Project Planning and Monitoring Quality Assurance & Performance Metrics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the term 'gold plating' mean in the context of project quality?
- Adding features or enhancements beyond what was agreed upon in scope (Correct answer)
- Applying premium materials to reduce defect rates
- Conducting extra quality reviews before delivery
- Using certified vendors for all procurement
Correct answer: Adding features or enhancements beyond what was agreed upon in scope
Gold plating refers to delivering extras not requested by the customer, which wastes resources and may introduce unintended risks.
Question 2: Which performance metric compares the work completed to the work planned at a given point in time?
- Schedule Performance Index (SPI) (Correct answer)
- Cost Performance Index (CPI)
- Return on Investment (ROI)
- Net Promoter Score (NPS)
Correct answer: Schedule Performance Index (SPI)
SPI = EV / PV, indicating whether the project is ahead of or behind the planned schedule at any measurement point.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a lessons-learned register in quality management?
- To capture knowledge from current and past projects to improve future performance (Correct answer)
- To document team member performance appraisals
- To store approved change requests
- To record stakeholder complaints only
Correct answer: To capture knowledge from current and past projects to improve future performance
A lessons-learned register captures process improvements, best practices, and failures so future projects can avoid repeating mistakes.
Question 4: A project deliverable fails a customer acceptance test. Which process should the project manager initiate?
- Defect repair and re-inspection (Correct answer)
- Scope reduction
- Schedule compression
- Immediate project closure
Correct answer: Defect repair and re-inspection
When a deliverable fails acceptance, the project manager must fix the defect and resubmit it for inspection before formal acceptance can occur.
Question 5: What does a baseline serve as in performance measurement?
- An approved reference point against which actual performance is compared (Correct answer)
- A list of deliverables yet to be completed
- The initial rough estimate before planning
- A record of past project failures
Correct answer: An approved reference point against which actual performance is compared
A baseline is a fixed, approved plan that provides the standard for measuring project performance in scope, schedule, and cost.
Question 6: Which quality tool maps the process flow to identify where defects are most likely to occur?
- Process flowchart (Correct answer)
- Histogram
- Scatter diagram
- Responsibility assignment matrix
Correct answer: Process flowchart
A process flowchart visually represents the sequence of activities, making it easier to spot steps where errors or bottlenecks are likely.
Project Planning and Monitoring Quality Assurance & Performance Metrics 2
What does the term 'gold plating' mean in the context of project quality?