TPM Project and Program Management Methodologies 3

Question 1

In Lean project management, which concept describes eliminating activities that consume resources without adding customer value?

Accepted Answer

Muda elimination

Answer

Muda is the Japanese term for waste in Lean methodology; eliminating Muda means removing non-value-adding activities such as overproduction, waiting, and unnecessary motion.

Question 2

A TPM is managing a program with multiple interdependent projects. Which artifact is most effective for visualizing cross-project dependencies and sequencing?

Accepted Answer

Dependency board or dependency map

Answer

A dependency board or dependency map explicitly shows which projects or workstreams depend on outputs from others, enabling the TPM to sequence work and manage blockers proactively.

Question 3

In Agile program management, what is the difference between a 'feature' and an 'epic'?

Accepted Answer

An epic is a large body of work that can be broken into features, which are broken into user stories

Answer

In SAFe and most Agile scaling frameworks, epics are large initiatives broken into features, which are then decomposed into user stories that teams can complete within a sprint.

Question 4

Which scheduling technique uses three time estimates (optimistic, pessimistic, most likely) to account for uncertainty in activity durations?

Accepted Answer

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

Answer

PERT uses a weighted average of three estimates (optimistic, most likely, pessimistic) to calculate expected activity durations, making it suitable for projects with high schedule uncertainty.

Question 5

What is the primary purpose of a 'Definition of Ready' (DoR) in Scrum?

Accepted Answer

To ensure user stories meet minimum criteria before being accepted into a sprint

Answer

The Definition of Ready establishes criteria that a backlog item must meet (e.g., clear acceptance criteria, sized, dependencies identified) before a team commits to working on it in a sprint.

(TPM) Technical Program Manager Certification Practice Test

(TPM) Technical Program Manager Certification Practice Test

TPM Project and Program Management Methodologies 3