Integration Management - Sample Answers

	Integration Management Sample Answers

Answers

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Question	Answer	Notes
1	E	Reviews performed at the end of phase to determine if the project should continue into the next phase and detect, as well as correct, errors. These reviews are called phase exits, stage gates, or kill points. REF: PMBOK, pg. 11
2	A	Most project life-cycle descriptions share common characteristics: Cost and Staffing Levels Low at start of project Higher towards the end Drops rapidly as end of project nears Probability of Successfully Completing Project Low at start of project. NOTE: Risk and uncertainty are highest at this point Gets progressively higher as project continues Stakeholders' Influence Over Final Product or Service as well as Project Cost Highest at start of project Gets progressively lower as project continues. NOTE: Cause of this is that cost of changes increase as project continues REF: PMBOK, pg. 12
3	C	-
4	B	REF: PMBOK'1996, pg. 12
5	A	Project plan development uses the outputs of the other planning processes, including strategic planning, to create a consistent, coherent document that can be used to guide both project execution and project control. REF: PMBOK, pg. 42
6	C	REF: ESI Challenge!, question 18
7	C	-
8	D	-
9	E	The project manager's role will most likely be part-time in a purely functional organization. This is also true in a weak matrix organization. The PM's role in a balanced matrix, strong matrix, or projectized organization will most likely be full-time. REF: PMBOK pg. 19
10	E	Stakeholders can be individuals or organizations. The stakeholders should be actively involved in the project. The project's execution or completion may affect their interests (positively or negatively). They may also exert influence over the project and its results. Key stakeholders on every project include: Project Manager - individual managing the project Customer - those that will use project's result Performing Organization - organization involved in doing work of project Project Team Members actual team doing the work of the project Sponsor - provides financial resources for project REF: PMBOK pg. 16
11	C	Project phases are usually marked with the completion of a deliverable. The next phase usually does not begin until that deliverable is approved. Sometimes the next phase may begin before the previous phase's deliverable has been approved. This practice is known as fast tracking. REF: PMBOK pg. 12
12	A	Project Life Cycle is defined as a collection of generally sequential project phases whose name and number are determined by the control needs of the organization or organizations involved in the project. REF: PMBOK pg. 205
13	D	General management is a broad topic that includes all of the following: Finance and accounting Sales and Marketing Research and Development Manufacturing and Distribution Planning (Strategic, Tactical, Operational) Organizational Structures and Behavior Personnel Administration, Compensation, Benefits, and Career Paths Managing Work Relationships Self-Management (time, stress, etc.) REF: PMBOK pg. 21
14	E	In a functional organization, the project manager may have little or no authority. The PM's authority increases in matrix organizations being that the authority is limted in a weak organization and highest in a strong matrix. However, the project manager has almost total authority in a projectized organization. REF: PMBOK pg. 19
15	E	Key management skills include all of the following: Leading Establishing direction including vision and strategies Aligning people to achieve vision Motivating and inspiring people to overcome barriers Communicating Written, Oral, Listening, and Speaking Internal and external to project Formal and informal Vertical and horizontal within an organization Negotiating Confer with others to come to terms with them or reach an agreement Take place directly or with arbitration, mediation, etc. Negotiate for scope, schedules, contract terms, resources, etc. Problem Solving Combination of problem definition and decision-making Distinguish between causes and symptoms Decisions can be made or obtained Decisions have timing implications if made too early or too late Influencing the Organization Ability to "get things done" Requires understanding both formal and informal structures of all involved organizations Understanding of the mechanics of power and politics REF: PMBOK pgs. 21, 26
16	A	A regulation is a "document, which lays down product, process, or service characteristics, including the applicable administrative provisions, with which compliance is mandatory." REF: PMBOK pg. 26
17	B	Problems may occur internally or externally to a project. An team member may be reassigned, which may be an internal problem. A work permit may be delayed in government, which is an external problem. In any case, the problem has to be solved and a decision made. REF: PMBOK pg. 25
18	B	Project phases are usually marked with the completion of a deliverable. The next phase usually does not begin until that deliverable is approved. Sometimes the next phase may begin before the previous phase's deliverable has been approved. This practice is known as fast tracking. REF: PMBOK pg. 12
19	E	REF: PMBOK pg. 11, 12
20	C	According to the PMBOK, a project is defined as a temporary endeavor to create a unique product or service. It is temporary in the sense that it has a definite starting point and a definite ending point. The end result of a project is unique in that it is different than all other products and services before it. REF: PMBOK pg. 4
21	A	The PMBOK says, "A program is a group of projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually". REF: PMBOK pg. 10
22	D	"Project Management Integration, describes the processes required to ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated." REF: PMBOK pg. 7
23	B	According to the PMBOK, its primary purpose is to identify and describe a subset of the project management body of knowledge that is generally accepted. It assumes that the term "generally accepted" means that the knowledge and practices are applicable to most projects most of the time. The term does not mean that the knowledge and practices should be applied uniformly on all projects. REF: PMBOK pg. 3
24	C	By their definition, projects have a definite time period as well as produce a unique result. Billing customers does not qualify as a project because it does not have a definite time period and the result would not be unique. The same can be said for managing an organization, providing technical support, and providing financial services. On the other hand, constructing a building or facility can qualify as a project. It would have a definite time period. It starts at a certain time and ends with the construction is completed. The actual building or facility would be unique. Thus constructing a building or facility is an example of a project. REF: PMBOK pg. 4
25	A	Operations and projects share many characteristics. The PMBOK gives the following as examples: Both are performed by people Both are constrained by limited resources Both are planned, executed, and controlled The difference between operations and projects is that projects are temporary and produce a unique result. Operations are usually ongoing and produce repetitive results. REF: PMBOK pg. 4
26	A	REF: PMBOK pg. 160
27	A	REF: PMBOK pg. 167
28	B	"The project management framework provides a basic structure for understanding project management" REF: PMBOK pg. 6
29	E	Facilitating processes include: Scope Verification - formalizing acceptance of the project scope Scope Change Control - controlling changes to the project scope Schedule Control - controlling changes to the project schedule Cost Control - controlling changes to the project budget Quality Planning - identifying which quality standards are relevant to the project and determining how to satisfy them Quality Assurance - evaluating overall project performance on a regular basis to provide confidence that the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards Quality Control - monitoring specific project results to determine if they comply with relevant quality standards and identifying ways to eliminate causes of unsatisfactory performance Organizational Planning - identifying, documenting, and assigning project roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships Staff Acquisition - getting the human resources needed assigned to and working on the project Team Development - developing individual and group skills / competencies to enhance project performance Procurement Planning - determining what to procure, how much to procure, and when Solicitation Planning - documenting product requirements and identifying potential sources Solicitation - obtaining quotations, bids, offers, or proposals as appropriate Source Selection - choosing from among potential sellers Communications Planning - determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders: who needs what information, when will they need it, and how it will be given to them Information Distribution - making needed informaion available to project stakeholders in a timely manner Risk Identification - determing which risks are likely to affect the project and documenting the characteristics of each Qualitative Risk Analysis - performing a qualitative analysis of risks and conditions to prioritize their effects on project objectives Quantitative Risk Analysis - measuring the probability and impact of risks and estimating their implications for project objectives Risk Response Planning - developing procedures and techniques to enhance opportunities and to reduce threats to the project's objectives from risk Risk Monitoring and Control - keeping track of identified risks, monitoring residual risks and identifying new risks, ensuring the execution of risk plans, and evaluating their effectiveness in reducing risk Contract Administration - managing the relatinship with the seller REF: PMBOK p. 33, 35
30	C	Middle (functional) managers have the greatest influence and authority over a project in a functional organization structure. This influence and authority decreases some in a weak matrix. Then more in a balanced matrix followed with another decrease in the strong matrix. The functional manager's authority and influence is weakest in a projectized organization.Therefore, the answer is C. REF: PMBOK pg. 19
31	A	-
32	D	-
33	E	-
34	B	-
35	A	According to the PMBOK, a project is defined as a temporary endeavor to create a unique product or service. It is temporary in the sense that it has a definite starting point and a definite ending point. The end result of a project is unique in that it is different than all other products and services before it. REF: PMBOK pg. 4
36	E	-
37	E	-
38	C	The PMBOK says, "A program is a group of projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually". REF: PMBOK pg. 10
39	A	The project charter should be issued by a manager external to the project, and at a level appropriate to the needs of the project. REF: PMBOK pg. 54
40	B	-
41	E	-
42	B	The design phase may not exist (as in a construction project) or may be combined with the development phase. REF: Lewis pg. 13
43	A	-
44	C	-
45	D	-
46	C	-
47	E	A project manager will have a stronger role in a strong matrix organization. This would allow the PM more authority to implement management by objective. Team building should also be easier for the PM because of the PM's authority level. The same can be said of organizing the kick-off meeting. On the other hand, the functional manager's authority is weaker in a strong matrix organization and the FM may prefer a hierarchial organization where the FM would have more authority. However, the organization is a strong matrix regardless of the FM's preference. Project workers may report to both a FM and a PM in a strong matrix. It may be a challenge in getting project work done, especially when it conflicts with "functional" work. REF: PMBOK pg. 19, etc.
48	B	-
49	C	-
50	A	-
51	E	-
52	A	A functional organization is a hierarchy where each employee has one clear superior. This line of authority makes human resource allocation straightforward. In other organizational structures, employees may report to several superiors and HR allocation may become more difficult as the number of superiors increases. REF: PMBOK pg. 19, etc.
53	B	-
54	C	-
55	A	-
56	C	-
57	A	-
58	E	-
59	D	-
60	E	-
61	B	-
62	E	-
63	B	-
64	A	-
65	B	-
66	D	-
67	C	-
68	C	-
69	E	-
70	C	-
71	A	-
72	B	Characteristics of a weak matrix organization structure: The project manager has limited authority as opposed to the functional manager. 0 - 25% of the performing organization's personnel are assigned full-time to project work. The project manager's role is part-time. Those in the project manger role may have titles such as project coordinator or project leader There may be a part-time project management administrative staff NOTE: Given that a relatively small number of employees are assigned to the project, one may tend to believe that they are not fully trained to do the job. This argument is incorrect. Employees may actually be fully capable but not assigned to projects. REF: PMBOK pg. 21
73	E	-
74	D	-
75	E	-
76	A	-
77	C	-
78	B	-
79	A	-
80	A	-
81	D	-
82	C	-
83	A	-
84	B	-
85	E	-
86	E	-
87	C	-
88	E	-
89	C	-
90	B	-
91	D	-
92	E	There are many ways to organize and present the project plan, but it commonly includes all of the following: Project charter A description of the project management approach or strategy ( a summary of the individual management plans from the other knowledge areas). Scope statement, which includes the project objectives and the project deliverables. WBS to the level at which control will be exercised, as a baseline scope document. Cost estimates, scheduled start and finish dates (schedule), and responsibility assignments for each deliverable within the WBS to the level at which control will be exercised. Performance measurement baselines for technical scope, schedule, and cost - i.e., the schedule baseline (project schedule) and the cost baseline (time-phased project budget). Major milestones and target dates for each. Key or required staff and their expected cost and / or effort. Risk management plan, including: key risks, including constraints and assumptions, and planned responses and contingencies (where appropriate) for each. Subsidiary management plans, namely: Scope management plan Schedule management plan Cost management plan Quality management plan Staffing management plan Communications management plan Risk response plan Procurement management plan Each of these plans could be included if needed and with detail to the extent required for each specific project. Open issues and pending decisions Other project planning outputs should be included in the formal plan, based upon the needs of the individual project. For example, the project plan for a large organization will generally include a project organization chart. REF: PMBOK pg. 45
93	C	-
94	B	-
95	A	-
96	B	-
97	B	-
98	C	-
99	D	-
100	A	-
101	C	-
102	B	-
103	C	-
104	D	-
105	E	-
106	A	-
107	D	-
108	C	-
109	E	-

Question

Answer

Notes

Reviews performed at the end of phase to determine if the project should continue into the next phase and detect, as well as correct, errors. These reviews are called phase exits, stage gates, or kill points.

REF: PMBOK, pg. 11

Most project life-cycle descriptions share common characteristics:

Cost and Staffing Levels

Low at start of project

Higher towards the end

Drops rapidly as end of project nears

Probability of Successfully Completing Project

Low at start of project. NOTE: Risk and uncertainty are highest at this point

Gets progressively higher as project continues

Stakeholders' Influence Over Final Product or Service as well as Project Cost

Highest at start of project

Gets progressively lower as project continues. NOTE: Cause of this is that cost of changes increase as project continues

REF: PMBOK, pg. 12

REF: PMBOK'1996, pg. 12

Project plan development uses the outputs of the other planning processes, including strategic planning, to create a consistent, coherent document that can be used to guide both project execution and project control.

REF: PMBOK, pg. 42

REF: ESI Challenge!, question 18

The project manager's role will most likely be part-time in a purely functional organization. This is also true in a weak matrix organization. The PM's role in a balanced matrix, strong matrix, or projectized organization will most likely be full-time.

REF: PMBOK pg. 19

Stakeholders can be individuals or organizations. The stakeholders should be actively involved in the project. The project's execution or completion may affect their interests (positively or negatively). They may also exert influence over the project and its results. Key stakeholders on every project include:

Project Manager - individual managing the project

Customer - those that will use project's result

Performing Organization - organization involved in doing work of project

Project Team Members actual team doing the work of the project

Sponsor - provides financial resources for project

REF: PMBOK pg. 16

Project phases are usually marked with the completion of a deliverable. The next phase usually does not begin until that deliverable is approved. Sometimes the next phase may begin before the previous phase's deliverable has been approved. This practice is known as fast tracking.

REF: PMBOK pg. 12

Project Life Cycle is defined as a collection of generally sequential project phases whose name and number are determined by the control needs of the organization or organizations involved in the project.

REF: PMBOK pg. 205

General management is a broad topic that includes all of the following:

Finance and accounting

Sales and Marketing

Research and Development

Manufacturing and Distribution

Planning (Strategic, Tactical, Operational)

Organizational Structures and Behavior

Personnel Administration, Compensation, Benefits, and Career Paths

Managing Work Relationships

Self-Management (time, stress, etc.)

REF: PMBOK pg. 21

In a functional organization, the project manager may have little or no authority. The PM's authority increases in matrix organizations being that the authority is limted in a weak organization and highest in a strong matrix. However, the project manager has almost total authority in a projectized organization.

REF: PMBOK pg. 19

Key management skills include all of the following:

Leading

Establishing direction including vision and strategies

Aligning people to achieve vision

Motivating and inspiring people to overcome barriers

Communicating

Written, Oral, Listening, and Speaking

Internal and external to project

Formal and informal

Vertical and horizontal within an organization

Negotiating

Confer with others to come to terms with them or reach an agreement

Take place directly or with arbitration, mediation, etc.

Negotiate for scope, schedules, contract terms, resources, etc.

Problem Solving

Combination of problem definition and decision-making

Distinguish between causes and symptoms

Decisions can be made or obtained

Decisions have timing implications if made too early or too late

Influencing the Organization

Ability to "get things done"

Requires understanding both formal and informal structures of all involved organizations

Understanding of the mechanics of power and politics

REF: PMBOK pgs. 21, 26

A regulation is a "document, which lays down product, process, or service characteristics, including the applicable administrative provisions, with which compliance is mandatory."

REF: PMBOK pg. 26

Problems may occur internally or externally to a project. An team member may be reassigned, which may be an internal problem. A work permit may be delayed in government, which is an external problem. In any case, the problem has to be solved and a decision made.

REF: PMBOK pg. 25

REF: PMBOK pg. 11, 12

According to the PMBOK, a project is defined as a temporary endeavor to create a unique product or service. It is temporary in the sense that it has a definite starting point and a definite ending point. The end result of a project is unique in that it is different than all other products and services before it.

REF: PMBOK pg. 4

The PMBOK says, "A program is a group of projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually".

REF: PMBOK pg. 10

"Project Management Integration, describes the processes required to ensure that the various elements of the project are properly coordinated."

REF: PMBOK pg. 7

According to the PMBOK, its primary purpose is to identify and describe a subset of the project management body of knowledge that is generally accepted. It assumes that the term "generally accepted" means that the knowledge and practices are applicable to most projects most of the time. The term does not mean that the knowledge and practices should be applied uniformly on all projects.

REF: PMBOK pg. 3

By their definition, projects have a definite time period as well as produce a unique result. Billing customers does not qualify as a project because it does not have a definite time period and the result would not be unique. The same can be said for managing an organization, providing technical support, and providing financial services. On the other hand, constructing a building or facility can qualify as a project. It would have a definite time period. It starts at a certain time and ends with the construction is completed. The actual building or facility would be unique. Thus constructing a building or facility is an example of a project.

REF: PMBOK pg. 4

Operations and projects share many characteristics. The PMBOK gives the following as examples:

Both are performed by people

Both are constrained by limited resources

Both are planned, executed, and controlled

The difference between operations and projects is that projects are temporary and produce a unique result. Operations are usually ongoing and produce repetitive results.

REF: PMBOK pg. 4

REF: PMBOK pg. 160

REF: PMBOK pg. 167

"The project management framework provides a basic structure for understanding project management"

REF: PMBOK pg. 6

Facilitating processes include:

Scope Verification - formalizing acceptance of the project scope
Scope Change Control - controlling changes to the project scope
Schedule Control - controlling changes to the project schedule
Cost Control - controlling changes to the project budget
Quality Planning - identifying which quality standards are relevant to the project and determining how to satisfy them
Quality Assurance - evaluating overall project performance on a regular basis to provide confidence that the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards
Quality Control - monitoring specific project results to determine if they comply with relevant quality standards and identifying ways to eliminate causes of unsatisfactory performance
Organizational Planning - identifying, documenting, and assigning project roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships
Staff Acquisition - getting the human resources needed assigned to and working on the project
Team Development - developing individual and group skills / competencies to enhance project performance
Procurement Planning - determining what to procure, how much to procure, and when
Solicitation Planning - documenting product requirements and identifying potential sources
Solicitation - obtaining quotations, bids, offers, or proposals as appropriate
Source Selection - choosing from among potential sellers
Communications Planning - determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders: who needs what information, when will they need it, and how it will be given to them
Information Distribution - making needed informaion available to project stakeholders in a timely manner
Risk Identification - determing which risks are likely to affect the project and documenting the characteristics of each
Qualitative Risk Analysis - performing a qualitative analysis of risks and conditions to prioritize their effects on project objectives
Quantitative Risk Analysis - measuring the probability and impact of risks and estimating their implications for project objectives
Risk Response Planning - developing procedures and techniques to enhance opportunities and to reduce threats to the project's objectives from risk
Risk Monitoring and Control - keeping track of identified risks, monitoring residual risks and identifying new risks, ensuring the execution of risk plans, and evaluating their effectiveness in reducing risk
Contract Administration - managing the relatinship with the seller

REF: PMBOK p. 33, 35

Middle (functional) managers have the greatest influence and authority over a project in a functional organization structure. This influence and authority decreases some in a weak matrix. Then more in a balanced matrix followed with another decrease in the strong matrix. The functional manager's authority and influence is weakest in a projectized organization.Therefore, the answer is C.

REF: PMBOK pg. 19

The PMBOK says, "A program is a group of projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually".

REF: PMBOK pg. 10

The project charter should be issued by a manager external to the project, and at a level appropriate to the needs of the project.

REF: PMBOK pg. 54

The design phase may not exist (as in a construction project) or may be combined with the development phase.

REF: Lewis pg. 13

A project manager will have a stronger role in a strong matrix organization. This would allow the PM more authority to implement management by objective. Team building should also be easier for the PM because of the PM's authority level. The same can be said of organizing the kick-off meeting. On the other hand, the functional manager's authority is weaker in a strong matrix organization and the FM may prefer a hierarchial organization where the FM would have more authority. However, the organization is a strong matrix regardless of the FM's preference. Project workers may report to both a FM and a PM in a strong matrix. It may be a challenge in getting project work done, especially when it conflicts with "functional" work.

REF: PMBOK pg. 19, etc.

A functional organization is a hierarchy where each employee has one clear superior. This line of authority makes human resource allocation straightforward. In other organizational structures, employees may report to several superiors and HR allocation may become more difficult as the number of superiors increases.

REF: PMBOK pg. 19, etc.

Characteristics of a weak matrix organization structure:

The project manager has limited authority as opposed to the functional manager.

0 - 25% of the performing organization's personnel are assigned full-time to project work.

The project manager's role is part-time.

Those in the project manger role may have titles such as project coordinator or project leader

There may be a part-time project management administrative staff

NOTE: Given that a relatively small number of employees are assigned to the project, one may tend to believe that they are not fully trained to do the job. This argument is incorrect. Employees may actually be fully capable but not assigned to projects.

REF: PMBOK pg. 21

There are many ways to organize and present the project plan, but it commonly includes all of the following:

Project charter
A description of the project management approach or strategy ( a summary of the individual management plans from the other knowledge areas).
Scope statement, which includes the project objectives and the project deliverables.
WBS to the level at which control will be exercised, as a baseline scope document.
Cost estimates, scheduled start and finish dates (schedule), and responsibility assignments for each deliverable within the WBS to the level at which control will be exercised.
Performance measurement baselines for technical scope, schedule, and cost - i.e., the schedule baseline (project schedule) and the cost baseline (time-phased project budget).
Major milestones and target dates for each.
Key or required staff and their expected cost and / or effort.
Risk management plan, including: key risks, including constraints and assumptions, and planned responses and contingencies (where appropriate) for each.
Subsidiary management plans, namely:
- Scope management plan
- Schedule management plan
- Cost management plan
- Quality management plan
- Staffing management plan
- Communications management plan
- Risk response plan
- Procurement management plan
Each of these plans could be included if needed and with detail to the extent required for each specific project.
Open issues and pending decisions

Other project planning outputs should be included in the formal plan, based upon the needs of the individual project. For example, the project plan for a large organization will generally include a project organization chart.

REF: PMBOK pg. 45

100

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108

109