PMP - Integration

Effective project integration usually requires an emphasis on:

• The personal careers of the team members.
• Timely updates to the project management plan.
• Effective communication at key interface points.
• Product control.

Answer explanation

Communication is key whenever one activity will interface with another or one team member will interface with another, and when any other form of interfacing will occur.

The need for ______ is one of the major driving forces for communication in a project.

• Optimization
• Integrity
• Integration
• Differentiation

Answer explanation

The project manager is an integrator. This is a question about your role as an integrator and communicator.

Which of the following describes the BEST use of historical records from previous projects?

• Estimating, life cycle costing, and project planning
• Risk management, estimating, and creating lessons learned
• Project planning, estimating, and creating a status report
• Estimating, risk management, and project planning

Answer explanation

Historical records are not generally used for life cycle costing, lessons learned, or creating status reports. They are useful in estimating, risk management, and overall project planning.

When it comes to changes, the project manager's attention is BEST focused on:

• Making changes.
• Tracking and recording changes.
• Informing the sponsor of changes.
• Preventing unnecessary changes.

Answer explanation

Project managers should be proactive. The only proactive answer here is preventing unnecessary changes.

A project manager has managed four projects for the company and is being considered to join the project management office team. The following is discovered during the evaluation of his performance. The project manager's first project had an ending cost variance of-500, used two critical resources, needed to rework the project charter during project executing, and was ranked 14th in priority within the company. The second project finished with a schedule variance of+100, was completed with a vastly compressed schedule, and received a letter of recommendation from the sponsor, but the product of the project was not used. The third project had 23 percent more changes than expected, had an SPI of 0.90, and 25 open items in the issue log when the project was completed. Each of these projects had a cost budget of $10,000 and 20 to 28 percent more changes than others of its size. The project management office decided not to add this project manager to the team. Which of the following BEST describes why this might have happened?

• The project manager has only managed low-priority projects, and he had to compress the schedule, showing that he does not have the skill to work in the project management office.
• Issue logs should not be used on projects of this size, showing that the project manager does not have the knowledge to work in the project management office.
• The project manager did not effectively involve the stakeholders, showing that he does not have the knowledge to work in the project management office.
• The project manager had two critical resources on his team and still needed to rework the project charter, showing that he does not have the discipline to work in the project management office.

Answer explanation

The project manager's failure to effectively involve stakeholders is shown by the unused product and unresolved issues at project completion, indicating a major lack of project management knowledge.

All of the following are parts of an effective change management plan EXCEPT:

• Procedures.
• Standards for reports.
• Meetings.
• Lessons learned.

Answer explanation

A change management plan includes processes and procedures for evaluation and tracking of changes. Lessons learned are reviews after the fact.

A work authorization system can be used to:

• Manage who does each activity.
• Manage when and in what sequence work is done.
• Manage when each activity is done.
• Manage who does each activity and when it is done.

Answer explanation

A work authorization system coordinates when and in what order work is performed for proper interfacing of work and people.

A project is plagued by changes to the project charter. Who has the primary responsibility to decide if these changes are necessary?

• The project manager
• The project team
• The sponsor
• The stakeholders

Answer explanation

The sponsor issues the project charter and so they should help the project manager control changes to the charter.

Integration is done by the:

• Project manager.
• Team.
• Sponsor.
• Stakeholders.

Answer explanation

Integration is a key responsibility of the project manager.

Which of the following BEST describes the project manager's role as an integrator?

• Help team members become familiar with the project.
• Put all the pieces of a project into a cohesive whole.
• Put all the pieces of a project into a program.
• Get all team members together into a cohesive whole.

Answer explanation

Integration refers to combining activities, not team members.