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Questions and Answers
What is the primary purpose of project planning?
Which type of planning focuses specifically on the objectives and strategies of a particular department?
What is Long range planning generally characterized by?
What is the ideal time frame for Short range planning?
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Which type of planning is primarily concerned with ensuring efficient resource use and developing control mechanisms?
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Which of the following is a reason for the necessity of planning?
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What kind of planning is directly concerned with the short-term moves and responses to environmental changes?
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Why is project planning considered critical for monitoring performance?
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What does the Design Structure Matrix primarily illustrate?
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Which of the following is an advantage of a Gantt Chart?
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What is a key limitation of a Milestone Chart compared to a Gantt Chart?
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Which method is particularly advantageous for managing complex projects with interrelated tasks?
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In the context of PERT, what is the 'Most Likely' time estimate?
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What characterizes an activity in the Critical Path Method?
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Which of the following best describes the concept of the critical path?
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What is a major disadvantage of the PERT chart?
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What does an activity represent in a project network?
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Which of the following best describes an event in project management?
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What is the correct formula for calculating the Earliest Finish time (EF)?
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What is indicated if the Total Float (TF) is zero on a Critical Path?
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What do AOA and AON stand for in project management terminology?
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What is the first step in planning a project?
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Which of the following is NOT a component of establishing key project dates?
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During which stage is the pre-start meeting scheduled?
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What does 'establishing the sequence' refer to in project planning?
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What is the primary focus of deciding which programming technique to use in project planning?
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Which activity would be included in the checklist during the tender stage?
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What is involved in assessing how long activities will take during project planning?
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Which of the following is a step in getting a feel for the project?
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What should be established to ensure a project is on schedule?
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Which programming technique is generally used to minimize project completion time?
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What is a primary objective of project scheduling?
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Which of the following is NOT a step in the planning process?
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What is the purpose of developing a task sequence in project planning?
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What type of tasks are described as 'uncoupled' in the planning process?
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Which method is often used to develop a scheduling chart?
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Estimating the personnel, time, and resources needed for a project is often based on which factor?
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What outcome is directly investigated when assessing potential delays in a project?
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Which of the following best describes 'progress control' in project scheduling?
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Study Notes
Introduction
- Planning is a crucial part of project management,
- It ensures successful completion of projects and effective control of time, money, and resources.
- Planning helps address construction risks and devise safe working methods.
Reasons for Planning
- Setting a realistic time frame for the project.
- Establishing realistic standards to avoid "wishful thinking".
- Aiding control during the project.
- Monitoring performance in terms of output, time, and money.
- Reviewing progress and taking corrective action when needed.
Kinds of Planning
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Organizational level outlines the type of planning and its time frame.
- Corporate range: Strategic, long-term planning.
- Divisional: Operational, medium-range planning.
- Functional: Tactical, short-range planning
Organizational Planning
- Corporate planning defines the objectives, policies, and strategies of the entire organization. Usually for a longer period.
- Divisional planning targets a specific department or division, outlining its own objectives, policies, and strategies.
- Sectional planning focuses on detailed plans for daily guidance and activities.
Focused Planning
- Strategic planning defines objectives and determines resources to achieve them. Done by top management.
- Operational planning ensures efficient resource utilization and develops control mechanisms for maximum efficiency.
- Tactical planning addresses short-term changes and maneuvers required to respond to unforeseen situations.
Time Period Planning
- Long-range planning covers at least five years and involves capital budgeting, product planning, and project planning. Deals with significant uncertainty.
- Medium-range planning spans one to five years and focuses on developing new products and markets. Supports long-range plans.
- Short-range planning extends up to a year and aims to achieve short-term goals. Focused on the internal business environment.
Planning a Project
- Planning requires a logical approach with defined steps:
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Getting a feel for the project:
- Examine drawings and project documentation.
- Visit the site for a firsthand assessment.
- Evaluate the project's scale and scope.
- Estimate the project's approximate value.
- Consider the expenditure rate.
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Getting a feel for the project:
Planning a Project
- Planning requires a logical approach with defined steps:
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Establishing key project dates:
- Project start and completion dates.
- Sectional or phased completion dates.
- Holiday periods.
- Commissioning or handover deadlines.
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Establishing key project dates:
Planning a Project
- Planning requires a logical approach with defined steps:
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Establishing key activities or events:
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Design stage:
- Brief the design team.
- Make professional appointments.
- Apply for building regulation approval.
- Pre-qualify contractors.
- Appoint contractors.
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Tender stage:
- Prepare tender documents.
- Complete pre-construction health and safety information.
- Establish a period for tendering.
- Evaluate tenders.
- Compile contract documentation.
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Design stage:
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Establishing key activities or events:
Planning a Project
- Planning requires a logical approach with defined steps:
-
Establishing key activities or events:
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Pre-contract stage:
- Appoint project staff.
- Develop construction phase health and safety plan.
- Prepare requirement schedules.
- Conduct a pre-start meeting.
- Permit the start of construction work.
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Pre-contract stage:
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Establishing key activities or events:
Planning a Project
- Planning requires a logical approach with defined steps:
-
Establishing key activities or events:
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Construction stage:
- Set up site establishment.
- Groundworks or substructure.
- Frame/external envelope.
- Floors.
- Roof structure and cladding.
- Building Watertight.
- MEPF (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, and Fire).
- Finishes.
- External works and drainage.
- Practical or substantial completion.
- Clear site.
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Construction stage:
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Establishing key activities or events:
Planning a Project
- Planning requires a logical approach with defined steps:
-
Assessing how long the activities will take:
- Determine the duration of each task.
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Assessing how long the activities will take:
Planning a Project
- Planning requires a logical approach with defined steps:
-
Establishing the sequence:
- Identify the logical order of tasks.
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Establishing the sequence:
Planning a Project
- Planning requires a logical approach with defined steps:
-
Deciding which programming technique to use:
- Select the appropriate scheduling method for the project.
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Deciding which programming technique to use:
Programming Techniques
- A project is a collection of tasks that need to be completed within a given time or budget.
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Objectives of Project Scheduling:
- Completing the project as quickly as possible by identifying the earliest start and finish times for each activity.
- Calculating the likelihood of project completion within a specific time frame.
- Determining the minimum cost schedule to complete the project by a certain date.
Programming Techniques
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Objectives of Project Scheduling:
- Investigating the impact of potential delays in activity completion.
- Controlling project progress.
- Smoothing out resource allocation over the project's duration.
Steps in the Planning Process
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1) Identify the tasks: Tasks bridge the gap between a problem and a product.
- Begin with major development activities.
- Break them down into smaller, manageable tasks.
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2) Clearly state the objective of each task: Refine tasks so the results are clear.
- Make objectives easily understood by the entire design team.
- Ensure that the objectives are specific, indicating what information needs to be developed.
- Verify that the objectives are feasible, considering available time, personnel, and equipment.
Steps in the Planning Process
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3) Estimate the personnel, time, and resources required to meet objectives: Estimating is challenging as design requires time.
- Various estimation schemes are used, all based on assumptions.
- Company track records provide the best indicator for accurate estimations.
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4) Develop a task sequence:
- Sequential tasks: Tasks must be completed in sequence.
- Parallel tasks: Tasks can be performed concurrently.
- Coupled tasks: Tasks must be completed in a specific order, but their duration can be varied.
- Uncoupled tasks: Tasks have no dependencies on each other.
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Develop a planning/scheduling chart:
- Milestone or Gantt chart:
- PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique):
Steps in the Planning Process
- 4) Develop a task sequence:
- Design Structure Matrix: Displays task dependencies.
Planning and Scheduling
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Gantt Chart is a simple and widely used project scheduling technique:
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Advantages:
- Direct correlation with time, making it easy to visualize durations.
- Straightforward relationship for projects with a limited number of tasks.
- Easy integration of subtasks with separate scheduling charts.
- Flexible time schedule that can be expanded to show shorter tasks.
- Progress against the plan is easily reflected.
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Disadvantage:
- Doesn't portray complex interrelationships between tasks.
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Advantages:
Planning and Scheduling
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Milestone Chart: Similar to a Gantt chart, but focuses on task completion milestones.
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Advantages:
- Embodies simplified techniques of a Gantt chart.
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Disadvantages:
- Doesn't depict interrelationships between tasks.
- Doesn't identify the critical path.
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Advantages:
Planning and Scheduling
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PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique): Ideal for complex projects with interconnected tasks.
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Advantages:
- Handles complex projects with interconnected tasks.
- Offers flexibility in time estimations.
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Disadvantages:
- More complex compared to the CPM.
- Requires three time estimates:
- Optimistic (to): Shortest possible time.
- Most Likely (tM): Best estimate.
- Pessimistic (tp): Longest possible time.
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Advantages:
Planning and Scheduling
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Critical Path Method (CPM): Shares similarities with PERT.
- Defined activities and events:
- Activity: A time-consuming effort to complete a project part, represented as an arrow in a diagram.
- Event: Marks the end of one activity and the beginning of another, represented as a circle. Events can be decision points.
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CPM Terminology:
- Earliest Start time (ES):
- Latest Start time (LS):
- Earliest Finish time (EF):
- Duration (D):
- Latest Finish time (LF):
- Total Float (TF): The slack between the earliest and latest start times. Total float is zero on the critical path.
Critical Path Method
- CPM Example: Demonstrates critical path analysis with a list of activities, predecessors, and durations.
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Description
This quiz covers the essential aspects of planning in project management. It explores the importance of planning, the reasons behind setting a realistic framework, and the different kinds and levels of planning necessary for effective project control. Test your knowledge on these vital principles that ensure successful project completion.