CPM Managing Work 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A public manager is implementing a new electronic records system. Resistance from staff is high. The BEST strategy to reduce resistance is:
- Mandate use immediately and discipline non-compliers
- Involve staff in planning and provide adequate training before rollout (Correct answer)
- Delay the project indefinitely until resistance fades
- Implement the system for managers only and exclude frontline staff
Correct answer: Involve staff in planning and provide adequate training before rollout
Involving staff in the change process and providing training builds buy-in and reduces resistance to new systems.
Question 2: Which type of work plan establishes specific objectives, timelines, and resource allocations for a defined project?
- Strategic plan
- Operational project plan (Correct answer)
- Succession plan
- Workforce development plan
Correct answer: Operational project plan
An operational project plan details the tasks, schedule, and resources needed to achieve a specific project objective.
Question 3: A manager observes that two employees frequently duplicate each other's work. This is BEST addressed by:
- Terminating one of the employees
- Clarifying roles and responsibilities through a RACI chart or similar tool (Correct answer)
- Increasing both employees' workloads to prevent idle time
- Separating the employees into different buildings
Correct answer: Clarifying roles and responsibilities through a RACI chart or similar tool
A RACI chart (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) clarifies who does what and eliminates duplication of effort.
Question 4: In the context of managing work, 'benchmarking' is used to:
- Set minimum salary thresholds for employees
- Compare a unit's performance against best practices or similar organizations (Correct answer)
- Determine how many employees are needed for a task
- Establish physical workspace standards
Correct answer: Compare a unit's performance against best practices or similar organizations
Benchmarking compares organizational performance against external standards or peers to identify improvement opportunities.
Question 5: A manager must allocate limited budget across five competing projects. The MOST systematic approach is to:
- Fund projects in the order they were requested
- Prioritize projects using criteria tied to organizational goals and expected outcomes (Correct answer)
- Fund only the projects championed by senior leadership
- Split the budget equally among all five projects
Correct answer: Prioritize projects using criteria tied to organizational goals and expected outcomes
Using goal-aligned criteria ensures limited resources are directed to projects with the greatest organizational impact.
Question 6: Which management concept involves ensuring that authority and responsibility are aligned for a given task?
- Span of control
- Accountability parity
- Parity of authority and responsibility (Correct answer)
- Unity of command
Correct answer: Parity of authority and responsibility
Parity of authority and responsibility means a person given responsibility for a task must also be given the authority needed to accomplish it.
Question 7: A public manager reviewing unit output notices a 20% decline in productivity over three months. Before taking corrective action, the manager should FIRST:
- Issue a unit-wide performance improvement plan
- Conduct a systematic analysis to determine if the decline is due to workload, morale, process, or external factors (Correct answer)
- Reassign the supervisor of the underperforming unit
- Announce the decline publicly to motivate staff
Correct answer: Conduct a systematic analysis to determine if the decline is due to workload, morale, process, or external factors
Diagnosing the root cause of a productivity decline ensures the corrective action chosen actually addresses the problem.
CPM Managing Work 3
A public manager is implementing a new electronic records system.
Resistance from staff is high.
The BEST strategy to reduce resistance is: