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Questions and Answers

Which skill is NOT typically associated with project management?

Leadership

Anger Management (correct)

Problem Solving

Communications

What primarily distinguishes a program from a project?

Programs involve a single project.

Programs last longer than projects. (correct)

Programs are temporary efforts.

Programs do not require management.

In which decade did a significant shift to project management-based models primarily occur?

1970s

1990s (correct)

1980s

2000s

What is the primary role of a project manager compared to a project coordinator?

Project managers oversee the project lifecycle whereas coordinators manage documentation. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following positions is classified as a higher level than 'Project Manager'?

Executive Program Manager Signup and view all the answers

Which stakeholders are typically involved in a project besides the team?

Functional managers Signup and view all the answers

What type of project management software is best suited for handling very large projects with specialized needs?

High-end software Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a project dimension?

Budget Signup and view all the answers

In the Trade-off Triangle, which two aspects can be chosen in a project environment?

Cheap and good Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary goal of rapid development in projects?

Faster delivery Signup and view all the answers

Which knowledge area in project management involves managing resources and communication?

Human resource management Signup and view all the answers

What is a key factor to improve team effectiveness?

Motivation Signup and view all the answers

Which type of process focuses specifically on managing the project lifecycle and ensuring quality?

Management processes Signup and view all the answers

Which phase is NOT considered part of the project life cycle?

Market Analysis Signup and view all the answers

What mistake is related to managing expectations during a project?

Optimistic schedules Signup and view all the answers

Which option is an example of a process-related mistake?

Abandonment of plan under pressure Signup and view all the answers

What is indicated by the term 'feature creep'?

Adding new features beyond initial requirements Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a people-related mistake in project management?

Crowded office environments Signup and view all the answers

What type of mistake involves overestimating the benefits of new technology?

Technology-related mistakes Signup and view all the answers

Which aspect is NOT included in project measurements?

Team morale Signup and view all the answers

What critical mistake can arise from unrealistic expectations during a project?

Uncontrolled problem employees Signup and view all the answers

Which term describes negotiations that lead to excessive or unnecessary features being added?

Gold-plating Signup and view all the answers

In project management, what is a typical outcome of 'planning to catch-up later'?

Insufficient risk evaluation Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Project Management Skills

Leadership is a crucial project management skill.
Strong communication skills are essential for successful project management.
Problem-solving abilities are needed to address project challenges.
Negotiation skills are important for reaching agreements with stakeholders.
Influencing the organization is needed to gain support and resources.
Mentoring team members is crucial for their development and growth.
Process and technical expertise are vital for efficient project execution.

Project Manager Positions

Project Administrator/Coordinator handles administrative tasks.
Assistant Project Manager assists the project manager.
Project Manager/Program Manager manages projects or programs.
Executive Program Manager leads a group of related projects (programs).
Manager of Program Development oversees development of programs.

Software Project Management

Software project management is a subset of project management.
Project management encompasses software project management.
Management encompasses project management, which in turn encompasses software project management.

PM History

In the 1970s, the military, defense, and construction industries used project management software.
The 1990s saw a significant shift towards project-management-based models.
1985 saw the implementation of TQM (Total Quality Management).
The period from 1990 to 1993 involved re-engineering and self-directed teams.
From 1996 to 1999, risk management and project offices gained prominence.
Global projects became more common by 2000.

Project Definition

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.
Project management involves guiding a temporary team towards a unique outcome.
A project manager's role is analogous to that of a conductor leading an orchestra, or a coach leading a team.

Project vs. Program Management

Program management often involves a collection of related projects.
Programs typically span a longer duration than individual projects.
The scale of a program is larger compared to a project.
Definitions of both terms can vary.

Interactions/Stakeholders

Project managers interact with various stakeholders.
Project sponsors are key stakeholders who provide funding and support.
Executives are high-level managers involved in the project.
Team members are part of the project's workforce.
Customers are recipients of the project's output.
Contractors are external suppliers.
Functional managers supervise team members within their departments.

Project Management Framework

Project management involves various knowledge areas and facilitating functions.
These include tasks like scope, time, cost, quality, and risk management, within a broader framework context.
Human resource management, communications management, risk management, and procurement are core functions.

Project Management Tools (Software)

Low-end project management software offers basic features such as task management and charting capabilities.
MS Excel and other tools like Milestones and Simplicity are examples.
Mid-market software, exemplified by MS Project, handles larger projects and has multiple project analysis tools.
High-end solutions address the needs of large, enterprise-level projects, with specialized features.

Example: Tools (Network Diagram)

Network diagrams visualize project tasks and dependencies.
They indicate the sequence of work and critical aspects of the project roadmap.
In addition to diagrams, different project management tools are discussed.

Project Management Knowledge Areas

Core functions like project integration management, scope management, time management and quality management are crucial.
Supporting functions such as human resource management, communications management, and procurement, are necessary.

Why Rapid Development

Rapid development enables quicker delivery.
Reducing risks to the customer is important to rapid development.
Providing increased visibility to the customer is also a key of rapid development.
Maintaining quality during rapid development is important.

Four Project Dimensions

People, process, product, and technology are the core elements for project dimensions.

Trade-off Triangle

Project management involves balancing competing factors (scope, time, and cost).
A "trade-off triangle" illustrates the constraints faced by project managers.
Flexibility is critical to accommodate various challenges.
Understanding fixed and variable aspects of projects is crucial for effective planning.

People

Project success is usually based on the quality of the people involved.
Motivating team members through selection and organizing.
Key success factors include matching people to their tasks, fostering career development, ensuring balance between individuals and the team, and maintaining clear communication.

Process

Project process includes management and technical types.
Fundamental concepts like development, quality assurance, risk management, and lifecycle planning need to be considered.

Process 2

Customer orientation is important for project success.
Improving process maturity is crucial for efficiency and productivity.
Avoiding rework reduces wasted effort and expense.

Product

The products are the tangible deliverables of the project.
Managing product size, characteristics, requirements, and features contribute to project accomplishment.

Technology

Technology choices make a difference in the project.
Selection of tools is important for project execution and maintenance.
Value and cost of reuse are major factors that need consideration.

Planning

Requirement and resource determination are needed for project planning.
Defining a lifecycle model and product features is critical.

Tracking

Project trackers are used for monitoring progress against schedules, costs, and timelines.
Project planners will use data from plan vs. actual analysis to assess progress.
This activity will allow planners to evaluate how well the project goes off plan, and react effectively appropriately.

Measurements

Project measurements include cost, schedule, effort, and product features.
Earned value analysis helps evaluate project performance.
Defect rates, productivity measurements, and complexity assessments are important components of successful project management.

Technical Fundamentals

Project technical fundamentals are vital to producing a desired product.
Quality assurance is part of these fundamentals.
All aspects of product engineering, from initial requirements gathering to final testing and deployment are important to the project.

Project Phases

All projects are divided into logical phases.
The project lifecycle is a series of consecutive phases for defining, planning, and executing project activities.
Each phase's completion is marked by deliverable completion.
Identifying project phases in software projects is a major project management concern.

Lifecycle Relationships

The business lifecycle and project lifecycle are closely connected.
Understanding the interrelationships between the project and the business is crucial.

Seven Core Project Phases

Project sequencing and coordination across different phases is important.
Software project phases include concept, requirements analysis, architectural design, detailed design, coding and debugging, systems testing, deployment, and maintenance, in common projects.

Classic Mistakes

Project management is prone to specific types of mistakes.
These include mistakes relating to people, process, product, and technology.

Undermined motivation, weak personnel issues relating to individuals working on the project, uncontrolled problem employees, heroic attempts, and adding people to a late project are factors to consider.
Noisy, crowded offices, customer-developer friction, unrealistic expectations, and politics influencing a project are other areas needing attention.
Lack of project sponsorship, stakeholder buy-in, and user input are serious problems.

Optimistic schedules, insufficient risk management, contractor failure, insufficient planning, and abandonment of the project plan are process-related problems.
Project delays are often caused by insufficient or incorrect project planning.
Wasted time during initial phases, upstream activities, and design or quality assurance shortchanges are serious problems.
Insufficient management controls, inappropriate convergence practices, and estimating mistakes need to be avoided.

Requirements and feature creep, developer gold-plating (the pet project), push-me-pull-me negotiation strategies, and research-oriented development often interfere with efficient and successful implementations.

Overestimating the benefits of new tools, switching tools during a project, and lacking automated source-code control all have negative impacts on project success.

Summary

Planning, measurement, and tracking are crucial project management skills.
Effective project management requires a holistic approach, considering people, process, product, and technology.

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Description

This quiz covers essential skills required for effective project management, including leadership, communication, and problem-solving. It also explores various project manager positions and the specifics of software project management as a subset of project management.

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