for
30m only and spent 60,000 LE of the project budget, incurred for the materials,
Machines and labours and other expenses consumed for constructing the work
performed.
a) Analyze your project progress detrmining the current Project status?
Discuss/comment on it?
30 m

20 m
End of Exam / Good Luck ,,,,