Question 1

The executing process group generally requires the most resources.

Accepted Answer

The executing process group takes the actions necessary to complete the work described in the planning activities. It should overlap the other process groups, and generally requires the most resources.

Question 2

The WBS provides a basis for creating the project schedule and performing earned value management for measuring and forecasting project performance.

Accepted Answer

The WBS is a very important tool in project management because it provides the basis for deciding how to do the work. The WBS also provides a basis for creating the project schedule and performing earned value management for measuring and forecasting project performance.

Question 3

Initiating processes are not required to end a project.

Accepted Answer

Initiating processes are also required to end a project. Someone must initiate activities to ensure that the project team completes all the work, documents lessons learned, assigns project resources, and that the customer accepts the work.

Question 4

The output of the stakeholder management strategy results is a project charter.

Accepted Answer

The output of the stakeholder management strategy results is a stakeholder register.

Question 5

Identifying the project sponsor is a pre-initiation task.

Accepted Answer

It is a good practice to lay the groundwork for a project before it officially starts. Senior managers often perform several tasks, sometimes called pre-initiation tasks. These include identifying the project sponsor and selecting the project manager.

Question 6

In the Scrum method, team members work as a self-directed group coached by the ScrumMaster.

Accepted Answer

Because Scrum implies that team members work as a self-directed group, coached by the ScrumMaster, a team contract should not be necessary.

Question 7

Key outcomes of the executing process group are formal acceptance of the work and creation of closing documents.

Accepted Answer

Key outcomes of the closing process group are formal acceptance of the work and creation of closing documents, such as a final project report and lessons-learned report.

Question 8

The level of activity and length of each process group varies for every project.

Accepted Answer

The level of activity and length of each process group varies for every project. Normally, executing tasks requires the most resources and time, followed by planning tasks.

Question 9

Project initiation involves taking the actions necessary to ensure that activities in the project plan are completed.

Accepted Answer

Executing the project involves taking the actions necessary to ensure that activities in the project plan are completed. It also includes work required to introduce any new hardware, software, and procedures into normal operations.

Question 10

Agile methods are used when deliverables have a low degree of change.

Accepted Answer

Agile is an adaptive product life cycle used when deliverables have a high degree of change and a high frequency of delivery.

Question 11

An organization's project management plan expresses the vision, mission, goals, objectives, and strategies of the organization.

Accepted Answer

The organization's strategic plan expresses the vision, mission, goals, objectives, and strategies of the organization.

Question 12

The kick-off meeting is always held before the business case and project charter are completed.

Accepted Answer

A kick-off meeting is a meeting held at the beginning of a project so that stakeholders can meet each other, review the goals of the project, and discuss future plans. The kick-off meeting is often held after the business case and project charter are completed, but it could be held sooner, as needed.

Question 13

Initiating processes take place during each phase of a project.

Accepted Answer

Initiating processes include defining and authorizing a project or project phase. Initiating processes take place during each phase of a project.

Question 14

Initiating and closing tasks are usually the longest and require the most amount of resources and time.

Accepted Answer

Initiating and closing tasks are usually the shortest (at the beginning and end of a project or phase, respectively), and they require the least resources and time.

Question 15

The Rational Unified Process (RUP) framework is incompatible with the PMBOK process.

Accepted Answer

According to RUP expert Bill Cottrell, "RUP embodies industry-standard management and technical methods and techniques to provide a software engineering process particularly suited to creating and maintaining component-based software system solutions." Cottrell explained that you can tailor RUP to include the PMBOK process groups because several customers asked for that capability.

Question 16

Many project management activities occur as part of the planning process group.

Accepted Answer

Because each project is unique, project teams are always trying to do something that has not been done before.  To succeed at unique and new activities, projects teams must do a fair amount of planning.

Question 17

Decisions and actions taken in one knowledge area at a certain time rarely affect other knowledge areas.

Accepted Answer

Project management is an integrative endeavor; decisions and actions taken in one knowledge area at a certain time usually affect other knowledge areas.

Question 18

A milestone list is an output associated with the Project Scope Management knowledge area.

Accepted Answer

A milestone list is an output associated with the Project Schedule Management knowledge area.

Question 19

Monitoring and controlling processes overlap all of the other project management process groups.

Accepted Answer

Monitoring and controlling processes overlap all of the other project management process groups because changes can occur at any time.

Question 20

The DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) methodology of the Six Sigma projects, is used to improve an existing business process.

Accepted Answer

Two main methodologies are used on Six Sigma projects: DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control) is used to improve an existing business process, and DMADV (Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Verify) is used to create new product or process designs to achieve predictable, defect-free performance.

Quiz 3: The Project Management Process Groups