Deck 14: Project Closeout and Termination

Question 1

Research clearly demonstrates that when team members have experienced positive psycho-social outcomes from a project they are __________ to work collaboratively in the future.

Answer 1

more inclined

Question 2

Closeout activities are typically among the highest priority activities in a project.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

Project termination issues can be categorized into __________ and __________.

Answer 3

emotional, intellectual

Question 4

Static factors that may play a role in the decision to terminate a project early include company image and the presence of high sunk costs.

Question 5

A classic early warning sign of project failure is the realization that a product being developed was targeting a market that few new products and firms were entering.

Question 6

The project contractor takes initial ownership of the project for a specified period under a(n) __________ contract.

Question 7

The build, operate, transfer option for projects requires the project contractor to take initial ownership of the project in order to make sure it works, thus mitigating risk in the short run.

Question 8

Activity and funding for the CEO's pet project stopped during the economic downturn and even after her retirement the file remained open. A few years and 30% turnover later, many employees didn't know the purpose of the half finished obelisk in the cafeteria. The obelisk was fated to a permanent half-finished state thanks to its termination by __________.

Question 9

Loss of team identify during project termination is a significant internal intellectual issue.

Question 10

Systematic errors are not one-time incidents, but instead represent built-in components of the project management process.

Question 11

Business benefits are often crucial; so many projects must first clear __________ as a criterion for their selection and startup.

Question 12

The development of a quartz watch that was more accurate than a multi-jewel movement watch at a fraction of the cost resulted in a(n) __________ of the 40-jewel movement project that Swiss watchmaker Yodelhaus was currently managing.

Question 13

Arbitration refers to the formalized system for dealing with grievances and administering corrective justice to parties in a bargaining situation.

Question 14

Two early warning signs of project failure are __________ and __________.

Question 15

It is important to fix the problem, not the __________ during a lesson-learned meeting.

Question 16

The actual carryover from one project to another is minimal because projects are unique, one-time events.

Question 17

At a minimum, a project assessment system should specify the __________, the __________, and the __________.

Question 18

__________ can be made by a client when there is not a contractual basis for a lawsuit but they consider that because of some unexpected event there is a moral or commercial obligation on the project organization to pay compensation.

Question 19

Termination by addition and termination by integration both represent successful project completion.

Question 20

A project that is terminated by extinction is not completed successfully.

Question 21

A research study on the critical success factors for projects found that an important determination of whether the project is successful is the element of:

A) putting it all to bed.
B) reviewing how it all went.
C) disbanding the team.
D) gaining acceptance for the product.

Question 22

Termination by addition occurs when:

A) scope creep adds too many activities to the project that prevent it from being completed on time or within budget.
B) the project is so successful that it becomes institutionalized.
C) a new project is added to the organization and it commands all of the resources for the original project.
D) new members join the project team once the project has begun and their skills are insufficient to successfully complete the project.

Question 23

Systematic errors could be best described as:

A) the result of a one-time occurrence.
B) the result of an external cause.
C) the result of some freak accident.
D) the result of an internal cause.

Question 24

Which type of project termination can occur for a project that is successful and for a project that is unsuccessful?

A) termination by addition
B) termination by integration
C) termination by extinction
D) termination by starvation

Question 25

Which two types of project termination can occur for unsuccessful projects?

A) integration and starvation
B) starvation and extinction
C) extinction and addition
D) addition and integration

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT a component of a baseline project assessment system?

A) the criteria by which benefits of the product or service will be measured
B) the points in time at which the measurement or assessment will be carried out
C) the method by which the assessment will be communicated to the customer and project organizations
D) the individual who has accepted responsibility for carrying out the measurement in the agreed way at the agreed points in time

Question 27

The BOT option for large projects is designed to:

A) automate the payment process.
B) automate the closeout process.
C) keep the door open for new projects between the customer and project organization.
D) limit risk for the customer in the short run.

Question 28

A successful project that also creates a need for a change to organizational structure is probably terminated by:

A) extinction.
B) integration.
C) starvation.
D) addition.

Question 29

The disadvantage of a BOOT contract to the project organization is that they must take on:

A) higher safety risks.
B) higher failure risks.
C) higher financial risks.
D) higher competitive risks.

Question 30

The termination of the DDG 1000 Zumwalt Destroyer project is an example of:

A) termination by extinction.
B) termination by addition.
C) termination by integration.
D) termination by starvation.

Question 31

Which two types of project termination are reserved for successful projects?

A) addition and integration
B) integration and starvation
C) starvation and extinction
D) extinction and addition

Question 32

A significant challenge during the finishing the work element of project closeout management is to:

A) demonstrate viability of the project.
B) gain customer acceptance of the product.
C) maintain focus on the current project.
D) capitalize on new opportunities that arise from this project.

Question 33

The departmental patriarch spent his last years at the university developing and promoting the Student Portfolio Project, that required all departmental faculty to create integrated course projects and maintain a database of their students' work. New graduates could refer their prospective employers to the Student Portfolio Project database to mine examples of their work. The patriarch retired, funding and effort dried up, and the project lingered in a few syllabi and on the department's web site for a year or two but now any mention of it elicits either puzzled looks or wry grins from the remaining faculty. The patriarch's Student Portfolio Project has officially been terminated by:

A) extinction.
B) addition
C) integration
D) starvation.

Question 34

Once the project was successfully concluded, the team members returned to their roles in the organization, occasionally congregating at the water cooler to relive their halcyon days of yore. No one could argue that their project was:

A) terminated by extinction
B) terminated by addition.
C) terminated by integration.
D) terminated by starvation.

Question 35

In order to facilitate acceptance for the project, the project team should start planning for the project's transfer and use during:

A) the project development phase.
B) the project termination phase.
C) the project close-out phase.
D) the project work phase.

Question 36

Under the BOT option for a project:

A) the project organization must operate the work product of the project for a while.
B) the customer organization must accept the work product of the project at the scheduled delivery date.
C) the project organization may build the work product to their own specifications instead of the customer's.
D) the customer organization transfers employees to the project organization for the duration of the project.

Question 37

The final items that are left to accomplish or correct at the end of a construction project are on the:

A) punch list.
B) check list.
C) check sheet.
D) errata sheet.

Question 38

The difference between a BOT contract and a BOOT contract is that under the BOOT contract:

A) the customer must observe all phases of the project process before the product is handed over.
B) the project organization is obligated to complete the project on time.
C) the project organization must take initial ownership of the product.
D) the customer must organize the project's resources for the project organization.

Question 39

The key to begin harvesting the benefits of a project is to first develop an effective:

A) client relationship with the project team.
B) measurement system for project use and value assessment.
C) BOOT agreement that clearly stipulates when transfer of title occurs.
D) enterprise resource planning package to manage human, financial, and material resources.

Question 40

Of the project closeout management steps listed, the first is to:

A) hand over the project.
B) finish the work.
C) gain acceptance for the product.
D) review how it all went.

Question 41

The closeout step that requires all contractual documents be recorded and archived is:

A) putting it all to bed.
B) finishing the work.
C) reviewing how it all went.
D) harvesting the benefits.

Question 42

Which of these statements about early termination decisions is best?

A) The decision to pull the plug is usually clear-cut.
B) A project's viability is usually a purely internal issue.
C) Projects that can fulfill a useful purpose in the marketplace are not killed.
D) External reasons, such as a change in the organization's environment, are often the reasons for project termination.

Question 43

Researchers have determined that one significant early warning sign of project failure is:

A) the time to complete the project lengthens.
B) the rewards were available on an intermittent basis.
C) the new product being developed was targeting a market that few new products and firms were entering or existing.
D) there was little prior experience on the project team.

Question 44

An important guideline to follow in a lessons learned meeting is to:

A) make sure to properly assign blame for all that went wrong.
B) make sure that events receive necessary spin.
C) fix the problems.
D) include all stakeholders.

Question 45

Research indicates that the number one reason for terminating research and development projects is:

A) that the project is found to be inconsistent with organizational goals.
B) the project costs more to complete than originally planned.
C) the low probability of achieving technical or commercial success.
D) increased government restrictions.

Question 46

Which statement about project closeout activities is best?

A) Closeout activities are usually given a high priority.
B) Getting the project signed off discourages other closeout activities.
C) Because all projects are unique, the actual carryover from project to project is minimal.
D) Closeout activities are impossible to ignore.

Question 47

The goal of a lessons learned meeting is to recapitulate the series of events:

A) as subjectively as possible.
B) from the project manager's viewpoint.
C) as intuitively as possible.
D) from all possible viewpoints.

Question 48

Which of these is NOT a consequence of a natural process for project closeout?

A) Team members suffer a natural let-down and are de-motivated to participate in future projects.
B) Managers can create a database of lessons learned analyses.
C) Closeout can serve as an important source of information for team members.
D) Structure for a systematic and complete project shut-down arises.

Question 49

Which of these factors weighs heavily in the decision to terminate a project?

A) inability to protect results
B) increased market receptiveness
C) meeting project cost milestones
D) low probability of return on investment

Question 50

All projects are unique:

A) therefore all project management circumstances are equally unique.
B) so knowledge cannot be transferred.
C) but they may have several common points.
D) so knowledge should not be transferred to avoid bias in future projects.

Question 51

Non-employees such as contractors or consultants being released and paid is an important component of:

A) handing over the product.
B) disbanding the team.
C) putting it all to bed.
D) reviewing how it all went.

Question 52

The project review session was one epiphany after another for the project organization. A number of systematic errors were properly identified and the root causes of a number of problems were identified. Sadly, the review session was not leveraged to its fullest extent thanks to:

A) the disbanding of the project team.
B) failure to enforce the archiving of this knowledge.
C) a restrictive BOOT contract.
D) a liberal BOT contract.

Question 53

Research clearly indicates that when team members have experienced positive psycho-social outcomes from a project:

A) they are actually less likely to work collaboratively in the future.
B) they tend to fear future projects because they feel the law of averages will catch up with them.
C) their enthusiasm level wanes due to mental and physical exhaustion.
D) they are more likely to work collaboratively in the future.

Question 54

Lessons learned analysis is best described as:

A) a bookkeeping process.
B) a personnel reassignment process.
C) a pressure relief process.
D) an organizational learning process.

Question 55

A lessons-learned analysis falls under the project closeout management element of:

A) reviewing how it all went.
B) handing over the product.
C) finishing the work.
D) putting it all to bed.

Question 56

Putting it all to bed during project closeout includes:

A) developing a meaningful measurement system.
B) closing all accounting records.
C) describing as objectively as possible what occurred.
D) completing the punch list.

Question 57

A static factor that may lead to early termination for a project is:

A) less capital availability.
B) high sunk costs.
C) intermittent rewards.
D) loss of the project champion.

Question 58

A behavioral issue that is crucial to maintaining the ongoing viability of a project is:

A) worker commitment.
B) increasing importance to the firm.
C) financial impact to the company.
D) relatively minor technical problems.

Question 59

Disbanding the project team should be:

A) celebrated so there is motivation for future projects.
B) done in a highly structured manner.
C) done in a highly informal manner.
D) handled in an off-hand manner.

Question 60

Surveys on the early warning signs of project failure indicate that a red flag for failure is:

A) the time to complete the project lengthens.
B) the lack of viable commercial objectives.
C) the political forces have turned against the project.
D) the benefits of the project won't be realized until the end.

Question 61

The formalized system of dealing with grievances and administering corrective justice to parties in a bargaining position is:

A) collective bargaining.
B) distributive justice.
C) arbitration.
D) compensation.

Question 62

When contractual claims are defaulted due to the failure of a project to be completed and delivered:

A) the client firm should file an ex-gratia claim.
B) the client firm may have some legal claim to punitive damages.
C) the project firm should file an ex-gratia claim.
D) the project firm may have some legal claim to recovery.

Question 63

An internal intellectual issue that arises when a project is terminated is:

A) agreement with suppliers on outstanding commitments.
B) closing down facilities.
C) identification of remaining deliverables.
D) determinants of requirements for audit trail data.

Question 64

The work breakdown for project termination issues can be broadly categorized into:

A) emotional and devotional issues.
B) visceral and discrete issues.
C) intellectual and intersectional issues.
D) intellectual and emotional issues.

Question 65

A comparison of matrix versus functional design would fall under the:

A) project performance section of the final project performance.
B) team performance section of the final project performance.
C) administrative performance section of the final project performance.
D) organizational structure section of the final project performance.

Question 66

Many times, clients will shift new people into the project who have no experience with it as they move their key people to new challenges. This issue is:

A) an emotional one for the project team.
B) an emotional one for the clients.
C) one that is internal and intellectual.
D) one that is external and intellectual.

Question 67

The rapid evolution of technology and the need to freeze a project's scope can combine to render a project:

A) too costly to complete.
B) obsolete before it can be finished.
C) a poor fit with current company strategy.
D) so complex that it will take too long to complete.

Question 68

The final project report should answer questions related to project performance, such as:

A) how the organization's operating structure either helped or hindered the project team and their efforts.
B) how the project fared compared to baseline schedule and budget.
C) how consistently the organization estimated the completion time for activities.
D) how close the project came to achieving its goals.

Question 69

Binding arbitration:

A) requires that a terminated project be completed before damages are awarded.
B) requires empanelment of equal numbers from both the client and project organizations to reach a verdict.
C) should be used to settle disputes only if the principle of caveat emptor does not apply.
D) can settle outstanding claims or disputes provided that all parties agree to its use.

Question 70

Projects accumulate quantities of unused supplies and materials. It is imperative that an organization have a method for disposing of these materials when a project is terminated. This issue is:

A) intellectual and internal.
B) intellectual and external.
C) emotional and of the project team.
D) emotional and of the client.

Question 71

Construction of the largest egg in the world seemed like a good idea when the Pixley city council awarded Halliburton the construction contract, but as the weeks turned into months the idea had lost much of its charm. What emotional issues might the project team be facing?

A) availability of key personnel
B) loss of project-derived motivation
C) disposal of unused material
D) communicating closure

Question 72

Loss of team identity is:

A) an emotional staff issue.
B) an emotional client issue.
C) an intellectual internal issue.
D) an intellectual external issue.

Question 73

The Microserf was in a blind panic; now that the latest version of the Bob operating system was ready for sale he would have to latch onto a new project team or face life on the mean streets of Redmond. This is indubitably an:

A) emotional issue for the clients.
B) internal, intellectual issue.
C) emotional issue for the project team.
D) external, intellectual issue.

Question 74

Which of these is NOT a sign of pending IT project failure?

A) Best practices and lessons learned are ignored.
B) Project managers don't understand users' needs.
C) Wireless technology is relied on too heavily.
D) Project changes are poorly managed.

Question 75

An example of an external intellectual issue is:

A) the control of charges to the project.
B) the screening of partially completed tasks.
C) the identification of outstanding commitments.
D) the determinants of requirements for audit trail data.

Question 76

In non-binding arbitration:

A) the judge can offer suggestions for dispute resolution but cannot enforce these opinions.
B) the two parties agree to open up, or unbind, their books for inspection by the other party.
C) the client and project organizations both agree to perform exactly what the judge decrees.
D) the client and project organizations are not bound by the rules of law.

Question 77

When a project is shut down, the project team must ensure that all relevant stakeholders are clearly aware of the project shut down, including the date by which all activities will cease. This is an:

A) intellectual and internal issue.
B) emotional issue of the project team.
C) emotional issue of the clients.
D) intellectual and external issue.

Question 78

An ex-gratia claim made when a project is closed down is made when:

A) there is no contractual basis for a claim.
B) the project company fails to perform to the terms of the contract.
C) the client company fails to perform to the terms of the contract.
D) a third party causes either the client or project company to fail to perform to the terms of the contract.

Question 79

Administrative performance review is an important component of the final project report. Which item is a key facet of administrative performance?

A) the method of assuring that project team members have adequate training
B) the method of determining activity and resource costs
C) the method of determining the number of signatures in the change order process
D) the method of measuring stakeholder satisfaction

Question 80

A mainframe computer company decided to enter the personal computer market with its Floridian Project, but subsequently decided to leave the market to focus on the mainframe business. The decision rule that they probably applied was to get out:

A) when the project no longer meets strategic fit criteria.
B) when deadlines continue to be missed.
C) when project personnel turn over too rapidly.
D) when technology evolves beyond the project's scope.