Deck 7: Monitoring and Controlling the Project

Question 1

In order to manage for overall project success, control should be exercised at a very high and aggregated level and not get bogged down with unnecessary details.

Answer 1

False

Question 2

In order to manage for overall project success, control must be exercised at the detailed work level for each aspect of project performance.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

A common mistake is to focus too much on results and not enough on the intensity of activity.

Answer 3

False

Question 4

One way of linking planning and control is to monitor project progress on the MSP Gantt chart.

Question 5

The purpose of control is to ensure that all interested parties have the information they need.

Question 6

In general, it is preferable to have periodic reports.

Question 7

Control is the collection, recording, and reporting of project information.

Question 8

Mechanisms to gather and store data rarely need to be designed.

Question 9

Everyone associated with the project should receive the same information.

Question 10

Frequent blame is considered a good motivational tool to keep project team members on track.

Question 11

Statistical quality control techniques can be helpful for determining what size variances are significant.

Question 12

An important use of data analysis is to identify who to properly blame for poor project performance.

Question 13

The plan-monitor-control cycle constitutes a "closed loop" process.

Question 14

The most important use of data gathered from monitoring is learning from mistakes.

Question 15

An overload of reporting is just as dangerous as underreporting.

Question 16

It is often the case with particularly challenging or uncertain projects that the planning-monitoring-controlling effort is minimized so that the "real work" can be done.

Question 17

Project monitoring and control can be thought of as opposite sides of project selection and planning.

Question 18

The most important use of data gathered from monitoring is control.

Question 19

Too often, intensity of activity is measured instead of results.

Question 20

Exception reports are prepared to disseminate the results of a special study.

Question 21

Project review meetings are always important.

Question 22

Estimated (remaining cost) to completion (ETC) is calculated as…

A) (BAC - EV)/CPI
B) (BAC - EV)/SPI
C) (BAC + EV)/CPI
D) (BAC + EV)/SPI
E) (BAC - AC)/CPI

Question 23

Control systems that make use of all five components of project control are called cybernetic control systems.

Question 24

Monitoring is the direct connection between project planning and control.

Question 25

Lower expenditures than expected at a given point in time is always good.

Question 26

Which of the following is not an objective mentioned in the text for data gathered from monitoring?

A) promoting team members
B) keeping management informed
C) auditing
D) learning from mistakes
E) control

Question 27

The key to setting up a monitoring system is to identify the special characteristics of scope, cost and time that need to be controlled in order to achieve the project goals.

Question 28

The 50-50 approach for estimating progress overstates the EV of tasks that are near completion and understates the EV of tasks that have recently begun.

Question 29

Earned value (EV) of a task is the budgeted cost of the work actually performed.

Question 30

According to the text, there is no satisfactory way to measure accurately the percent of completion of most tasks.

Question 31

Remarks should be directly attributed to individuals in the meeting minutes.

Question 32

The plan-monitor-control cycle is best described as…

A) an open loop process
B) a closed-loop process
C) an ad-hoc process
D) an informal process
E) a hierarchical process

Question 33

Earned Value is a measure of overall project progress in terms of performance, budget, and schedule.

Question 34

Weekly progress report meetings should be rarely held.

Question 35

Exception reports are primarily intended for unexpected situations.

Question 36

The go/no-go control takes the form of tests (sensors) to determine if some specific precondition (standard and comparator) has been met before permission is granted to continue (decision maker and effector).

Question 37

The cost/spending variance is calculated as…

A) AC - EV
B) EV- PV
C) PV - EV
D) AC - PV
E) EV - AC

Question 38

The percentage of an activity's budget actually spent by a given date is typically a of that activity's completion.

Question 39

To maximize efficiency, project team meetings should follow Robert's Rules of Order.

Question 40

Earned value is a measure for overall project progress in terms of performance, budget and schedule.

Question 41

The accountants of Junis Plex, a textile company, used to calculate the company's taxable income manually. However, the management recently adopted a software program that requires only few inputs from the accountants which automatically calculates the taxes owed by the company. The management releases a report for all its operations managers that provides specific instructions on how to use this software. Which of the following types of reports has Junis Plex used to inform its project managers of the new software program?

A) A special analysis report
B) A semi-periodic report
C) An exception report
D) A routine report
E) A resource report

Question 42

Which of the following is not a tool used to aid the PM in project control?

A) variance analysis
B) trend projections
C) earned value analysis
D) control charts
E) discounted cash flow analysis

Question 43

Kimberley, a project manager in a software development company, is assigned a new project. She is given a budget of $500,000 and a span of six months to complete the project. In three months, she is able to complete 50 percent of the project. In this scenario, the earned value of the work completed is _____.

A) $350,000
B) $300,000
C) $250,000
D) $200,000
E) $150,000

Question 44

In earned value analysis…

A) it is desirable to have negative variances for both schedule and spending.
B) it is desirable to have positive variances for both schedule and spending.
C) the schedule variance should be positive and the spending variance negative.
D) the schedule variance should be negative and the spending variance positive.
E) ideally both variances would equal zero.

Question 45

Nadia, an intern in a restoration firm, collects data on a project involving the remodeling of an monument and sends the collected information to Maria, her supervisor. Maria uses this data to estimate the project's progress. After finding that the project is behind schedule, she makes small changes to the tasks involved in the project to bring the performance into agreement with the plan. In this scenario, Maria is engaged in _____ the project.

A) monitoring
B) planning
C) scoping
D) controlling
E) analyzing

Question 46

Define the terms monitoring and control.

Question 47

Renuit Mec, a footwear manufacturing company, produces 10,000 shoes per day. In an average, about 200 shoes have more than one defect. However, the company has found that its newly installed machines are producing more defective products than the older machines. In order to prevent the production of more defective products, Renuit Mec releases a report to its employees asking them to stop using the newly installed machines. In this scenario, Renuit Mec most likely released a(n) _____.

A) periodic report
B) routine report
C) special analysis report
D) resource report
E) exception report

Question 48

Explain why project monitoring and control can be thought to be opposite sides of project selection and planning.

Question 49

To calculate the variable in its economic growth, Nunclemen Inc., a pharmaceutical company, collects data on the sales of its products based on how many doctors prescribe its medicines to their patients. However, a research study conducted by the company shows that pharmacists are a more reliable source than doctors. Nunclemen submits a report of this finding to all its stakeholders to review. Which of the following types of reports has the company used to inform its stakeholders of the results of the research study?

A) A resource report
B) A special analysis report
C) A routine report
D) An exception report
E) A semi-periodic report

Question 50

David, an architect, is in charge of executing a housing project. He appoints Charles to collect, record, and report all the necessary information to David and other relevant stakeholders. In this scenario, Charles will be engaged in _____ the project.

A) scoping
B) monitoring
C) planning
D) controlling
E) scheduling

Question 51

What actions can you take to help avoid the common problems associated with meetings?

Question 52

Mauvin Maz, a fashion boutique, found that its newly acquired batch of raw materials did not meet the company's quality standards and was affecting the quality of its final products. In order to prevent any financial loss due to this problem, the top managers of Mauvin Maz decided to release a report to the workers asking them to stop using the newly acquired raw materials until a formal quality check is conducted. In this scenario, Mauvin Maz most likely released a(n) _____.

A) special analysis report
B) periodic report
C) exception report
D) routine report
E) resource report

Question 53

List the benefits of reports beyond the purpose of control.

Question 54

List and briefly describe the three distinct types of reports.

Question 55

The most common source of changes to a project based on the natural tendency of the client and project team members to improve the project's output is called…

A) scope creep
B) projectitis
C) multitasking
D) dynamic scoping
E) unfreezing

Question 56

Walter, a luthier, is assigned with the task of building 20 guitars in six months. He is given a budget of $1,500,000 to buy the necessary raw materials required for building 20 guitars of same quality. In a period of four months, Walter is able to complete 75 percent of the work and spends $1,250,000 in the process. The project that Walter is working on has a spending variance of _____.

A) $350,000
B) $150,000
C) $430,000
D) $125,000
E) $500,000

Question 57

The first step in setting up a monitoring system is to:

A) identify personnel
B) identify all project milestones
C) identify key factors to be controlled
D) identify reports required
E) develop a change request form

Question 58

Robert, a baker, receives an order for preparing 10 cakes in one day. He is given a budget of $5,000. In six hours, he bakes two-thirds of the order and spends $3,600. Calculate the schedule performance index from the given scenario.

A) 0.55
B) 0.33
C) 0.25
D) 0.66
E) 0.75

Question 59

Paulina, a fashion designer, has a new project that requires her to make five dresses in seven days. A sum of $2,000 is allotted to her to fund the entire project. In three days, she completes one-third of the work and spends $1,200. Calculate the cost performance index from the given scenario.

A) 0.55
B) 0.75
C) 0.33
D) 0.66
E) 0.25

Question 60

What is the best way to estimate percent completion of activities for finding earned value?

Question 61

Explain why virtual projects may be necessary?

Question 62

Explain how an earned value chart can be used to help monitor and control a project.

Question 63

State the formula for SPI. Explain what SPI means and its relevance to monitoring and controlling a project.

Question 64

What are the two primary purposes of control?

Question 65

All good project plans have a change control system as a component. Briefly explain the change control process.

Question 66

State the formula for CPI. Explain what CPI means and its relevance to monitoring and controlling a project.

Question 67

What is earned value?

Question 68

Why is control difficult?