GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT & TECHNOLOGY

ITEC 640
Information Technology Project Management
Final Examination
Spring 2015
Last ___________________________ First _________________________
A. True/False/Fill-in-the-blanks (3 point each).

How is a successful project defined in the CHAOS study? ________________

__T/F __ Upon completion of technical planning for any project, the next most
important stage is forecasting of the associated budgets

How does WBS map to DDT and DSC?

The Work Breakdown Structure

WBS is the bridge between project scope and the project plan. Activity definition and activity sequencing are part of
the WBS.
WBS means divide project into small components and more manageable units called "packages". These packages
make possible to develop project plan, schedule, budget and monitor the progress of the project.Package starts with
project and then it divides into phases. Each phase has one or more deliverables. Under this deliverables there are
activities to achieve this deliverable and milestone. At the end of the phase, there is a milestone called phase
completion.
Milestones provides lots of advantages like

1.

Keep project teams focus - It is easy to concentrate series of small short term deliverables than one single
large deliverable.

2.

Reduce the risk of the project- This provides opportunity to see the progress of the project. And also
milestones act like proof for the concepts.

3.

Provide mechanism for quality control.

Developing a WBS requires several versions until everyone is comfortable and confidant that all of the work activities
have been included. The process of developing WBS starts with DDT and DSC. Each deliverable in the DSC must
divide into lower level details. WBS must

1.

Deliverable oriented - That should not be just sequence of events. It must produce something.

2.

Support project's MOV - WBS must include only the activities which allow for the deliverables. Project team
must ensure that WBS can develop all the deliverables which are mentioned in the project scope.

3.

Level of detail should support planning and controlling - WBS must not be too short or must not be too
details. It must have the required level of details that helps project manager and team to monitor and
compare the progress of the project.

4.

Developers must involve for creating the WBS - This helps to ensure that WBS has required level of
information. They must have a better idea about what activities should do to produce particular deliverable.

__________________________________________________________________
3

Why should a project manager and project team identify the cruxes of a project?
________________________________________________________
_T/F___ Just like the management theories, the logic theories are integral to effective
project management and team building
_T/F__ The core principles of Project Management are different for each discipline

____milestone___ is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product,

service, or result.

_T/F__ Data collection and reporting can assist the PM in production of experienced
value judgments for future projects.

__ T/F_ According to Lewins Force Field Analysis, driving forces are those forces that
act as barriers and drive people away from desired end states.

__T/F___ The Delphi technique is a quick and economical way to estimate the duration
and costs of project activities and human resources

_____WBS_____ is a decomposition of a project scope in form of a smaller and

manageable element

B. Multiple Choices (5 points each). Just highlight correct response (s)

a

Seeds of major software disasters are usually sown in the first few months: Which of the
following is / are true in that context
1.
2.
3.
4.

In Function Point Analysis, one would:

1.
2.
3.
4.

Focus on Functionality and Complexity

Independent of the technology
1) and 2)
None of the Above

A Gantt Chart:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Hasty Scheduling
Irrational Commitments
Unprofessional Estimating Techniques
All of the Above

Does not the show the explicit relationship among tasks

Can be used for reporting projects progress
Can be used for Planning
All of the Above

The three types of cost-reimbursable contracts do not include

1 Cost-Plus-Fee (CPF
2 Cost-Plus-Percentage (CPP)
3 Cost-Plus-Fixed-Fee (CPFF)
4 Cost-Plus-Incentive-Fee (CPIF)
5 Cost-Plus-Profit Incentive (CPPI)
A business case is created as a result from all but one of these. Which one does not create a
business case?
1

A. Ecological Impacts

B. Legal Requirement

C. Management Request

D. Organizational Need

What are the 5 project management process groups?

1
2
3
4

Initiating, Planning, Executing, Directing & Monitoring, Exiting

Initiating, Planning, Controlling, Monitoring & Changing, Closing
Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring & Controlling, Closing
Initiating, Planning, Controlling, Integrating & Monitoring, Exiting

C. Short and Concise Questions. (9.25 points each for getting idea nailed down
remember, we do not need pages and pages, just communicate the concept).
1. The discipline of Project Management for IT, as we studied in this class, is based on
fundamental principles. Can you name 4 principles that you learned and briefly describe any 1
of these principles?
5. "The Closing Process Group consists of those processes performed to finalize all activities across all the Process
Groups to formally close the project or phase."
"The Monitoring and Controlling Process Group. Those processes required to track, review and regulate the progress and
performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan are required; and initiate the corresponding
changes." PMBOK Guide
The Executing Process Group consists of those processes performed to complete the work defined in the project
management plan to satisfy the project specifications.

The Planning Process Group consists of those processes required to establish the scope of the project,
refine the objectives and define the course of action required to attain the objectives that the project was
undertaken to achieve." PMBOK Guide
The Initiating Process Group consists of those processes performed to define a new project or a phase of an existing
project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase.

2. Research suggests that projects that use a formal estimating tool have a better chance of
delivering a system that is on time and within budget. Can you prove that with at least one
reference from published literature?
King, Julia. Survey shows common IT woes, Computerworld, June 23, 2003
Johnson, Jim, et al. (2001). Collaborating on Project Success.

3. There are many types of formal management plans (scope, schedule, communication, etc.,)
that should be created in order to complete a project on time and within budget. Consider the
group project that you worked on for this class and choose one type of management plan that you
wish had been formally in place for your project. Discuss how a formal management plan (for
whichever category you choose) could have improved the project experience for stakeholders

and how not having such a plan in place may have made some aspects of the project more
challenging. Conclude your essay with a final paragraph that extends the concept from your
specific project to a general project.
One interface between customer and suppliers.
Project tracking from start to finish; nothing falls through the cracks.
Dynamic updates on project profitability.
Expedited updates and corrections when a challenge occurs.
Improvement of overall project management.

4. Describe how the SPI and CPI can be used to forecast the final cost of a project.
Like variance, indexes also let you know about the health of the project. They help you analyze
the schedule and cost performance of the project.

Schedule Performance Index (SPI)

Schedule Performance Index gives you information about the schedule performance of the
project.
In simple words, the Schedule Performance Index tells you how efficiently you are actually
progressing compared to the planned progress.

Formula to calculate Schedule Performance Index (SPI)

Below is the formula to calculate SPI:
Schedule Performance Index = (Earned Value)/(Planned Value)
SPI = EV/PV
With the above formula you can conclude that:

If the SPI is greater than one, this means more work has been completed than the

planned work. In other words, you are ahead of schedule.

If the SPI is less than one, this means less work is completed than the planned work. In

other words, you are behind schedule.

If the SPI is equal to one, this means all work is completed.

While calculating the Schedule Performance Index, make sure that you consider all tasks.
Sometimes you may only consider the tasks on the critical path and ignore the rest, which
causes the wrong result.