PMI SH - Integrate Project Planning Activities

During a meeting, a team member on a construction project presents a proposal to the project manager. The proposal states that dividing the project into two phases will mitigate the risk of delays. The first phase would result in a minimum viable product (MVP) that would provide the client with early benefits. This would limit the extent of the damages and other cost overruns by 90%.

What should the project manager do next?

• Conduct a feasibility study to assess the risks and benefits of the proposal.

• Reject the proposal and continue with the project as initially planned.

• Instruct the team to implement the proposed changes without further review.

• Discuss the proposal with the client and other stakeholders to get their input.

Answer explanation

Solution: D. Discuss the proposal with the client and other stakeholders to get their input.

After receiving the proposal from the team member, the project manager should discuss the proposal with the client and other stakeholders to get their input. It is important to involve the client and stakeholders in the decision-making process to ensure that their needs and expectations are met. By discussing the proposal with the client and other stakeholders, the project manager can get their feedback, identify any potential risks or challenges, and make a decision that is supported by the stakeholders.
The other answer choices are incorrect. 
Implementing or rejecting the proposal without further consideration is premature, risky, and could negatively impact the project. These options are not informed decisions and do not allow the project manager to get input from the people most affected by the decision. 
Conducting a feasibility study will be helpful at some point, but involving stakeholders early in the process can provide valuable insights and input that can inform the feasibility study.

After preparing the project management plan, a project manager schedules a meeting with key stakeholders to finalize the planning phase. The project manager is now preparing for the executing phase.

What should the project manager do next?

• Define the project and create the project charter.

• Put the project plan into action.

• Ensure all deliverables are completed.

• Address risks to make sure the project is on track.

Answer explanation

Solution: B. Put the project plan into action.

The Executing phase is the phase where the project plan is put into action. The project manager and the team work to deliver the project's objectives and deliverables. This includes tasks such as assigning work, communicating with stakeholders, and managing risks.

The other answer choices are incorrect. Defining the project and creating the project charter is done in the Initiating phase of the project. Ensuring all deliverables are completed is done in the Closing phase of the project. Addressing risks to make sure the project is on track is especially important in the Monitoring and Controlling phase.

A project manager is leading a project that will deliver a new product. The project manager needs to decide between options proposed by various cross-functional teams. The project manager uses a decision-making matrix and has identified criteria to evaluate the options and assign a relative weight to each criterion. 

What should the project manager do next?

• Draft a counter-proposal and share it with stakeholders. 

• Eliminate the alternative with the least weight.

• Score each alternative for each criterion.

• Choose the preferred alternative based on voting.

Answer explanation

Solution: C. Score each alternative for each criterion.

The project manager has already identified the criteria and assigned relative weights to each criterion. The next step is to score each alternative against each criterion. This means assigning a number to each option that reflects how well it meets the criteria, like 1-10, with 10 being the best. Once the project manager has scored each option against each criterion, they can calculate the total score for each option. The total score is calculated by adding up the scores for each criterion and the option with the highest total score is the preferred alternative.

The other answer choices are incorrect. Eliminating the alternative with the least weight is not a good idea because it may eliminate the best option. Drafting a counter-proposal and sharing it with stakeholders is not necessary at this stage. Choosing the preferred alternative based on voting is not a fair or objective way to make a decision.

The process for using the decision-making matrix can be as follows:

1. Identify viable alternatives.

2. Identify criteria that are to be used for evaluating the alternatives.

3. Assign relative weight (1-10, with 10 being the most important) to each criterion. Note that more than one criterion may have the same weight.

4. Score each alternative for each criterion (again 1-10, with 10 being the best.)

5. For each alternative, multiply the score with the corresponding criteria weight and add these multiples in the last column. This is the total score for each alternative.

6. Choose the preferred alternative based on the total score.

A project manager recently joined an organization that is implementing a portfolio of strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing profitability.

The project manager reviews a past project's business case with the project sponsor to ensure that the project was aligned with the organization's goals and to learn from its successes and failures.

Which of the following project outcomes would be considered most successful in the context of this organization's strategic initiatives?

• The project was delivered under budget by 25%, and the overall duration was 20% longer than initially scheduled.

• The project was delivered on budget, and the project management office (PMO) approved the project closure.

• The project was delivered early, entered the market before the competition, and exceeded the budget by 10%.

• The project was delivered on schedule, within budget, and yielded a 5% increase in projected product sales.

Answer explanation

Solution: D. The project was delivered on schedule, within budget, and yielded a 5% increase in projected product sales.

Delivering on schedule and within budget shows that the project's budget and resources were managed effectively and efficiently, which are key factors in project success. The 5% increase in projected product sales generated additional revenue and directly contributed to the organization's goal of profitability enhancement.

Delivering the project under budget is good, being 20% over the originally planned timeline could have a significant negative impact on the organization's strategic goals. There may be losses associated with the extended timeline that being under budget does not compensate for.

Delivering on budget and getting PMO approval indicates that the project met the necessary criteria but not that the project directly impacted the organization's profitability goals.

Delivering early and entering the market before the competition is good but does not guarantee profitability. Further, the project exceeded the budget by 10%, which is a substantial overage. The increased budget could erode the benefit of entering the market early.

The project manager can use the insights gained by reviewing the past project's business case to identify areas where current and future projects can be improved. 

A project manager is overseeing the development and launch of a new product. In order to comply with the Project Management Office (PMO)'s guidelines, the project manager is required to ensure a Benefits Realization Plan outlining the business value to be delivered is created. The project manager is currently documenting the Roles and Responsibilities for this task in the form of a RACI chart.

Who will be accountable for ensuring the project brings value to the organization?

• Project sponsor

• Project manager

• Solution architect

• Steering committee

Answer explanation

Solution: A. Project sponsor

The project sponsor is accountable for ensuring the project brings value to the organization. The project sponsor is the senior-level executive who is responsible for the project's success. They are responsible for ensuring that the project is aligned with the organization's strategic goals and that it delivers the expected business value.

The other answer choices are not as accurate as they are not accountable for ensuring that the project brings value to the organization. The project manager is responsible for the day-to-day execution of the project. The solution architect is responsible for designing and implementing the project's technical solution. The steering committee is a group of senior stakeholders who provide guidance and oversight for the project.

A new project manager is hired to replace a project manager who was recently transferred to another project. The team members tell the new project manager that the project is behind schedule due to delays in document approvals from the customer.

What should the project manager do first?

• Meet with the customer to discuss the delays and negotiate a new deadline.

• Talk to the previous project manager to understand the situation better.

• Reach out to the customer and request expedited document approvals.

• Assess the impact of the delays on the project schedule and budget.

Answer explanation

Solution: B. Talk to the previous project manager to understand the situation better.

By talking to the previous project manager, the new project manager can get a firsthand account of the situation from someone who was already involved in the project. The previous project manager can provide insights into the root cause of the delays, the steps that have already been taken to address them, and the options that are available to the new project manager.

The other answer choices are incorrect. Meeting with the customer to discuss the delays, negotiating a new deadline, or requesting expedited document approvals may be necessary, but should not be done before the new project manager has talked to the previous project manager and understands the situation better. Assessing the impact of the delays on the project schedule and budget is important, but it should be done after the new project manager has talked to the previous project manager.

A project manager is managing several interconnected projects. Some of these projects rely on specific deliverables from other projects. To avoid bottlenecks and facilitate project success, the project manager must assess the consolidated project plans for dependencies.
What is the most appropriate action for the project manager to take in this situation?

• Identify and document all inter-project dependencies. 

• Adjust project timelines to remove dependencies.

• Eliminate all potential inter-project dependencies.

• Ensure that all projects can proceed independently.

Answer explanation

Solution:  A. Identify and document all inter-project dependencies. 
It is important that the project manager identifies all inter-project dependencies. Identifying and documenting these inter-project dependencies ensures a clear understanding of which deliverables impact other projects, facilitates effective planning and inter-project communication, and ensures that dependency-related risks are identified and planned for.
The other answer choices are incorrect because they are not effective ways of handling inter-project dependencies.  
Adjusting timelines is not an appropriate response because there is no guarantee that adjusting the timeline is feasible or would positively impact inter-project dependency.
Eliminating all potential inter-project dependencies is incorrect because it may not be achievable or practical in this situation. 
It may not be possible to ensure that all projects can proceed independently and that course of action may negatively impact the project.

A project manager is leading a team on a new development project. The team is made up of a diverse group of people with different personalities and work styles. The project manager is committed to creating a cohesive and productive team, so they decided to introduce the DISC behavior model to help team members understand each other better.

Based on the DISC behavior model, which of the following characteristics best describes the Influence style?

• Direct, result-oriented, and firm

• Outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic

• Accommodating, patient, humble, tactful

• Analytical, reserved, and precise

Answer explanation

Solution: B. Outgoing, enthusiastic, optimistic

The Influence style in the DISC model focuses on building relationships, communicating, and working effectively with others. Therefore, individuals with this style often exhibit the characteristics of being outgoing, enthusiastic, and optimistic. These traits make them excellent team players who can inspire and motivate others within the team.

Direct, result-oriented, and firm characteristics are more characteristic of the Dominant style.

Accommodating, patient, humble, and tactful characteristics are more characteristic of the Steadiness style.

Analytical, reserved, and precise characteristics are more characteristic of the Conscientiousness style.

A project manager needs to ensure that the products of the organization meet certain government standards and regulations. The project manager's team is developing a business requirements document (BRD) to help in this regard.
Which of the following statements are correct about compliance requirements?

(Choose 2).

• Compliance requirements are functional requirements and must be included in the BRD.

• Compliance requirements are non-functional requirements and must be documented in the BRD.

• Compliance requirements should be part of the project scope and should be managed by the project team.

• Compliance requirements can be considered organization assets and do not need to be included in the BRD.

• Compliance requirements can not be considered organization assets and must be included in the BRD.

Answer explanation

Solution: B and C.

B. Compliance requirements are non-functional requirements and must be documented in the BRD.

C. Compliance requirements should be part of the project scope and should be managed by the project team.

All functional requirements must be documented. Compliance requirements are typically non-functional because they define the quality and constraints of the project's deliverables rather than specific features or functionalities. They are a condition or capability that is necessary to be present in an end deliverable to satisfy a business need. Government standards and regulations establish project requirements including applicable administrative provisions that have to adhere to government-mandated compliance regulations. Compliance requirements impact many other project requirements, such as scope, schedule, and budget, therefore they must be documented and addressed throughout the project. There will also need to be verification that the end deliverable complies with a regulation, requirement, specification, or imposed condition, so the product team must identify, document, and manage these requirements throughout the project.

The project manager for a complex project, aimed at improving the company's financial results, decides to use the Expected Monetary Value (EMV) method to select the best strategy. To achieve this, the project team defines three scenarios with the following probabilities of outcome: scenario 1 (25%), scenario 2 (50%), and scenario 3 (25%) for strategy A, with scores $160, $120, and -$20 respectively. The other strategy, strategy B, scored an EMV of $75.

Which strategy will the project manager prefer?

• Strategy A with an EMV score for Strategy A of 65.

• Strategy B with an EMV score for Strategy B of 75.

• Strategy A with an EMV score for Strategy A of 95.

• Strategy B with an EMV score for Strategy A of 95.

Answer explanation

Solution: C. Strategy A with an EMV score for Strategy A of 95.

The formula for EMV is:

Expected Monetary Value (EMV) = (Probability of Scenario 1)(Payoff for Scenario 1) + (Probability of Scenario 2)(Payoff for Scenario 2) + (Probability of Scenario 3)(Payoff for Scenario 3).

EMVa = (0.25)($160) + (0.50)($120) + (0.25)(-$20) = $95.

In this situation EMV for strategy A is $95 and we are given that EMV for strategy B is $75. Therefore, Strategy A will be preferred by the project manager because it has the highest EMV.