What is a project? - Answers A temporary endeavor undertaken to accomplish a unique purpose.
What are some examples of projects? - Answers Sending astronauts to Mars, building a new building,
paving a road, writing a term paper, designing a new course, writing new software code.
What can project failure often be traced to? - Answers A poorly defined end result.
What are the benefits of project management? - Answers Better control of resources, improved
customer relations, shorter development time, lower cost, higher quality, greater profit, consistency
with strategic plan, better internal coordination.
What are the key characteristics of projects? - Answers Projects are temporary, unique, and involve
progressive elaboration.
What does 'temporary' mean in the context of projects? - Answers Projects have a defined end point;
if no deadline exists, the task is considered routine.
What does 'unique' mean in project management? - Answers Some aspect of the work has never
been done before, even if similar resources are used.
What is progressive elaboration? - Answers Projects begin broadly defined and become more precise
over time.
What are project resources? - Answers Finite, possibly scarce resources that may be required from
various organizational areas.
Who is a project sponsor? - Answers The primary stakeholder who ultimately accepts the project as
complete.
What is a project team? - Answers A group of people from different functional areas who participate
as needed.
Who are project stakeholders? - Answers Individuals involved in or affected by project activities,
including sponsors, managers, team members, and suppliers.
What is project uncertainty? - Answers Inherent uncertainty in projects due to their unique nature,
requiring effective management.
What are the three project constraints? - Answers Time (schedule), cost (budget), and scope
(requirements).
What is the relationship between time, cost, and scope? - Answers They are inter-related; changes in
one can affect the others.
What typically increases project complexity? - Answers The number and diversity of resources,
magnitude of effort, and variety of skills required.
How is quality defined in project management? - Answers The totality of characteristics of an entity
that satisfy stated or implied needs.
What is the role of a project manager? - Answers To coordinate efforts across functional areas and
integrate planning and control of costs, schedules, and tasks.
What are the two main functions of project management? - Answers Planning and controlling.
What does planning involve in project management? - Answers Setting goals, allocating resources,
anticipating problems, and motivating participants.
What does controlling involve in project management? - Answers Guiding work towards goals,
ensuring effective resource use, correcting problems, and rewarding achievements.
What can project failures often be traced to? - Answers Inadequate planning or controlling without a
plan.
What are the five project management processes identified by PMBOK? - Answers Initiating, Planning,
Executing, Controlling, Closing
What is the purpose of initiating processes in project management? - Answers To commit to begin or
end phases of a project.
What activities are included in the planning processes? - Answers Developing a work breakdown
structure, schedule, budget, and quality assessment parameters.
What is the focus of executing processes in project management? - Answers Coordinating people and
resources to produce results.
What do controlling processes ensure in a project? - Answers That objectives are met and project
progress is measured.
What is the goal of closing processes? - Answers To formally accept the deliverable and close the
project orderly.