Category: PROJECT MANAGEMENT

The Best project management certifications for 2019

The Best project management certifications for 2019

 

No matter what your IT role, a project management certification can add depth, breadth and value to your role. Here are the top project management certifications, their requirements and cost.

Behind every successful IT project, you’ll find a highly skilled project manager. From hardware and software upgrades to ongoing security patches, to application development and the rollout of software itself, project managers keep your teams on task and productive.

Almost any IT pro can benefit from adding a project management certification to their list of IT credentials; showing you have the know-how to plan, schedule, budget, execute, deliver and then report on IT initiatives. Here, are listed the most popular project management certifications that will add value and help you hone your skills this year.

Top project management certifications

  • PMP: Project Management Professional
  • CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management
  • CSM: Certified ScrumMaster
  • CompTIA Project+ certification
  • PRINCE2 Foundation/PRINCE2 Practitioner
  • CPMP: Certified Project Management Practitioner
  • Associate in Project Management
  • MPM: Master Project Manager
  • PPM: Professional in Project Management
  • PMITS: Project Management in IT Security
  • Certified Project Director
  • CPM: Certified Project Manager (IAPM)

PMP: Project Management Professional

The gold standard in project management certifications, the Project Management Professional certification is a rigorous test that covers absolutely everything you need to prove your knowledge and skill in managing the “triple constraints”: time, cost and scope. The Project Management Institute (PMI) is this credential’s parent organization, and works continuously with businesses and academia to ensure relevance for the certification.

Organization: Project Management Institute

Price: Computer based exams are $405 for PMI members; $555 for non-members. Paper-based exams are $250 for PMI members; $400 for non-members.

Requirements: Four-year secondary degree plus three years of project management experience, 4,500 hours leading and directing projects, and 35 hours project management education OR a high-school diploma, five years of project management experience, 7,500 hours leading and directing projects, and 35 hours of project management education.

CAPM: Certified Associate in Project Management

The Certified Associate in Project Management is the precursor to the PMP certification and is also administered by the PMI. For professionals without a college degree, or with only rudimentary project management experience or those who want to achieve their PMP certification in steps rather than all at once, the CAPM is a stepping-stone to the more rigorous PMP.

Organization: Project Management Institute

Price: $225 for PMI members; $300 nonmembers

Requirements: High-school diploma, associates degree or equivalent and at least 1,500 hours of project management experience OR 23 hours of project management education.

CSM: Certified ScrumMaster

The use of agile methodologies has become the standard in IT organizations, so it’s not surprising that IT practitioners uniquely qualified to manage projects in agile environments are in high demand. While there are different Scrum master certifications available, the Certified ScrumMaster (CSM) from Scrum Alliance is a great jumping-off point for project managers getting started as Scrum practitioners. The Scrum Alliance, the parent organization for this credential, is a nonprofit organization that encourages the adoption of scrum and agile practices, promotes user groups and learning events, and provides resources for professional development. The organization boasts more than 450,000 certified practitioners worldwide.

Organization: The Scrum Alliance

Price: ScrumMaster training course cost varies by training provider, but is approximately $995 to $1,395

Requirements: General familiarity with scrum; completion of a two-day Certified ScrumMaster training course.

CompTIA Project+ certification

This entry-level certification is roughly on par with PMI’s CAPM credential, though the requirements are less stringent. CompTIA’s Project+ solicits feedback from the entire computing industry, government representatives, research institutions, academia and independent experts to design the certification.

Organization: CompTIA

Price: $285

Requirements: One year of experience managing, directing or participating in small- to medium-sized projects is recommended.

PRINCE2 Foundation/PRINCE2 Practitioner

Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2) is most well-known overseas, especially in the U.K. and its government entities. The PRINCE2 certifications are delivered by the ILX Group and focus on directing, managing and delivering projects across all phases, pre-project, initiation, delivery and final delivery.

There are two primary qualifications, PRINCE2 Foundation and PRINCE2 Practitioner. The Foundation certification is an entry-level credential that tests basic project management terminology and methodology, while the Practitioner certification tests advanced project managers who have already achieved PRINCE2 Foundation.

Organization: ILX Group

Price: Foundation: $200; Practitioner: $340

Requirements: PRINCE2 Foundation requires a PRINCE2 Foundation course; PRINCE2 Practitioner requires one of the following: PRINCE2 Foundation; Project Management Professional (PMP); Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM); or an IPMA certification.

CPMP: Certified Project Management Practitioner

The EC-Council was formed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to address issues of cyberterrorism and the information security of nations at large. The EC-Council’s Certified Project Management Practitioner course is for project managers who want to benchmark their skills through hands-on experience and across various management techniques and tools necessary to successfully manage complex projects efficiently. The objective of the CPMP course is to add value to management professionals by developing managerial, leadership and technical skills required to make any project, small or complex, a success.

Organization: EC-Council

Price: $199 for exam voucher

Requirements: No prerequisites, but it is recommended that candidates attend a three-day preparation course.

Associate in Project Management

The Global Association for Quality Management (GAQM), which administers the Associate in Project Management (APM) — as well as a Professional in Project Management and a Certified Project Director certification — is a global, not-for-profit certification body that offers credentials across a variety of IT specialties. The GAQM’s project management certifications are focused on a broad knowledge base and emphasize effective resource allocation, clear direction, adaptability to change, effective communication and assurance of quality deliverables at minimal risk. The APM program is designed for the entry-level project manager, or for those who want to start a career in the field.

Organization: Global Association for Quality Management

Price: $300

Requirements: GAQM body of knowledge study and e-course; no formal education or experience requirements.

MPM: Master Project Manager

The American Academy of Project Management (AAPM) has modeled the Master Project Manager (MPM) after the “professional licensure” model that many professions like pilots, engineers, doctors and lawyers follow. The AAPM focuses on professional project managers, but also includes those pros with business and technical management responsibilities.

Organization: American Academy of Project Management

Price: $300 for application, review, processing, review, initiation and certification.

Requirements: Three years of project management experience and training. Waivers are available for professionals holding a master’s degree, with other qualified training and experience, the military or project management instructors.

PPM: Professional in Project Management

The Professional in Project Management (PPM) is a mid-tier project management credential from the GAQM. The GAQM’s project management certifications are focused on a broad knowledge base and emphasize effective resource allocation, clear direction, adaptability to change, effective communication and assurance of quality deliverables at minimal risk. The PPM is targeted towards intermediate to experienced project managers who are involved in risk and crisis management, and who are involved in the day-to-day management of projects.

Organization: Global Association for Quality Management

Price: $300

Requirements: GAQM body of knowledge study and e-course; no formal education or experience requirements, but candidates should have at least some project management experience in order to pass the exam.

PMITS: Project Management in IT Security

The EC-Council’s Project Management in IT Security (PMITS) explores the complexities of managing an IT security project. The certification helps candidates reinforce their existing project management skills while tailoring them to the unique requirements of implementing and managing IT security within their organizations.

Organization: EC-Council

Price: $250 (PMITS courseware)

Requirements: At least two years of experience in information security and an educational background that shows a focus on security (bachelor’s degree or higher preferred). Candidates may also opt to attend an EC-council training program before attempting an exam.

Certified Project Director

The GAQM’s Certified Project Director certification is the credentialing body’s highest-level project management certification. This designation is designed for experienced project managers who are involved in directing multiple, complex projects and programs. The program focuses on managing, budgeting and determining scope for multiple projects, multiple project teams, and assessing and mitigating interdependent risks to deliver projects successfully. The CDP program is only for those who have significant project management experience.

Organization: Global Association for Quality Management

Price: $300

Requirements: GAQM body of knowledge study and e-course; candidates must be familiar with principles and methodologies of project management and pass the PPM or equivalent exam.

IAPM Certified Project Manager

The International Association of Project Managers (IAPM) is a global professional association and certification body focused on the project management profession. The IAPM’s purpose is to promote research, development and practical applications of project management, develop standards and guidelines for both beginner and advanced project management training, and review and approve project management competencies within the profession.

There are four levels of certification within the IAPM, split into two disciplines, traditional project management and agile project management: Certified Junior Project Manager and Certified Junior Agile Project Manager; Certified Project Manager and Certified Agile Project Manager; Certified Senior Project Manager and Certified Senior Agile Project Manager; and Certified International Project Manager.  IAPM’s Certified Project Manager certification is for candidates with a foundational knowledge of project management, including the basics of planning, organization and implementation of various projects. The exam covers both the hard and soft aspects of project management.

Organization: IAPM

Price: The certification and examination fee depends on a candidate’s nationality; pricing is gauged based on country-of-origin’s GDP to ensure that any candidate can afford the training and testing. In the U.S., the certification and exam cost is $650, with a 20 percent discount for students, job seekers and active aid organization personnel, according to the IAMP.

Requirements: There are no prerequisites, but IAPM offers workshops through global training partners, or recommended literature for self-study. Once a candidate has completed the workshop or feels adequately prepared, they can take a self-test to benchmark their knowledge. Candidates must achieve a 65 percent on the exam to pass.

Source : www.cio.com

The Best Project Management Conferences of 2019

The Best Project Management Conferences of 2019

 

New year, new opportunities to advance your project management career. There’s always room to better oneself, make connections and get a picture of the industry: all good reasons to take time to visit one of the many project management conferences held in 2019.

As you start to plan your calendar for the year, we’ve offered a rundown of the best project management conferences in 2019. See you there.

March

RICS Valuation Conference 2019

March 26, London, UK

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), which accredits professionals in land, property and construction industries, offers this full-day conference designed for valuers. This event features topics relevant to professional development, with industry speakers.

April

Change Management 2019

April 28 – May 1, Orlando, FL

The Association of Change Management Professions (ACMP) holds its annual conference, which is one of the largest in the industry and offers a chance to meet with colleagues from around the world. It supports professional growth, with many sessions to focus on your personal interests.

May

Global Scrum Gathering

May 20-22, Austin, TX

The Scrum Alliance offers its annual networking and learning opportunity, with new solutions and tools to help deepen your knowledge of Agile. It features over 1,000 Scrum and Agile practitioners coming together to discuss new ideas, create community collaboration and make connections.

Project Summit Business Analyst World

May 27 – 30, Toronto, Canada

Part of a series of national conferences for project managers and business analysts accredited by both PMI and IIBA, where participants can earn PDUs/CDUs. There are industry experts and education sessions, workshops and keynotes. Check the website for more conferences.

April

8th International Scientific Conference on Project Management in the Baltic States

April 25-26, Riga, Latvia

Organized by the Research Institute of the Project Management of the Faculty of Business, Management and Economics, University of Latvia, in cooperation with the Professional Association of Project Managers, the aim of this conference is on scientific research. There is an opening plenary session, parallel sessions, and all abstracts have been double-blind reviewed. The conference is in English.

deliver:Agile 2019

April 29 – May 1, Nashville, TN

This must-attend event for the Agile community speaks to new Agile tools and techniques, patterns and practices emerging in the field. Participants learn how to support and evolve their Agile engineering practices as they relate to advances discussed. The three-day conference explores topics such as DevOps approaches, UX design and cloud computing.

May

APM Project Management Conference

May 2, London, UK

“Delivering Value in a Transforming World” is the theme of this year’s APM Project Management Conference. The one-day event has a program of influential speakers who will discuss how project management can better deliver value with innovative methods, tools and techniques.

PMI EMEA Congress

May 13-15, Dublin, Ireland

Hosted by the accrediting agency PMI, the EMEA Congress gathers project, program and portfolio managers from around the globe. They are there to discuss best practices, identify new trends and reinforce core industry skills.

Agile & Beyond

May 30 – 31, Detroit, MI

Agile & Beyond is a grassroots and volunteer-run event that serves to educate on Agile principles and practices. It also covers topics related to Agile. There are approximately 100 sessions packed into the two-day conference, suitable for those new to Agile and the Agile experts.

June

Project Management in Practice

June 13 -14, Boston, MA

The 13th annual conference caters to newcomers and certified practitioners alike. Topics range the gamut, from Agile to strategic project management, including soft skills and behavioral competency. The two-day conference is also available online, and PDUs are available for attending.

July

23rd International Congress on Project Management and Engineering (ICPME)

July 10-12, Málaga, Spain

An international forum for the discussion and debate of all project management and engineering companies and professionals, the conference is geared towards experts, researchers and trainers who are focused on educating future professionals in the field. However, all interested persons are encouraged to attend.

October

PMI Global Conference

October 5 – 7, Philadelphia, PA

This PMI-hosted event focuses on the evolving role of project management, this conference is open to project, program and portfolio professionals and will discuss new ideas and approaches, while giving participants the opportunity to make new relationships and strengthen existing ones.

Future PMO

October 17, London, UK

This PMO conference is created by Wellingtone, a PPM consultancy that works with clients across the UK. The organization is both a Microsoft Gold Partner with PPM Specialization and an APM accredited training provider. This one-day conference is for practitioners at all levels and brings together leading project management experts from across the industry.

The Digital PM Summit

October 20 – 22, Orlando, FL

The Digital PM Summit is a three-day conference of presentations, breakout sessions and talks. It welcomes all methodologies and approaches, from Agile to waterfall and hybrid, offering new perspectives in a social networking-friendly environment.

November

PMO Symposium

November 3 – 6, Denver, CO

The PMO Symposium gives participants access to executive-level networking, workshops and discussions. Learn actionable insights for organizational executives, PMO leaders and senior decision-makers. The details for the 2018 event have yet to be posted.

Source: www.projectmanager.com

Quantitative Risk Analysis

Quantitative Risk Analysis

 

This  process  is  the  second  step  in  risk  assessment.  The  purpose  of  this  process is  to numerically evaluate risks that need additional analysis after performing qualitative analysis. This evaluation is objective and the result is numerical but it depends on calculations and it lacks of human sense.   It means that these results tend to be the most accurate if revised by human sense after running the calculations.

 

1 – Probability Distribution

Quantitative analysis utilizes computer software to model probability distribution. This can be depicted graphically using continuous distribution or discrete distribution.

Figure-1 Shows some types of continuous distribution.

Figure-1 : Continuous distribution

 

In discrete distribution, data can be represented as bars. Each bar represents a possible outcome and each outcome is assigned a probability. Figure-2 Shows a model of discrete distribution.

Figure-2 : Discrete Distribution

 

The  difference  between  continuous  and  discrete  distribution  can  be following comparison in table-1.

Table-1 : Comparison between continuous and discrete distributions

 

2- Quantitative and Modeling Techniques


Quantitative analysis utilizes simulation and modeling techniques such as sensitivity analysis, expected monetary value, and Monte Carlo.


2-1 Sensitivity Analysis


This technique shows the range of outcomes for a risk by changing only one element each time (what-if analysis) and measuring its impact. This is being done several times to evaluate the range of outcomes. It’s possible to change multiple elements by designing of experiment (DOE). Table-2 shows an example on sensitivity analysis. A common way to display these results is tornado diagram as shown in figure-3.

Table-2 : Sensitivity Analysis

Figure-3 : Tornado Diagram

 

2 -2 Expected Monetary Value

 

This technique calculates outcomes considering both probability and impact. It’s used to  make  decisions after  gathering  data  on  two  or  more  alternatives.  It  depends basically  on  the  impact  of  each  decision and  the  probability  that  it  may  happen.

Multiplying  impact by  its  probability  will  result  the expected monetary value.

Comparing  these values  will facilitate  taking  decision.  This  technique  uses the decision tree analysis as a  graphical method to represent alternatives and their impact/probability. Figure-4 shows an example of decision tree analysis.

Figure-4  Decision Tree Analysis

2-3 Simulation & Modeling

 

This technique utilizes Monte Carlo technique as a simulation tool. Project model is computed several times with the input of cost estimates or activity durations that are being  choose  at  random  for  each  time  from  the  probability  distributions  of  these variables. A  chart of total cost or total duration is then drawn. Figure-5 shows an example of this chart.

Figure-5 : Monte Carlo Simulation for Project Cost

 

3 –  Risk Register Update


At this point, the risk register will be updated with the followings
1- Probabilistic analysis of the project
2- Quantified probability of meeting project objectives
3- Prioritized list of quantified risks
4- Overall project risk (Risk Exposure)

 

 

 

Qualitative Risk Analysis

Qualitative Risk Analysis

 

This process is the first process in risk assessment. The purpose of this process is to evaluate each risk you have evaluated in the last process. This evaluation is subjective and the result is not numerical. However, ths evaluation is almost accurate because it depends on human sense that is buit up on experience. The output of this process is the probability and impact assessement of each identifie risk.

While performing this analysis, you may use some tools and techniques such as risk categorzation and probability and impact matrix. Risk categorzation utilises the risk categories that have been developed in risk planning process. Probability and impact matrix defines combinations of probability and impact that lead to rating risks as low, moderate, and high priority. Figure-1 shows an example of probability and impact matrix.

 

Figure-1 Probability and impact matrix

The subsequent decision of analyzing a risk through this process could be one of the following:
1- This risk is a minor risk and it should be put in a watch list.
2- This risk needs more analysis and it should be analyzed quantitatively.
3- This risk is urgent and it should go quickly to response planning.
4- The qualitative analysis of this risk is enough and no need for further analysis.
Hence this risk should go to response planning.

Figure-2 shows a diagram expressing the work flow of these steps.

Figure-2 Risk Assessment Mechanism

By the end of this process, risk register is being updated with the results from qualitative analysis. This may include ranking, grouping by category, risks require quick response, risks require additional analysis, and low priority risks that will be listed in watchlist.

Table-1 shows an example of risk register up to this point.

Table-1 Risk Register (Updated after qualitative analysis)

Risk Identification

Risk Identification

 

The next planning effort in risk management after risk planning is risk identification. The purpose of this process is to identify all potential risks in the project regardless of their probability or their impact. Assessment will be done later in a following process.


Identification is being done using various techniques such as information gathering techniques, documents review, checklist analysis, assumption analysis, and SWOT analysis.


The output of this process is a table contains all identified potential risks with initial information concerning every item of them. This table is known as risk register. Through the following clauses, we are going to discuss these techniques and the risk register.

 

1 – Information Gathering Analysis


Examples of data gathering techniques are brainstorming, Delphi technique, interviewing, root cause analysis, and mind mapping. Figure-1 shows an example of mind mapping

Figure-1 : Mind Mapping for Potential Project Risks

 

2-  Documentation Review


One of the most effective methods to identify a significant number of potential risks is to review project documents. This method allows you to explore and discover most areas of project activities starting from the very early milestones of project initiation passing with all the phases, decisions, evaluations, and studies of the project. These  documentation includes project charter, project management plan and its subsidiary plans, WBS, time schedule, activity duration estimates, activity cost estimates, stakeholder register, contracts, and procurement documents. The following chart is a hierarchy of potential project documents.

 

3 –  Checklist Analysis


This checklist is a list contains predefined risks that you can check them if they are potential in your project. It can be developed based on historical information from past projects. The lowest level of RBS can be used as a checklist as in Figure-2. It’s very quick to use it and you will have a lot of risks identified. However, it should not be the only tool that is being used for this purpose. The reason behind this advice is that usually there are risks that are not listed in this checklist. Hence if you only depend on this checklist, other risks will be neglected.

 

Figure2 : Risks Checklist

 

4-  SWOT Analysis


SWOT analysis is a famous technique that is being used to identify and evaluate the strength and weakness in the project and organization in order to find out expected opportunities and threats. Table-1 shows an example of SWOT analysis.

Table-1: SWOT Analysis

5 – Risk Register

Risk register is an ouput of all risk management processes that come after risk planning. It’s a dynamic database that contains all the identified risks and is being filled with the information regarding these risks such as description, category, propability, impact, planned response, assigned person for action, risk status, retained reserve for this risk, …etc

Through the process of identify risks, this table is being filled with risks in addition to the root cause and initial proposed response. Table-2 shows an example of risk register till this point.

 

Table-2 : Risk Register (Initial View)

 

 

Risk Planning

Risk Planning

 

Usually, risk plan is the first effort that is being done through project risk management.
However, in some projects, the top management in the organization identifies high level risks in the project charter and these high level risks are the input for the project manager that clarify an image of what risks are significant and  important for the top management.

Risk plan is a subsidiary plan of project management plan that describes how risk management activities will be managed throughout the project phases. This plan performs as a guide of how you will accomplish all the activities of risk management. It defines the tools and approaches that will be used, roles and responsibilities, estimated budget for these activities, risk categories, risk definitions, reporting formats, and auditing procedures.


Through the next paragraphs, we will show examples for some of these components of risk management plan.


1 – Tools & Approaches


Risk management activities may be done manually or using computer software programs. These software programs expedite, facilitate, and fully control the of risk management activities. These programs can be integrated with other organization systems such as scheduling, costing, and ERP systems. The capabilities of these programs are not only for calculation and assessment; however it can track and communicate responsibilities to the team assigned for these tasks and also for the management to be able to follow the status and take actions.


2 –  Roles and Responsibilities


Table-1 shows an example for the roles and responsibilities.

Team member
Name 		Role Responsibilities
Ahmed Arafa Risk
Manager		 1. Develop the risk management plan
2. Manage the risk management team.
3. Follow up that risk management activities are being done
with the valid manner in the right time.
4. Monitor contingency reserve and maintain the sufficiency
of monetary in reserve fund.
5. Report on risk management activities.
Ayman Nagy Risk
Software
Admin		 1. Administrate the risk management program.
2. Maintain and monitor the privilege of users.
Wael Samy Risk
Engineer		 1. Share in the identification of risks.
2. Develop the qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Table-1 : Roles and Responsibilities


3 –  Timing and Frequency


Risk management activities are being done according to a time scheduling that is being developed by the risk manager and in conformity of project management vision.


Figure-1 is an example of risk management activities time scheduling.

Figure-1 : Risk Activities Time Schedule


Risk management meetings could be determined to be as a separate meeting and held on weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. The common practice is that risk management activities are being discussed in the progress status weekly meeting.

 

4 –  Risk Categories


Risk Categories can be illustrated in a list or a risk breakdown structure. Figure-2 is an example of risk breakdown structure.

 

Figure-2 : Risk Breakdown Structure

 

5- Risk Definition


This is the classification criteria that will be used further in order to qualitatively assess risks. Table-2 shows an example of these limits.

Table-2 : Risk Classification Limits

 

6 –  Risk tracking and Reports format


This defines how risks will be tracked during project phases; and the formats of risk reports that will be used to communicate risk information through vertical and horizontal communication channels.

Risk Processes

Risk Processes

 

Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering (AACE) structured the risk management steps as “(1) Planning, (2) Identification, (3) Assessment, (4) Analysis, (5) Mitigation, and (6) Follow-Up” (Skills & Knowledge of Cost engineering, Fifth Edition Revised, 2007, Page 31.2).


Project Management Institute (PMI) defines the risk management processes as “(1) Planning, (2) Identification, (3) Qualitative Analysis, (4) Quantitative Analysis, (5) Planning Response, (6) Monitor and Control.” (PMBOK Guide, 2013, Page 312)

 

What is Risk Management

What is Risk Management

 

The “Risk Management” phrase is used in several fields with different significance. The most common use of this expression is the “Pure Risk” which is used in the aspects of safety and health referring to the pure risk. The risk management in RMP-PMI is another type which is referred to as “Business Risk”. The difference between those two types can be shown as follow:


• Pure Risk: The risk of loss (fire, theft, injury… etc.) that is insurable.
• Business Risk: The risk of gain or loss that is concerned to business threats or opportunities.


Project Management Institute (PMI) defines risk as “an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect on one or more project objectives such as scope, schedule, cost, and quality”. (PMBOK Guide, 2013, Page 310) where the uncertainty is lack of knowledge that reduces confidence in conclusions.


The common factors of risk management are:
– Probability: How much percent risk may occur
– Impact: The range of possible outcomes such as time, money …etc.
– Timing: When the risk is expected to take place.
– Frequency: How often this risk is expected to happen


Through risk management you try to increase probability and impact of opportunities, while decrease probability and impact of threats. This action depends on the risk culture of the decision taker which is referred to as risk tolerance. Risk tolerance defines the thresholds that when a risk exceeds, it becomes unacceptable. The most known tolerances are:


• Risk Averse: Someone who doesn’t want to take risks.
• Risk tolerant: Someone who doesn’t perform a great effort to search for risk, however when the risk comes to him, he exploit it.
• Risk Seeker: Someone who spends a lot of time searching for risks.

PMP Sixth Edition Exam Simulator n°01

Free PMP® Practice Exam Questions
100 Sample Test Questions

Based on the PMBOK® Guide Exam 6th Edition, and updated for the 2019 PMP Exam!

 

Please enter your email:

1.

Vocal inflection accounts for how much understanding of verbal communication?

2.

On your current project, EV = $45,000, AC = $50,000, PV = $40,000. What is the schedule variance as a percentage of the work accomplished at this point in time?

3.

During the Executing and the Monitoring and Controlling phases, project managers frequently engage in replanning activity due to discovery or a change in customer needs. The term used to describe this process is called?

4.

One of your project team members approached you visibly upset. It appears the team member overheard a director and another project manager discussing an apparent scheme to defraud the company. What is the FIRST thing that you should do as the project manager?

5.

The project has been running smoothly; initiation phase is complete and the team is working on all aspects of planning. You had meetings with stakeholders several times to collect requirements and as a result, requirements documentation is almost complete, as are high-level and detailed design documents. As construction begins on the project, several stakeholders have indicated the need for changes to the requirements set. They are claiming these elements were missed in the initial requirements collection process, and they want you to add these elements to the project immediately. You perform an impact assessment and get it back to them only to hear that they are not going to allow any changes in the project budget or the timeline to complete these additional elements. What is the most effective tool that you could use to prevent this instance of scope creep?

6.

Which type of procurement document is most appropriate for a cost reimbursable contract?

7.

Your vendor just shipped you 100,000 parts. What is the best quality tool to use given that you do not have the time or the workers available to check each part?

8.

One of the risks identified in the project’s risk register has a probability of 85%. As the project manager what would you do first upon making this discovery?

9.

You have just created the scope management plan for your current project. As the project manager, what is the next thing that you should do?

10.

Stakeholders are generally classified based on their ________________________?

11.

The mechanical engineering manager has reported to you, a PMP, that the work due at the end of this week is going to be two weeks late. Your manager has requested that you do not report this to senior management. What does the PMI Code of Ethics require you to do?

12.

One of the goals of your current project is to automate a current process that is currently done manually. What is the best quality tool to use in this situation?

13. The buyer has established a CPFF vehicle for the current procurement activity. What is the buyer most concerned about?

14.

Which of the following statements about earned value is true?

15.

A Project Manager is using PDM to perform critical path analysis. The network diagram is represented as shown using below. Which of the following represents the path:

Activity Duration Dependent on
A 3 none
C 2 none
B 2 A
D 4 C
E 3 none
F 5 E
G 3 D,F
H 1 D,F
I 2 B,G
R 0 H,I

16.

For the sequence diagram in question 15, what is the float of activity B?

17.

For the sequence diagram in question 15, what is the float of activity H?

18.

According to PMI, the PMO is not responsible for…?

19.

You decide to conduct a quality audit of the cryogenic capable hardware being manufactured by your company during project execution. The quality audit will identify all of the following, except…?

20.

Which of the following statements about risk is the most correct?

21.

You have determined your project will optimistically take 24 weeks to complete, with a most likely completion date of 36 weeks and a pessimistic completion date of 72 weeks. Based on this three point estimate what is the likely completion timeline for the project?

22.

The five elements of the sender-receiver model in communications are …?

23.

The two basic standards that define the PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct are:

24.

A SIPOC diagram is a type of…?

25.

You identified the possibility of several high-impact risks on your current project at the last stakeholder meeting. A senior VP was in attendance and immediately announced, “We’re looking for ‘can-do’ people for this project. If you can’t handle it, I’ll find someone who can!” What would be the best response to this statement?

26.

If you add two more people to a team of five people, how many additional lines of communication will be created?

27.

The life cycle of a product or service begins with…?

28.

An approved change request just increased the scope of your project. This could result in all of the following except?

29.

The essential difference between cost and price is…?

30.

Which of the following would be least important on the risk register?

31.

A finish to finish relationship is defined as which of the following?

32.

Which of the following best describes a stakeholder?

33.

In the Influence/Impact grid, the best management technique for stakeholders who are high in influence and high in impact is to…?

34.

Senior management brought you in to run a project as an ‘execution’ project manager. The timeline and the budget were already established by senior management and you have been asked to simply bring the project in on time and on budget. You do a thorough examination of the project parameters and discover that there is no way the current project can be completed for the budget and the time allotted. In fact, your calculation shows the project will cost 40% over the authorized budget and will take six months longer to complete. What should you do?

35.

The quality control team has raised concerns about the quality of the output of a specific manufacturing process consisting of 3 steps. The quality control team leader reports that there is a 99% probability step #1 will produce a defect free part, a 98% probability that step #2 will produce a defect free part and a 96% probability step #3 will produce a defect free part. At the end of the third step, what is the approximate probability that an article chosen at random will be defect free?

36.

The ability of the project manager to expend funds and allocate resources on a project is a function of?

37.

Reward power means that the project manager can issue rewards. Examples of rewards can include bonuses or comp time. PMI regards reward power as…?

 

38.

Your customer is having difficulty verbalizing the requirements for the upcoming project. The key stakeholder has stated to you “We want it to work sort of like this – I can’t really describe it but I’ll know it when I see it…” In this instance, what would be the most effective project lifecycle to implement?

39.

What costs are the most important costs that need to be considered when making a purchase decision for a product or service?

40.

Which of the following is not a leadership style in the Hersey/Blanchard situational leadership model?

41.

You are assessing two projects for risk. Project #1 has a most likely duration of 95 days with a standard deviation of 10 days, and Project #2 has a most likely duration of 110 days with a standard deviation of 5 days. All of the following statements are true except…?

42.

Rolling wave planning is__________________.

43.

To understand the requirements for the product of your current project, you have conducted a systems analysis, a requirements analysis, a product breakdown and a value analysis. These activities define what is known as a…?

44.

The risk register usually includes all of the following, except…?

45.

The Monitoring and Controlling phase of project management involves measuring your performance against the plan, looking for changes and variances, and how to bring future performance in line with the project plan. Which term best describes this type of action?

46.

The purpose of a change request resulting in a recommended preventive action is to…?

47.

All of the following statements about change are true except…?

48.

What do confronting, compromising, and forcing all describe?

49.

Project managers are frequently performing activities to control the budget, timeline, output and deliverables on a project. What does PMI mean by ‘control’?

50.

You are thinking of purchasing a software product from a relatively young organization – they have been in business less than two years. This is a cutting edge financial product that would put you at least 18 months ahead of all competitors in your market space. However, your concern is that if you purchase software from them, there is a possibility that they may go out of business and you would lose the investment in the software. You ask the company to outright purchase the software code, but the company has rejected this as an option. What is your best option moving forward if the company‘s survivability is an issue?

51. You are the Project Manager of ABC project. There was a conflict between two key project members. The three of you meet and decide to use compromise as the conflict resolution technique. Compromise generally leads to

52. The Procurement Statement of Work is an output of which of these processes?

53. Which of these is a tool for Develop Project Charter process?

54. Which of the following best describes the purpose of a war room?

55. You are the Project Manager of a project involving designing a computer system. Your team members follow what you tell them because you have the authority to provide negative feedback in their performance appraisal. This is an example of which type of power?

56. Cost baseline is usually represented using which curve or line?

57. You are in the process of Source Selection for a contract for your project. You are planning to use weighing process for source selection. There are four vendors being considered. There are two deciding factors price (weightage 40), quality (weightage 60). The scores of four vendors that your team has computed are displayed in the table below. Which vendor among these four should be chosen?

Vendor scores

Vendor 1 Vendor 2 Vendor 3 Vendor 4
Price 8 10 12 11
Quality 12 10 8 11

58. You are working on a project to build a bridge. You have reached the planned half way mark. The total planned cost at this stage is five hundred dollars. The actual physical work that has been completed at this stage is worth $400. You have already spent one thousand dollars on the project. What is the CPI?

59. You are working on a project to build a bridge. You have reached the planned half way mark. The total planned cost at this stage is five hundred dollars. The actual physical work that has been completed at this stage is worth $400. You have already spent one thousand dollars on the project. What is the Schedule Variance?

60. John needs to visit many countries as part of his job. He has learned that he needs to avoid being ethno-centric. What does ethnocentrism mean?

61. You are planning to use a screening system for source selection process to select a vendor for supplying food for your company? Which of these is a good example of a screening system?

62. Which of the following is not an input to the Conduct Procurements process?

63. You are using control charts to perform quality control. Which of these situations does not indicate that the process is out of control and an assignable cause needs to be assigned. Assume that the control limits have been set to three sigma.

64. You are the Project Manager of a car manufacturing company. As part of Quality Control you decide to check only 5% of the cars assembled for environmental check. Which technique are you using?

65. Which of the following is a true statement about risks?

66. Which of the following is not true about the Close Project or Phase process?

67. Which of the following is an output of the Identify Risks process.

68. In which process of the Project Risk Management knowledge area are numeric values assigned to probabilities and impact of risks

69. Your project is well underway, and the project management plan as well as subsidiary plans have been baselined and work is proceeding apace. A key project stakeholder has just approached you with a problem: a requirement was missed by the business in the requirements gathering process and they want it inserted into the project plan without having to go through the formal change request process. They would consider it a huge favor if you did so and would be willing to reciprocate at some later date. What should you do next?

70. Expert judgment is a tool and technique of all of the following processes except…?

71. Which of these is not an example of a project?

72. Describing stakeholders based on their power (ability to impose will), urgency (need for immediate attention), and legitimacy (their involvement), describes what type of grid or model?

73. Which of the following best describes Plan Stakeholder Management process?

74. A series of stakeholder meetings were called to address the needs of stakeholders for the upcoming project. A list of 150 requirements was drawn up. After reviewing the list and developing a high level estimate, the PM reported back to the stakeholder group that due to the budget limitations on the project, it would be possible to deliver only 75 of these requirements. A new meeting was called to cull the list from 150 to 75. The stakeholders were going through the list, when there was serious contention about a group of requirements. The disagreement escalated to a shouting match, and several stakeholders left the meeting infuriated. What risk tool would have best prevented this situation?

75. Project roles and responsibilities can be graphically represented in what is called a…?

76. On your current project, you have spent a week with the project team and the stakeholders defining the activities that will be executed to complete the product of the project. What is the next step you will perform in this process?

77. While executing the project it becomes obvious that you’re not going to hit your end date. The project may be delayed by at least two months. This may impact the start date of another project that was due to start right after yours completed. What type of float best describes this situation?

78. The lowest level of the WBS addresses__________________.

79. Project Scope Management defines the work required to complete the project successfully_______________.

80. You are developing a project statement of work for your current project. To what level of detail is the statement of work developed?

81. Cost overruns on a project are usually caused by some combination of the following with the exception of?

82. You are managing a project in which various stakeholders are for or against a specific change in the project. The best tool to identify the reasons for or against the change is _______________.

83. Which of the following is not part of the Control Communications process?

84. Project Communications Management involves the appropriate generation, election, dissemination, storage, and occasional disposition of project information. The overall focus of project communication is to…?

85. The manner in which individual resources, teams, and entire organizational units behave can be described by…?

86. Your company makes a product that a potential buyer is very interested in. After several discussions, the potential buyer issues a letter of intent to purchase the product within the next two months. Your company president takes this letter of intent (LOI) to the local commercial bank in the hopes of obtaining a short-term loan to purchase the necessary equipment to deliver on this potentially lucrative contract. The bank turns him down flat, even though the seller’s finances are in good order. Why do you think this is the case?

87. What does an SPC chart set the upper and lower control limits?

88. You are dealing with the stakeholder that views your project as a significant negative. What will you use to help minimize negative stakeholder impact on the project?

89. The wages of hourly workers on a time and materials project is considered a/an_________________ cost.

90. Training needs, recognition and rewards, and regulation or contract compliance are all items that are addressed as part of the…

91. The hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory developed by: Category: Group HR

92. You have been authorized by the contract administrator in your organization to handle specific changes in the contract should the need arise. The vendor on this particular procurement has indicated a need for a change in the current specification. You discuss the change with the vendor, verbally agree to it, and implement the change via the standard change request process, as specified in the contract. At an invoice audit several months later, the purchasing organization refuses to pay for the work that was entered in the change system. What has the project manager forgotten to do in this instance?

93. The communication plan is developed based on which of the following elements?

94. Validate Scope is part of what process group?

95. Since you had indicated that unavailability of resources was a risk on your project, you had a contingency strategy in place that allowed for a temporary staff augmentation. Management signed off on this approach. This risk was realized and you implemented the contingency plan, however the new staff may take longer to get up to speed in the environment than originally thought. What does this new situation describe?

96. The feature set for your company’s newest jet-ski line contains fewer features than those normally produced by the company. The QC manager is discussing this with the PM and is complaining that the design does not meet standard company production guidelines. His argument is that the limited feature set is inconsistent with the company’s established quality policy. What is the best way for the PM to respond to the QC manager?

97. Management from the customer side wants to bring in a project one month earlier than they had originally planned. Based on the current project timeline, product testing will have to be cut short. You have reviewed several options with the customer; they have decided that crashing the schedule would be the best approach to bringing in the project earlier. As a result of customer’s decision, what is your biggest concern using this approach?

98. Assessing how a stakeholder is likely to react in a given situation is described in ______________?


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Question 1 of 98

What is Kanban?

Most projects can be viewed as a process – a series of steps or tasks that achieve some desired result. There are all kinds of processes – simple and complex, individual and team, quick and time-consuming. Sometimes large or over-arching processes consist of a series of smaller pro-cesses.Kanban is a tool for managing the flow of materials or information (or whatever) in a process. Not having the materials, whether it is a part, a document, or customer information, at the time you need it causes delay and waste. On the other hand, having too many parts on hand or too much work in process (WIP) is also a form of waste. Kanban is a tool to learn and manage an optimal flow of work within the process.

There are three basic rules to implementing Kanban:

01. Visualize Workflow

A visual representation of the process lets you see exactly how tasks change from being “not done” to “done right”. The more complex a process is, the more useful and important creating a visual workflow becomes, but kanban can be used if there are just a few steps (do, doing, done) or a lot of steps (plan, design, draft, approve, schedule, imple-ment, test, integrate, deploy).

However complex the project may be, creating a kanban board allows you to see the status of the work being done at a glance.


02. Limit Work in Process (WIP)

Get more done by do-ing less. It may seem counterintuitive, but it is a powerful idea that has been proven time and time again to be true. There is a limit to the number of things you can be working on and still do them well, and that limit is often lower than you think. Whether a project is simple or complex or whether the team is small or large, there is an optimal amount of work that can be in the process at one time without sacrificing efficiency. It’s not uncommon to find that doing ten things at once takes a week, but doing two things at once takes hours, resulting in twenty things being done by the end of the week. Kanban metrics lets you find that optimal number.

03. Measure and Improve Flow

mprovement should al-ways be based on objective measurements, and kanban is no different. Finding and applying good metrics is usually a difficult step, but a few simple measures automatically generated by an application like Kanbanery can give you the information you need to tweak your process to optimize flow and maximize efficiency.

One of the great things about kanban is that you apply it to your existing process. You are simply identifying ways to improve what you are already doing, so you don’t have to start from scratch and you don’t have to worry about “throwing the baby out with the bath water” – meaning that you won’t lose the things you are already doing well. No sudden changes means there is minimal risk in apply-ing kanban as part of your improvement journey.

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