Project Management – Week 5

Question 1

Why should you spend time developing a solid communications plan? Choose three.

• To set stakeholder expectations
• To set aside time for your own needs
• Selected: To keep vendors informedThis answer is correct.
• To understand where the blame lies when something goes wrong
• Selected: To keep stakeholders updated on your progressThis answer is correct.
• Selected: To keep team members informed of project progressThis answer is correct.

You are correct!  A communication plan is developed to determine who needs communication, when and in what format, and the frequency of the communications. Once the plan is developed, it’s used to update stakeholders, team members, vendors, and others who need information on the project. According to PMI (2013), project communications management pertains to relevant processes needed to timely and appropriate generation, collection, distribution, storage, retrieval, and ultimate disposition project data.

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Question 2

There are 10 participants in your upcoming meeting. How many lines of communication are there?

• 65
• 46
• Selected: 45This answer is correct.
• 50

You are correct!  There are four participants in the meeting and six lines of communication. The formula for this is 10(9) ÷ 2 = 45. As the number of people involved increases, the complexity of communications increases because there are more communications channels or pathways through which people can communicate. The number of communications channels = n(n-1)/2, where n is the number of people involved in the project.

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Question 3

The formula to determine the number of communications channels is n(n-1)/3, where n is the number of people involved in the project.

• True
• Selected:FalseThis answer is correct.

You are correct!  As the number of people involved increases, the complexity of communications increases because there are more communications channels or pathways through which people can communicate. The number of communications channels = n(n-1)/2, where n is the number of people involved.

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Question 4

Every project should include some type of communications management plan, a document that guides project communications.

• Selected:TrueThis answer is correct.
• False

You are correct!  Every project should include some type of communications management plan, a document that guides project communications. The communications management plan varies with the needs of the project, but some type of written plan should always be prepared.

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Question 5

Taking the time to research and understand the nuances of communications early in a project can help tremendously.

• Selected:TrueThis answer is correct.
• False

Project communication management is vital in successful projects. Therefore, project managers must be good at nurturing relationships through good communication. Communications planning identifies who needs to receive information on the project, what information they need, and how they will get that information.

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Question 6

If you add three more people to a project team of five, how many more communication channels will you add?

• 2
• 12
• 15
• Selected: 18This answer is correct.

You are correct!  The number of communications channels = n(n-1)/2, where n is the number of people involved.
For n = 5, the number of communications channels = 5×4/2 = 10
For n = 8, the number of communications channels = 8×7/2 = 28
Finding the difference gives 28 – 10 = 18 more channels.

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Question 7

Getting project information to the right people at the right time and in a useful format is just as important as developing the information in the first place.

• Selected:TrueThis answer is correct.
• False

You are correct!  Getting project information to the right people at the right time and in a useful format is just as important as developing the information in the first place. Managing communications is a large part of a project manager’s job.

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Question 8

Communications planning is the process of which of the following?

• Scheduling a regular meeting for the project team
• Developing a distribution list for the stakeholders
• Selected: Identifying the people or groups that need information on your projectThis answer is correct.
• Creating a template to report project status

You are correct!  Communications planning is the process of identifying who needs to receive information on the project, what information they need, and how they will get that information. Scheduling a project team meeting, developing distribution lists, and creating a project status template are all activities that might be a result of the communications plan.

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Question 9

What do many experts agree is the greatest threat to the success of any project?

• Lack of proper funding
• Selected: A failure to communicateThis answer is correct.
• Poor listening skills
• Inadequate staffing

A failure to communicate can render a project unsuccessful. Many problems in other knowledge areas, such as an unclear scope or unrealistic schedules, indicate problems with communications. It is crucial for project managers and their teams to make good communications a priority, especially with top management and other key stakeholders.

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Question 10

This type of chart depicts the WBS identifier, the type of resource required, and the number of resources required.

• RACI
• Selected: RAMThis answer is correct.
• RAMI
• RAC

You are correct!  A responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) chart depicts the WBS identifier, types of resources needed, and number of resources for the task.

 

 

Week 6:

 

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Question 1

A risk _____________ is a document that contains results of various risk management processes, which can be displayed in a table or spreadsheet format.

• Management plan
• Selected: RegisterThis answer is correct.
• Breakdown structure
• Probability/impact matrix

You are correct!  Risk register is a document that contains results of various risk management processes, often displayed in a table or spreadsheet format. A risk is an uncertainty that can have a negative or positive effect on meeting project objectives.

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Question 2

Your project team has decided not to use an upcoming release of software because it might cause your schedule to slip. Which negative risk response strategy are you using?

• Selected: AvoidanceThis answer is correct.
• Acceptance
• Transference
• Mitigation

You are correct!  The four basic responses to negative risks are avoidance, acceptance, transference, and mitigation. Risk avoidance involves eliminating a specific threat or risk. Risk acceptance means accepting the consequences of a risk if it occurs. Risk transference is shifting the consequence of a risk and responsibility for its management to a third party. Risk mitigation is reducing the impact of a risk event by reducing the probability of its occurrence.

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Question 3

Once risks have been identified and analyzed, this tool helps you determine an overall risk score.

• Selected: Probability impact matrixThis answer is correct.
• Risk list
• Risk register
• Risk template

You are correct!  A probability impact matrix multiplies the probability score by the impact score to come up with an overall risk score. The risk list is a list of potential risk events, and the risk register is similar to the risk list but includes more details about the risk events.

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Question 4

_____________ is an uncertainty that can have a negative or positive effect on meeting project objectives.

• Risk utility
• Risk tolerance
• Risk management
• Selected: RiskThis answer is correct.

You are correct!  A risk is an uncertainty that can have a negative or positive effect on meeting project objectives

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Question 5

Which risk management process involves prioritizing risks based on their probability and impact of occurrence?

• Planning risk management
• Identifying risks
• Selected: Performing qualitative risk analysisThis answer is correct.
• Performing quantitative risk analysis

You are correct!  Performing qualitative risk analysis involves prioritizing risks based on their probability and impact of occurrence. After identifying risks, project teams can use various tools and techniques to rank risks and update information in the risk register. The main outputs are project documents updates.

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Question 6

Performing qualitative risk analysis involves prioritizing risks based on their probability and impact of occurrence.

• Selected:TrueThis answer is correct.
• False

You are correct!  Performing qualitative risk analysis involves prioritizing risks based on their probability and impact of occurrence. After identifying risks, project teams can use various tools and techniques to rank risks and update information in the risk register. The main outputs are project documents updates.

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Question 7

_____________ are indicators or symptoms of actual risk events such as a cost overrun on early activities being a symptom of poor cost estimates.

• Probabilities
• Impacts
• Watch list items
• Selected: TriggersThis answer is correct.

You are correct!  Triggers are indicators or symptoms of actual risk events. For example, cost overruns on early activities may be symptoms of poor cost estimates. Defective products may be symptoms of a low-quality supplier. Documenting potential risk symptoms for projects helps the project team identify more potential risk events.

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Question 8

Which one of the following about positive risks is true?

• The goal of project risk management is to maximize potential negative risks
• Selected: Positive risks are risks that result in good things happening; sometimes called opportunities.This answer is correct.
• Positive risks are risks that do not result in good things happening
• The goal of project risk management is to minimize potential positive risks

Positive risks are risks that result in good things happening; sometimes called opportunities. The goal of project risk management is to minimize potential negative risks while maximizing potential positive risks.

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Question 9

Negative risk involves understanding potential problems that might occur in the project and how they might impede project success.

• Selected:TrueThis answer is correct.
• False

All projects involve uncertainties that can have negative or positive outcomes, which constitute risk.
The negative risk strategies include avoid, transfer, mitigate, and accept.

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Question 10

_________ is a risk analysis technique that uses a complex mathematical approach to numerically analyze the probability and impact of risks.

• Selected: Quantitative Risk AnalysisThis answer is correct.
• Risk impact analysis
• Risk probability analysis
• Qualitative Risk Analysis

You are correct!  Quantitative Risk Analysis uses a complete mathematical approach to determine risk probability and impact. Qualitative Risk Analysis is subjective in nature. Risk impact analysis and risk probability analysis are performed using either Quantitative Risk Analysis or Qualitative Risk Analysis.