Review Questions

1.	What document integrates the information from all of the planning processes into one cohesive road map for managing the project? Project charter Scope management plan Comprehensive project plan Schedule baseline
2.	Which of the following best describes the iterative nature of the development of the project plan? The project plan is never 'final.' The process is repeated as new information is obtained or if there is a major change to the project. The project plan is circulated to each of the stakeholders and comments are incorporated as they are received. The project plan is updated weekly to make sure everyone understands the importance of the project. Multiple versions of the project plan are created to cause confusion and lessen the likelihood that you will be blamed if the project fails.
3.	Which of the following is the best method to organize of the project plan? Because compiling the project plan is really an administrative task, you should solicit clerical support to sort through all of the planning data and put together a table of contents. You need to develop an outline of what will be included in the plan, but don't spend a lot of time incorporating your planning outputs into the outline. You will save time if you just wait until the project is underway to see what really happens and complete the outline after the fact. You should gather your output data from the planning processes and organize the data in a logical fashion. You are now ready to send the document to your sponsor with a signature sheet. You can distribute the approved plan to the stakeholders so they know what you and the sponsor have agreed to. You start by gathering all of your output data from the planning processes. Next, you develop an outline or table of contents to review with the project sponsor and other stakeholders. After you have updated the outline based on feedback from the sponsor or the other stakeholders, write the plan by integrating the data from your planning output documents into your outline. The completed document should be distributed to all stakeholders in preparation for a formal review session. After incorporating any changes from the review session, obtain formal approval from the sponsor, and distribute the approved document.
4.	Which of the following best reflects the purpose of a formal review of the comprehensive project plan? A formal review of the project plan provides an opportunity for stakeholders to ask questions and provide feedback on the contents of the plan. A formal review is held to fill in any gaps in the project plan. A formal review is a means of shifting accountability to the stakeholders if they agree with the plan. A formal review is a great way to impress the stakeholder team by using elaborate slides with a lot of artwork.
5.	Not all project plans will contain the same components. Which of the following components would you expect to see in all plans? Training plan Overview or executive summary Procurement plan None of the above
6.	What is the best way to handle a potential change to the project plan? You should have a documented procedure to handle changes to the project plan. This plan needs to be communicated to all stakeholders. You must update the plan and distribute the new version as quickly as you hear of any changes. You need to set a schedule for project plan updates and only reissue the plan according to that schedule. A meeting of all project stakeholders should be scheduled to discuss and vote on any proposed change to the project plan.
7.	You are being pressured to get your team started on project execution, but you have not completed the comprehensive project plan. In the interest of time, you decide not to include any stakeholders in this process. Which of the following is a likely result of your decision? The project will start on time and be a success due to your creative thinking. The project plan will be clear and concise , as you will not have to make any of those additions or changes that the stakeholders might want. There will not be a common understanding of how the project execution and control will proceed. Key stakeholders may feel that their input is not valued, and support for the project may diminish. There may be a few complaints, but you can easily handle any issues that might arise once you get the team members working on the project tasks .
8.	A project plan often includes a baseline for the project scope, schedule, and budget. What is the importance of these documents? Baselines are used to show how poorly the project was planned. A baseline is a picture of what is planned prior to the start of project execution and can be used to monitor project progress. Baselines have no relevance to project execution. Baselines are used to show stakeholders what they want to hear.
9.	Which of the following is the best example of a project performance indicator? There have been 10 scope change requests . The length of the weekly project status meeting has increased. Your team member Jane reports that her task will not complete on time. There was $250,000 spent on the development phase, as compared to a budgeted amount of $200,000.
10.	You need an assessment of the ongoing viability of the project business case, the completeness of planning documents, and the resolution of all planning issues. What is the best method to accomplish this? Distribute a memo requesting submission of planning input and any issues related to planning. Distribute all planning documentation to the stakeholder team. Schedule a meeting with all stakeholders to transition the project from planning to execution. Discuss these items with the project sponsor.
11.	Of the following elements, which one is not a requirement for the project plan? Detailed WBS Training plan Risks Executive summary
12.	Whose responsibility is it to prepare the project plan? Sponsor Project manager Project team PMO administrative assistant
13.	Which is true for a comprehensive project plan? (Select all that apply.) Is optional Can be assembled and delivered at any time during the project Signals the end of the planning process Must be signed by all stakeholders Must at least be signed by the sponsor
14.	In order to make sure that changes are adequately tracked, what sort of process must be in place for comprehensive electronic project plans? Change management process Document management process Quality management process Electronic signature process
15.	Ongoing comprehensive plan reviews with the sponsor and stakeholders should be held: Only once, at the time that you write and release the project plan. On a regularly scheduled, routine basis. As needed. Stakeholders need not be included.
16.	What is the reason for using a project performance indicator? To track the output of your project team members To make sure the project has not exceeded budget or timeline constraints To assure that you've not added additional deliverables to the project To be able to add a visual element to the project plan for those who are kinesthetically oriented learners
17.	From the list below, select some examples of things you might consider including in the appendix section of your comprehensive project plan. (Select all that apply.) A Guide to the PMBOK Your corporation's quality standards Thanks and signatory pages for all those who participated Photos of the project team and team members' contact information Your corporation's system development methodology Your corporation's project management methodology ISO 9000 standards
18.	Which is true for the Executive Summary? (Select all that apply.) Is a technical section Is a nontechnical section Is a complete synopsis Is a brief summary
19.	What is the purpose of the comprehensive project plan? (Select all that apply.) A guidebook for focusing team members A reference source for clarifying questions A budget book for the finance office A single source of information regarding all key elements of the project An input into the corporate strategic plan
20.	Name the three plans that you would include in your comprehensive project plan document. Implementation plan Budgeting plan Training plan Team member performance review plan Support plan

Answers

1.	C. The comprehensive project plan is the document that pulls together all of the output from the previous planning processes. A typical project plan contains elements from the project charter, the scope management plan, and the schedule baseline.
2.	A. The project plan is a living document. Multiple iterations of a project plan are a reflection of new information regarding project stakeholders or a major approved change to the scope, schedule, or budget.
3.	D. A good project plan is instrumental in the smooth execution of the project work. Putting thought into the plan, taking time to review the plan with your sponsor and other stakeholders, and obtaining formal approval will increase commitment to the project and reduce later misunderstandings that could impact the outcome of the project.
4.	A. A formal review of the project plan is your last opportunity prior to project execution to obtain feedback or input on the project work. It can be used as a checkpoint to make sure all of the stakeholders are on the same page.
5.	B. All plans should contain an overview or executive summary that contains a brief description of the project and how the project links to the organizational strategy. Executives do not have the time to read through the entire comprehensive project plan for each project in their organization; they need a clear, concise summary that provides them the basic information in nontechnical terms. Training plans and procurement plans do not pertain to all projects.
6.	A. There should be documented change control procedures for handling any change to the project plan. These should be closely linked to procedures for changing the scope, budget, or schedule. Updates should only be made as required by this process.
7.	C. It is always tempting to take shortcuts in the planning process, but doing so usually just creates bigger issues. Involving the stakeholders in the development of the project plan will help focus everyone on the project goals, clarify any misunderstandings, and solidify support for the project.
8.	B. A baseline represents some of the key outputs of the planning process. A schedule baseline, as an example, depicts what tasks should be completed at a given point in time. By comparing actual results to the baseline document, a project manager can assess the progress being made.
9.	D. A comparison of actual spending against the baseline budget is a good indicator of project performance. The number of scope change requests and the length of a project status meeting do not by themselves provide a measurable indication of how the project is going. There is not enough information on Jane's task to determine whether this delay could have an overall impact on the status of the project schedule.
10.	C. The transition from the planning phase to the execution phase is an important step that needs to be officially acknowledged with a meeting to ensure all stakeholders' expectations for the planning process have been met and that there are no outstanding issues as project execution begins.
11.	A. A detailed WBS isn't required for the project plan. The high-level summary tasks associated with the WBS should be included, however.
12.	B. The project manager will be responsible for preparing the project plan, but it should be noted that he or she does not work in a vacuum . Up to now, input from the project team and the stakeholders has been required to assimilate all of the correct information about the project and when writing the project plan; you may need to consult them again and they will provide updates to the plan as you move forward.
13.	C, E. The comprehensive project plan is a formal project document that signals the end of the planning process (and the beginning of executing and controlling). Further, it is an approved document, meaning that it is signed by at least the sponsor. You should consider having all stakeholders review it prior to sending it up for approval by the sponsor.
14.	B. To make sure that changes and updates to the comprehensive project plan are accounted for, you should consider a document management process in which the documents live under some sort of version control methodology. In other words, when someone 'checks out' a document for review and updating, the document version number is updated if updates are indeed made. Good workflow software such as Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server or others easily handles this requirement.
15.	C. If changes are made that affect the comprehensive project plan, you must meet to review the prospective changes and gain buy in and acceptance. If there's nothing new in the project plan, then you're wasting everyone's time by having a meeting to review an unchanged document.
16.	B. Performance indicators are a method you can use (talked about more in Chapters 8 and 9) for monitoring that you've not gone off budget or over the allotted time.
17.	A, B, E, F, G. Not all of these elements are required, but they may be things you'd consider for your project plan. For instance, if your development team uses the so-called agile form of software development, you might include a section in the appendix that talks about what agile software development is and how it differs from ordinary application work.
18.	B, D. The Executive Summary is a high-level overview of the project, its deliverables, and other nontechnical elements that you think a busy executive would be interested in relative to your project. You should take as much space as required to accurately and adequately summarize your project, but it needs to be a brief summary-something that can be reviewed by executives in a couple-minute read.
19.	A, B, D. The comprehensive project plan is a document that describes all of the key elements of your project to those with an interest in it and who are authorized to view it. As such, it can act as a clarification reference for people who have questions about the direction the project is going in. While a large IT project might certainly wind up on a corporate strategic plan, it's doubtful that the full project plan would be included. Additionally, while the project plan contains high-level budget information, it is not a resource for the finance office. Your full project budget would be useful for that.
20.	A, C, E. In your comprehensive project plan, you'll include that plans you have made for how you're going to deploy the system, how you'll support it once it's deployed, and how you'll train people to use it. The budget and performance review plans don't need to be a part of the project plan, although you'll include high-level budget information in your plan.