Project Planning & Execution Flashcards

During project planning, a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is best described as:

Answer: A hierarchical decomposition of project deliverables into smaller components

A WBS decomposes the total project scope into smaller, manageable work packages arranged hierarchically.

Which scheduling technique uses 'Early Start,' 'Late Start,' 'Early Finish,' and 'Late Finish' dates to determine schedule flexibility?

Answer: Critical Path Method (CPM)

CPM calculates these four dates for each activity to identify float and determine the critical path.

A project manager discovers the project scope has expanded beyond the original agreement without formal approval. This is known as:

Answer: Scope creep

Scope creep occurs when project scope expands incrementally without formal change control authorization.

In a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), which role is accountable for ensuring a task gets completed?

Answer: Accountable

The Accountable role (A in RACI) owns the work and has final decision-making authority for the task.

Which type of project dependency means Task B cannot start until Task A has started?

Answer: Start-to-Start (SS)

A Start-to-Start dependency requires the predecessor task to begin before the successor can begin.

Which project document formally authorizes the project and identifies the project manager?

Answer: Project Charter

The Project Charter is the document that officially authorizes a project and grants the project manager authority to use resources.

A project's cost performance index (CPI) is 0.85. This indicates:

Answer: The project is over budget

A CPI below 1.0 means the project is receiving less value than the money spent, indicating an over-budget condition.