Technical Project Management

1.    Match the five functions of management to their definition:

Answer    Function    Choice    Description
Planning    A    …is directing and motivating people toward objectives.  It is the ability to influence the work performance and behavior of individuals and groups.
Organizing    B    …is determining what needs to be done and how to do it. It involves setting goals and finding ways to achieve them within the constraints of available resources and environmental forces.
Leadership    C    …is tracking costs, schedules, and other performance measures, comparing them to goals and standards, and taking necessary corrective action.  Information systems are used to collect data and report progress.
Control    D    …is deciding how the work will be accomplished.  It involves (1) hiring, training, and assembling people into an organization with appropriate authority and responsibility relationships; (2) creating policies, procedures, reporting patterns, and communication channels; and (3) acquiring and allocating facilities, materials, and other resources.
Change    E    …involves altering work activities to meet goals, or altering the goals themselves to adapt to changing forces in the environment.

2.    List at least five (5) of the main characteristics of “projects.”

3.    In your own words, describe a characteristic of “project management” that you were previously unaware of before this class, or find the most interesting (from experience).

4.    Who are the stakeholders in systems engineering?

5.    Distinguish stakeholder requirements and system requirements.

6.    Projects are initiated when someone (the user) perceives a ________________.  [Hint: Multiple answers possible.]

7.     What does the term “fast-tracking” imply?

8.    Describe phased project planning.

9.    T or F:
A project summary (master) plan contains details such as the following:  project objectives; work breakdown structures; work schedules and deadlines; financial budgets and controls; personnel requirements, policies and procedures; resource allocation; and system implementation and evaluation methods.

10.    The _____________________ applies to internal projects; it is a proclamation that management has approved a project and given the project manager its backing.  It usually contains a description of the project and elements of the project plan such as responsibilities, key tasks and deliverables, and summary schedule and budget.

11.    You are planning a cookout for our class.  You do not know who is attending, you do not have a final date, and the menu is yet to be defined.  Create a simple WBS below with at least a level-3 breakdown on one of the work packages.

12.    What is the impact of altering the WBS after the project has started?

13.    Which of these do not belong in a Project Charter:  ___________________________
a.    Background
b.    Project Objectives
c.    Scope or SOW
d.    Deliverables
e.    Assumptions
f.    Constraints
g.    Approach
h.    Schedule
i.    Project Team
j.    Risk
k.    Management Plan

14.    State three facts you can surmise from the following Gantt Chart:

15.     Draw the AON for the following network:

Activity    Immediate Predecessor
A    —
B    A
C    A
D    B
E    D
F    D
G    D
H    E, F, G

16.    What is the critical path in this drawing?  __________________

17.    Describe an aspect or method of one of the following, in your own words:
a.    Resource leveling
b.    Precedence relationships
c.    Slack Time

18.    How can the project duration be shortened?  [Hint: Two (2) primary ways.]

19.    In your own words, describe “Scope Creep.”

20.    In your own words, describe another Code Word you were not previously familiar with.