Bachelor of Science in Engineering Management: Project Management Fundamentals Flashcards

What does the acronym RACI stand for in project management?

Answer: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed

RACI defines roles in project tasks: who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each activity.

An engineering manager is using the Delphi technique during risk identification. What is the main advantage of this approach?

Answer: It avoids groupthink by gathering anonymous expert opinions iteratively

The Delphi technique uses anonymous expert rounds to prevent dominant opinions and reduce bias in risk identification.

Which contract type places the most financial risk on the buyer?

Answer: Cost-plus-fixed-fee contract

In a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, the buyer reimburses all allowable costs plus a fixed fee, bearing the risk of cost overruns.

In agile project management, what is a 'sprint retrospective' used for?

Answer: Reflecting on team processes to improve future sprints

The sprint retrospective is a team meeting focused on identifying what went well, what didn't, and how to improve the team's process.

What is the purpose of a project baseline?

Answer: To serve as an approved reference point for measuring project performance

A project baseline is the approved version of the plan used to compare actual performance and identify variances.

During project execution, a team member reports that a key supplier will be two weeks late. This is best addressed initially by:

Answer: Updating the risk register and assessing schedule impact

The PM should log the issue, analyze the impact on the critical path, and determine corrective actions before escalating.

Which scheduling technique uses probabilistic time estimates (optimistic, most likely, pessimistic) to account for uncertainty?

Answer: Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

PERT uses three-point estimates to calculate a weighted average duration and account for schedule uncertainty.