CMC Project Planning & Execution 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A cardiac project manager is presenting a business case for a new electrophysiology lab. The business case should include all of the following EXCEPT:
- Expected financial return and cost-benefit analysis
- Alignment with organizational strategic goals
- Detailed staff performance reviews (Correct answer)
- Analysis of alternatives considered
Correct answer: Detailed staff performance reviews
A business case focuses on financial justification, strategic alignment, and alternatives; individual staff performance reviews are an HR function unrelated to project authorization.
Question 2: The project management concept of 'triple constraint' in a cardiac quality improvement project refers to:
- Safety, efficacy, and cost
- Scope, time, and cost (resources) (Correct answer)
- Planning, execution, and closure
- Staffing, equipment, and facilities
Correct answer: Scope, time, and cost (resources)
The triple constraint (iron triangle) is scope, time, and cost—changes to one typically require adjustments to the others to maintain balance.
Question 3: A risk with LOW probability and HIGH impact on a cardiac surgery program should be managed by:
- Accepting and monitoring the risk
- Developing a contingency plan to respond if the risk occurs (Correct answer)
- Immediately eliminating all activities associated with the risk
- Transferring all project responsibility to an external vendor
Correct answer: Developing a contingency plan to respond if the risk occurs
Low-probability, high-impact risks are best managed with contingency plans ready to activate quickly if the risk event occurs.
Question 4: In a cardiac care project, a 'lessons learned' document is MOST valuable when it is:
- Completed only if the project failed
- Compiled continuously and shared across the organization for future projects (Correct answer)
- Kept confidential within the immediate project team
- Submitted only to senior administration at project close
Correct answer: Compiled continuously and shared across the organization for future projects
Continuous documentation and broad organizational sharing of lessons learned maximizes institutional knowledge and prevents repeating mistakes on future projects.
Question 5: A hospital cardiac department launches a Six Sigma DMAIC project to reduce post-operative complications. The 'Measure' phase focuses on:
- Identifying root causes of the problem
- Quantifying current process performance with reliable baseline data (Correct answer)
- Generating and testing potential solutions
- Implementing the chosen solution at scale
Correct answer: Quantifying current process performance with reliable baseline data
The Measure phase establishes a data-driven baseline of current performance so that improvements can be objectively verified.
Question 6: When a cardiac project sponsor requests a scope change that would add three new deliverables with no budget increase, the project manager should FIRST:
- Accept the change to satisfy the sponsor
- Perform an impact analysis on scope, schedule, and cost before responding (Correct answer)
- Reject the change to protect the original project plan
- Immediately reduce quality standards to accommodate the new deliverables
Correct answer: Perform an impact analysis on scope, schedule, and cost before responding
Impact analysis quantifies the effect on scope, schedule, and cost, providing the sponsor with the information needed to make an informed trade-off decision.
Question 7: Which project closure activity verifies that all cardiac project deliverables have been formally accepted by the appropriate stakeholders?
- Procurement audit
- Administrative closure
- Scope verification (validate scope) (Correct answer)
- Quality control inspection
Correct answer: Scope verification (validate scope)
Validate Scope (scope verification) is the process of formally obtaining stakeholder acceptance that all project deliverables meet requirements before the project can close.
CMC Project Planning & Execution 5
A cardiac project manager is presenting a business case for a new electrophysiology lab.
The business case should include all of the following EXCEPT: