question

action words

answer

Words that signal a sequence of events

question

activity

answer

Basic units of work that a project manager plans, schedules, and monitors

question

calendar view

answer

Shows tasks as an overlay on the actual calendar

question

code review

answer

A type of structured walk-through that takes place during the SDLC

question

concurrent task

answer

One of several tasks that can start at the same time

question

critical path

answer

A series of tasks whose delay would affect a project's completion date

question

Critical Path Method

answer

Developed by private industry to manage complex projects

question

dependent tasks

answer

Tasks that must be completed one after another

question

duration

answer

The amount of time it will take to complete a task

question

event

answer

Examples may include the start of user training or completion of interviews

question

Gantt chart

answer

Horizontal bar chart that represents a set of tasks

question

Microsoft Project

answer

Program having a dominant share of the project management software industry

question

milestone

answer

Recognizable reference point that can be used to monitor progress

question

network diagram

answer

Microsoft's name for a PERT chart

question

open source

answer

Type of program that is supported by a community of users and developers

question

predecessor task

answer

Must be completed before another task can start

question

program evaluation review technique

answer

Developed by the U.S. Navy to manage very complex projects

question

project coordinator

answer

Handles administrative responsibilities for a project team

question

project creep

answer

Process in which projects expand gradually without specific authorization

question

project leader

answer

Used interchangeably with the term project manager

question

project management

answer

Includes planning, scheduling, and reporting on information system development

question

project manager

answer

A project team member who is usually a senior systems analyst

question

project monitoring

answer

Requires guiding, supervising, and coordinating a project team's workload

question

project planning

answer

Includes identifying all project tasks and estimating their completion time

question

project reporting

answer

Includes regular progress reports to management, users, and the project team

question

project scheduling

answer

Involves the creation of a specific timetable, usually in the form of charts

question

project status meetings

answer

Opportunity for project manager to seek input and hold brainstorming sessions

question

project triangle

answer

Includes three legs, which often represent cost, scope, and time

question

qualitative risk analysis

answer

Estimates the probability that a risk will occur and its degree of impact

question

quantitative risk analysis

answer

Can involve a modeling process called what-if analysis

question

risk

answer

An event that could affect a project negatively

question

risk identification

answer

Lists each risk and assesses the likelihood that it could affect a project

question

risk management

answer

Process whose purpose is to minimize the impact of risks on a project

question

risk management plan

answer

Includes a review of internal or external factors that might affect a project

question

risk response plan

answer

Proactive effort to anticipate a risk and describe a plan to deal with it

question

slack time

answer

Amount of time a task can be late without delaying a project's completion date

question

successor task

answer

A concurrent task dependent upon a single prior task

question

task

answer

Has a beginning and an end and requires the use of company resources

question

task box

answer

A rectangular box in a PERT/CPM chart

question

task group

answer

Combination of several activities that contain subsidiary tasks

question

task id

answer

A number or code that provides unique identification

question

task name

answer

Should be brief and descriptive, but does not have to be unique in a project

question

task pattern

answer

Can involve dependent, multiple successor, and multiple predecessor tasks

question

weight

answer

An importance value that managers assign to each time estimate

question

work breakdown structure

answer

Involves breaking a project down into a series of smaller tasks

question

a. U.S. Navy

answer

The Program Evaluation Review Technique was developed by the ________ to manage very complex projects. a. U.S. Navy b. IT industry c. U.S. Army d. private sector

question

b. False

answer

A project manager's best course of action is to attempt to handle all situations single-handedly and avoid alerting management until a problem is serious. a. True b. False

question

d. project leader

answer

In a systems project, the program manager, or ________ , usually is a senior systems analyst or an IT department manager if the project is large. a. project analyst b. project coordinator c. project programmer d. project leader

question

c. PERT chart

answer

A project manager can use a ________ to convert task start and finish times to actual dates by laying out an entire project on a calendar. a. quantitative risk analysis b. structured walk-through c. PERT chart d. Gantt chart

question

b. False

answer

A task ID does not need to be unique in a project and should be brief and descriptive. a. True b. False

question

c. scheduling

answer

Project ________ involves selecting and staffing a project team and assigning specific tasks to team members. a. reporting b. planning c. scheduling d. monitoring

question

a. dependent

answer

The pattern of tasks for a large project can be broken down into ________ tasks, multiple successor tasks, and multiple predecessor tasks. a. dependent b. milestone c. activity d. critical

question

b. critical path

answer

The completion of a project will be delayed if any task on the ________ falls behind schedule. a. risk management plan b. critical path c. work breakdown structure d. testing review

question

c. structured walk-throughs

answer

Many project managers institute ________ , which are reviews of a project team member's work by other members of the team. a. predecessor tasks b. project triangles c. structured walk-throughs d. probable-case estimates

question

b. Gantt charts

answer

When the project manager provides status reports to management and users, ________ are often included as a means for showing the project's status graphically. a. critical paths b. Gantt charts c. task patterns d. design reviews

question

a. successor

answer

If a predecessor task has more than one successor task, the predecessor task's finish time is used to determine the start time for all ________ tasks. a. successor b. concurrent c. predecessor d. dependent

question

c. Apptivo

answer

________ offers several levels of business applications, including project management, and has a plan that is available free of charge with unlimited duration. a. Microsoft Project b. RiskyProject Professional c. Apptivo d. GanttProject

question

d. risk response plan

answer

The ________ is effective if the overall impact of a risk can be reduced by triggering timely and appropriate action. a. quantitative analysis b. qualitative analysis c. risk management plan d. risk response plan

question

d. business requirements

answer

When an information system does not meet ________ , causes might include inadequately defined scope, imprecise targets, and lack of change control procedures. a. budget requirements b. probable-case estimates c. schedule requirements d. business requirements

question

d. Project management

answer

________ for IT professionals includes planning, scheduling, monitoring and controlling, and reporting on information system development. a. Quantitative risk analysis b. Risk management c. Qualitative risk analysis d. Project management

question

c. constraints

answer

In order for a project to be successful, there must be a balance of cost, scope, and time against a set of ________ . a. milestones b. activities c. constraints d. tasks

question

c. Microsoft

answer

________ states that in most projects, at least one side of the project triangle is fixed, and you are not likely to change it. a. Apptivo b. GanttProject c. Microsoft d. MIS CourseMate

question

b. project leader

answer

In a systems project, the program manager, or ________ , usually is a senior systems analyst or an IT department manager if the project is large. a. project programmer b. project leader c. project analyst d. project coordinator

question

d. project coordinator

answer

Most large projects have a project manager and a ________ who handles administrative responsibilities for the team. a. project programmer b. project leader c. project analyst d. project coordinator

question

a. monitoring

answer

Project ________ requires guiding, supervising, and coordinating the project team's workload. a. monitoring b. planning c. scheduling d. reporting

question

d. reporting

answer

Effective project ________ requires strong communication skills and a sense of what others want and need to know about the project. a. monitoring b. planning c. scheduling d. reporting

question

c. PERT/CPM

answer

The two primary chart types that should be understood before creating work breakdown structures are Gantt charts and ________ charts. a. Microsoft Project b. WBS c. PERT/CPM d. risk management

question

d. Gantt chart

answer

The ________ was developed by a mechanical engineer and management consultant over 100 years ago. a. Critical Path Method b. PERT c. WBS d. Gantt chart

question

c. U.S. Navy

answer

The Program Evaluation Review Technique was developed by the ________ to manage very complex projects. a. U.S. Army b. private sector c. U.S. Navy d. IT industry

question

d. bottom-up

answer

PERT is a ________ technique because it analyzes a large, complex project as a series of individual tasks. a. top-down b. quantitative c. qualitative d. bottom-up

question

d. network diagram

answer

The term ________ is the Microsoft equivalent to the PERT chart. a. probable-case estimate b. worst-case estimate c. project triangle d. network diagram

question

c. activity

answer

Any work that has a beginning and an end and requires the use of company resources, such as people, time, or money, is referred to as a task or a(n) ________ . a. milestone b. event c. activity d. estimate

question

a. milestone

answer

A(n) ________ , or event, is a recognizable reference point that you can use to monitor a project's progress. a. milestone b. gateway c. activity d. task

question

c. duration

answer

Task ________ can be measured in person-days, which are units that represent the work that one person can complete in one day. a. groups b. patterns c. duration d. management

question

b. probable-case

answer

Prior to assigning a weight to each estimate, a project manager will make a best-case estimate, a(n) ________ estimate, and worst-case estimate for each task. a. risk-response b. probable-case c. person-day d. task-pattern

question

a. 4

answer

A common approach to calculating expected task duration is to use a ratio of B = 1, P = ________ , and W =1. a. 4 b. 1 c. 2 d. 5

question

d. human resources

answer

Assembling and guiding a development team is part of the ________ factor that is considered when developing duration estimates. a. project size b. constraints c. experience with similar projects d. human resources

question

b. large

answer

Developing time and cost estimates using the experience method may not be reliable for projects involving ________ systems. a. medium-size b. large c. small d. Web-based

question

d. groups

answer

Task ________ can be used when managing a complex project with many tasks. a. boxes b. patterns c. names d. groups

question

b. boxes

answer

In a PERT/CPM chart, project tasks are shown as task ________ , arranged in the sequence in which they must be performed. a. names b. boxes c. patterns d. groups

question

a. Dependent

answer

________ tasks must be completed one after another. a. Dependent b. Concurrent c. Open source d. Structured

question

d. concurrent

answer

When several tasks can start at the same time, each is called a ________ task. a. dependent b. multiple predecessor c. predecessor d. concurrent

question

a. predecessor

answer

Often, two or more concurrent tasks, depend on a single prior task, which is called a ________ task. a. predecessor b. structured c. successor d. dependent

question

c. statement

answer

Task patterns can be identified by looking carefully at the wording of the task ________ . a. name b. ID c. statement d. summary

question

c. patterns

answer

Task ________ determine the order in which tasks are performed. a. groups b. names c. patterns d. IDs

question

b. critical path

answer

If the series of tasks, known as the ________ , is delayed, the completion date of the overall project will be affected. a. risk response plan b. critical path c. design review d. testing review

question

b. slack

answer

The amount of time that a task can be late without delaying the completion date of an entire project is called ________ time. a. risk b. slack c. worst-case d. creep

question

d. structured walk-through

answer

Many project managers have project members review the work of other team members, which is referred to as a ________ . a. qualitative risk analysis b. bottom-up technique c. risk management plan d. structured walk-through

question

b. testing

answer

Depending on the phase of the SDLC, a structured walk-through may be referred to as a design review, code review, or ________ review. a. risk b. testing c. duration d. gateway

question

c. status

answer

A project ________ meeting provides team members with an opportunity to share information, discuss common problems, and explain new techniques. a. monitoring b. scheduling c. status d. reporting

question

a. management

answer

Members of a project team regularly report their progress to the project manager, who in turn reports to ________ and users. a. management b. software developers c. network administrators d. project leaders

question

d. dependencies

answer

When constructing a PERT/CPM chart from a task list, the first step is to identify the tasks, determine task ________ , and enter the task name, ID, and duration. a. groups b. risks c. patterns d. dependencies

question

d. latest

answer

If a successor task has more than one predecessor task, the ________ finish time of the predecessor tasks should be used to determine the start time for the successor task. a. earliest b. quickest c. previous d. latest

question

c. Microsoft

answer

________ invites prospective customers to view an extensive demo that showcases the features of their Project program, which holds the dominant share of the project management software market. a. Apptivo b. GanttProject c. Microsoft d. Intaver Institute

question

d. calendar view

answer

Microsoft Project's ________ shows tasks, similar to a PERT chart, as an overlay on the actual calendar. a. task group b. gateway c. structured walk-through d. calendar view

question

b. open source

answer

GanttProject is a free ________ program that is supported by a community of users and developers. a. design review b. open source c. code review d. testing review

question

d. integrated

answer

A significant advantage of ________ project management software is that it allows the project manager to adjust schedules, estimates, and resource assignments rapidly. a. quantitative b. gateway c. structured d. integrated

question

b. Risk management

answer

________ is the process of identifying, analyzing, anticipating, and monitoring risks to minimize their impact on a project. a. Best-case estimation b. Risk management c. Probable-case estimation d. Weighting

question

d. management

answer

A risk ________ plan includes a review of a project's scope, stakeholders, budget, schedule, and any other internal or external factors that might affect a project. a. identification b. response c. analysis d. management

question

b. Qualitative

answer

________ risk analysis evaluates each risk by estimating the probability that it will occur and the degree of impact. a. Dependent b. Qualitative c. Quantitative d. Independent

question

c. Quantitative

answer

________ risk analysis is performed to better understand the actual impact in terms of dollars, time, project scope, or quality. a. Dependent b. Qualitative c. Quantitative d. Independent

question

b. response

answer

A risk ________ plan is a proactive effort to anticipate risk and describe an action plan to deal with it. a. identification b. response c. management d. analysis

question

b. Intaver Institute

answer

________ offers an add-on risk management package for Microsoft Project, which includes a color-coded matrix that reflects risk probability and impact. a. GanttProject b. Intaver Institute c. Apptivo d. Final Four Industries

question

a. business

answer

To be successful, an information system must satisfy ________ requirements, stay within budget, be completed on time, and be managed effectively. a. business b. user c. project team d. security

question

d. project creep

answer

A process referred to as ________ can increase risk when a project does not have clear scope definitions. a. slack time b. Brooks' Law c. risk identification d. project creep

question

a. Cost overruns

answer

________ may result from unrealistic estimates that are too optimistic or based on incomplete information. a. Cost overruns b. Slack time c. Weighting d. Project creep

question

c. Brooks' Law

answer

In some situations, adding more people to a project might increase the time necessary to complete the project because of a principle called ________ . a. slack time b. project creep c. Brooks' Law d. open source

question

d. IBM

answer

Frederick Brooks Jr., a(n) ________ engineer, observed that adding manpower to a late software project only made it later because new team members first had to be educated and instructed by existing employees whose own productivity was reduced accordingly. a. U.S. Navy b. Microsoft c. Intaver Institute d. IBM

question

d. gateway

answer

In business process modeling notation, a(n) ________ is like a fork in the road, allowing the flow to go one way or another. a. finish day/date b. start day/date c. activity d. gateway

question

a. True

answer

Identifying all project tasks and estimating the completion time and cost of each is referred to as project planning. a. True b. False

question

b. False

answer

The Critical Path Method (CPM) was developed by the U.S. Navy to manage very complex projects. a. True b. False

question

a. True

answer

Project managers often use a weighted formula for estimating the duration of each task. a. True b. False

question

b. False

answer

A task ID does not need to be unique in a project and should be brief and descriptive. a. True b. False

question

a. True

answer

Slack time is the amount of time a task can be late without pushing back the completion date of an entire project. a. True b. False

question

b. False

answer

A project manager's best course of action is to attempt to handle all situations single-handedly and avoid alerting management until a problem is serious. a. True b. False

question

b. False

answer

A project triangle displays the same information as the Gantt chart, but uses task boxes to include much more detail. a. True b. False

question

a. True

answer

A risk management plan should define project roles and responsibilities, risk management methods and procedures, categories of risk, and contingency plans. a. True b. False

question

b. False

answer

A mitigation plan identifies a condition that would initiate a contingency plan. a. True b. False

question

a. True

answer

A principle called Brook's Law demonstrates that adding more people to a project might increase the time necessary to complete the project. a. True b. False

question

time

answer

Successful projects must balance cost, scope, and _______ against a set of constraints.

question

tasks (activities)

answer

Conducting interviews, designing a report, selecting software, waiting for the delivery of equipment, and training users are examples of _______.

question

person-day

answer

A(n) _______ represents the work that one person can complete in one day.

question

work breakdown structure

answer

Tasks in a(n) _______ must be arranged in a logical sequence called a task pattern.

question

critical path

answer

Microsoft Project and other project management software can highlight the series of tasks that form the _______.

question

brainstorming

answer

Project status meetings provide a project manager with an opportunity to seek input and conduct _______ sessions.

question

PERT/CPM

answer

To transform a task list into a(n) _______ chart, you first enter the task name, ID, duration, and predecessors for each task.

question

GanttProject

answer

_______ is a free open source program that has a similar look and feel as Microsoft Project.

question

risk matrix

answer

A Microsoft Excel XY chart can be used to display a(n) _______ that shows risk probability and potential impact.

question

cost overrun

answer

When the progress of a project is poorly monitored and responses to early warning signs of problems are slow, the result can be a(n) _______ .

Chapter 3 – Managing Systems Projects – Flashcards

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