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Take Action for Session 5 - Scope Management
Studying PMBOK® Guide & PMP® Exam Prep Book
Chapters to Study PMBOK PrepBook
5 Project Scope Management
5.1 Plan Scope Management
5.2 Collect Requirements
5.3 Define Scope
5.4 Create WBS
5.5 Validate Scope
5.6 Control Scope
In this Workbook
Read the article: Student Tips for Building a WBS written by Kay Wais, PMP from
www.successfulprojects.com in this workbook.
Read the worksheet: Tools and Techniques of Collect Requirements.
Take a look at the PMP® Sample Test Questions from PMI . This is a (very) small collection of
PMP® Exam sample questions that PMI® has officially published.
Take a look at the CAPM Sample Test Questions from PMI . This is an (extremely) small
collection of CAPM® sample questions that the PMI® has officially published. CAPM® questions
are much easier than PMP® questions; however you may come across one or two like this on your
PMP® certification exam.
Take the Scope Management Self-Assessment.
Listening
Listen to Episode 55 of The PMO Podcast™ with Mark Perry: Recommendations for Informal
Projects Part I-The Simple WBS and learn more about the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
o Link not available in this free sample
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Listen to Episode 09 of The Controlling Chaos Podcast™ with Dina Henry Scott, PMP and Lee
Scott, PMP: Work Breakdown Structures and learn about the importance of the WBS in project
scope.
o Link not available in this free sample
Viewing
Watch complimentary PM PrepCast™ L00.32 Finding the Best Answer to Sample Questions.
o Link not available in this free sample
Watch the Slideshare 15 Free PMP® Exam Questions.
o Link not available in this free sample
Go Beyond!
Sign up for www.free-pm-exam-questions.com
o You will receive over 100 sample exam questions
Join your local PMI Chapter ( www.pm-prepcast.com/chapters).
o An outstanding way to network and to be exposed to industry trends. Your chapter may offer
discounts on PMP® Exam workshops.
Find a study-buddy.
o Attend your local PMI Chapter dinner meeting. Ask the people at the registration desk to
direct you to the person who can put you in touch with other attendees studying for the exam.
o Partner with a fellow employee or friend to study:
One person: form a Study Partnership
Two or more people: form a Study Group
Be sure the others are as dedicated as you. Study time is a precious commodity and
you don’t want to waste it.
My Additional Actions
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Answer Sheet for Session 05 Self-Assessment
This page should be printed and completed while taking the Self-Assessment. The questions, answers,
and a detailed explanation for each question are on the following pages.
Question Number My Answer Correct Incorrect
Question 01
Question 02
Question 03
Question 04
Question 05
Question 06
Question 07
Question 08
Question 09
Question 10
Question 11
Question 12
Question 13
Question 14
Question 15
Total Number
% Correct _____%
To calculate the % correct, divide the “total correct” by 0.15. Example: If you have 13 correct then calculate 13 / 0.15 = 86.6%
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Questions for Session 05 Self-Assessment
The following 15 self-assessment questions have been hand-picked from www.pm-exam-simulator.com
so that you can test your understanding of the concepts you studied this week.
Question 1: As a project manager, you are trying to receive formal
acceptance of the completed project deliverables from your stakeholders.
However, stakeholders want to compare the requirements to the
deliverables using acceptance criteria before issuing the acceptance letter.
Where can you find the acceptance criteria for the requirements?
A.) Requirements Traceability Matrix
B.) Requirements Documentation
C.) Requirements Management Plan
D.) Validated Deliverables
Question 2: You are executing Phase 2 of a three phase project for your customer. Three weeks
ago, as part of the closing of Phase 1, your customer accepted the project deliverables and you
started the execution of Phase 2. However, the customer is now complaining that some of the
Phase 1 product features are not functioning as expected and that the overall product is not
functioning properly. What should you do first?
A.) Ignore the customer because they have already accepted the product
B.) Review the Validate Scope Process
C.) Ask the customer to submit a change request to enable the product to match the expected
functionality
D.) Immediately start working on rectifying the errors as reported by the customer
Question 3: For unknown reasons, your manager has suddenly become a negative stakeholder on
your project. He is now asking you to incorporate multiple changes into the project scope.
Although you have the ultimate authority over the project and you have managed to avoid such
requests, some requests look reasonable to you. Which of the following documents can help you
identify which changes require a change request?
A.) Scope Management Plan
B.) Configuration Management Plan
C.) Schedule Management Plan
D.) Quality Management Plan
Questions 4-15 are not available in this free sample
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Answers for Session 05 Self-Assessment
Question Number Correct Answer
Question 01 B
Question 02 C
Question 03 B
Question 04 A
Question 05 D
Question 06 D
Question 07 B
Question 08 D
Question 09 A
Question 10 A
Question 11 D
Question 12 D
Question 13 C
Question 14 C
Question 15 C
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Answers & Explanations for Session 05 Self-Assessment
The following 15 self-assessment questions have been hand-picked from www.pm-exam-simulator.com
so that you can test your understanding of the concepts you studied this week.
Question 1: As a project manager, you are trying to receive formal
acceptance of the completed project deliverables from your stakeholders.
However, stakeholders want to compare the requirements to the
deliverables using acceptance criteria before issuing the acceptance letter.
Where can you find the acceptance criteria for the requirements?
A.) Requirements Traceability Matrix
B.) Requirements Documentation
C.) Requirements Management Plan
D.) Validated Deliverables
Correct answer is B
Explanation: Requirements Documentation contains the project, product, technical, and other types
of requirements along with their acceptance criteria.
Note: Even though the PMBOK® Guide states that the "Requirements Traceability Matrix" may
contain acceptance criteria, this is not the correct answer. This is because in the description of the
Validate Scope process, the PMBOK® Guide states that it is the "Requirements Documentation"
that contains the criteria used for formal approval. Therefore, "Requirements Documentation" is the
best answer, because it is always correct, while "Requirements Traceability Matrix" may only be
correct in some cases, on some projects, under special circumstances.
Reference: PMBOK® Guide 5thEdition, pages 118, 134
Question 2: You are executing Phase 2 of a three phase project for your customer. Three weeks
ago, as part of the closing of Phase 1, your customer accepted the project deliverables and you
started the execution of Phase 2. However, the customer is now complaining that some of the
Phase 1 product features are not functioning as expected and that the overall product is not
functioning properly. What should you do first?
A.) Ignore the customer because they have already accepted the product
B.) Review the Validate Scope Process
C.) Ask the customer to submit a change request to enable the product to match the expected
functionality
D.) Immediately start working on rectifying the errors as reported by the customer
Correct answer is C
Explanation: The product delivered by you at the end of Phase 1 was accepted by the customer
and Phase 1 was closed. This means that the customer accepted the delivered product "as is",
which means that it worked as expected.
The fact that the customer only now determined that the delivered product from Phase 1 did not
function according to their expectations here in Phase 2 resulted from them not performing
appropriate deliverables acceptance and phase closing activities.
You could just ignore the customer's request since you are right and they are wrong. However, the
best course of action is to have the customer go through proper channels and submit a change
request in order to enable the product to match the expected functionality.
Reference: PMBOK® Guide 5thEdition, pages 135-136
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Question 3: For unknown reasons, your manager has suddenly become a negative stakeholder on
your project. He is now asking you to incorporate multiple changes into the project scope.
Although you have the ultimate authority over the project and you have managed to avoid such
requests, some requests look reasonable to you. Which of the following documents can help you
identify which changes require a change request?
A.) Scope Management Plan
B.) Configuration Management Plan
C.) Schedule Management Plan
D.) Quality Management Plan
Correct answer is B
Explanation: The Scope Management Plan outlines how the overall project scope will be defined,
managed and controlled. However, it does not document which changes require a change request
and which do not. Actually, that depends upon the situation. If any change impacts one or more
project baselines, a change request should be created. Otherwise, minor changes do not require
change requests. The Configuration Management plan defines those items that are configurable,
those items that require formal change control, and the process for controlling such items.
Reference: PMBOK® Guide 5th Edition, pages 138
Questions 4-15 are not available in this free sample
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Tools and Techniques of Collect Requirements
Interviews
An interview is a form of information gathering. This may be done in a formal or informal setting. It is used
to discover information directly from stakeholders through talking. Questions are either prepared
beforehand or spontaneous with a recording of the responses given.
An interviewer may choose to conduct the interviews either one-on-one, in a group setting, or a
combination of these. Interviews are one of the fastest techniques for collecting requirements; however,
there are challenges that need to be considered. In a one-on-one setting an interviewee may feel free to
share detailed, unfiltered information. In a group setting, the dynamics of the group members may impact
each interviewee’s willingness to share. Regardless, interviews can aid and expedite the identification
and definition of the features and functions of desired project deliverables and should be considered the
preferred method of requirements gathering.
Focus Groups
Focus groups are guided by a trained moderator. Prequalified stakeholders and subject matter experts
are gathered and then channeled by the moderator to learn about their expectations and attitudes about
the proposed product, service, or result. This is achieved through an interactive discussion. Compared to
interviews, focus groups are designed to be more spontaneous.
Facilitated Workshops
Facilitated workshops are meetings that bring together a group of individuals who are best qualified to
identify and discuss product and project requirements. Some key benefits of these workshops are that
they bring diverse often cross-functional representatives together so a “big picture” view and impact are
captured, potential issues identified early and resolved quickly, stakeholder differences are reconciled in a
well-controlled environment, and trust and important relationships are fostered between participants,
which can lead to improved communication and consensus building. An example of a facilitated workshop
is a JAD or Joint Application and Design/Development session. These are typically called and facilitated
by business analysts and include key stakeholders, subject matter experts, and the development team. In
this way the design and development team can much better understand the context and subtleties of
each requirement. As a result the development team is much more effective and the number of
development cycles can be dramatically decreased.
Group Creativity Techniques
Group creativity techniques are similar to focus groups but differ in that there are several activities that
take place instead of just group discussions. These activities can include:
a. Brainstorming: This technique involves collecting multiple ideas related to project and product
requirements from all the participants.
b. Nominal Group Technique: This technique usually follows the brainstorming technique. In this
method, the previous technique is enhanced with the help of a voting process. This is where
ideas are ranked to determine the most useful, which in turn is used for prioritization and/or
further brainstorming.
c. Delphi Technique: The Delphi technique is a good way to maintain anonymity in terms of
feedback and responses on presented ideas. In this technique, a selected group of experts
answer questionnaires. These answers are then presented in an anonymous fashion to a panel
that provides feedback. Following the round of feedback the experts then are given the ability to
modify their responses. This continues in an iterative fashion for as many rounds as is deemed
appropriate to firm up requirements.
d. Idea/mind Mapping: In this technique, ideas are created through individual brainstorming. The
ideas are consolidated to a single map to compare and contrast. This technique is designed to
shape new and better ideas.
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e. Affinity Diagram: An affinity diagram is useful for creating a cause and effect diagram whereby
ideas are collected, sorted, and related ideas grouped together. This process is repeated until all
the ideas are grouped and/or sub-grouped, which helps with management of the ideas.
Group Decision-Making Techniques
Group decision-making is technique that provides for a leader to facilitate the process of reaching a
decision. The technique takes the pressure off of individuals who are unwilling or unable to make a
decision. This technique is effective for generating, classifying, and prioritizing product requirements and
should result in a definitive plan of action. The multiple methods of reaching a group discussion are
unanimity/consensus, majority, plurality/clique, and dictatorship/unilateral.
Questionnaires and Surveys
When a quick turnaround is required and statistical analysis is imperative the ideal technique used is the
questionnaire or survey. Questionnaires and surveys are written sets of questions that are designed to
accumulate information from a wide number of respondents faster and easier.
Observations
Observations offer a direct way of viewing the individual, their environment, how their jobs or tasks are
performed, and the process they follow. This is particularly effective on cases where the detailed process
is difficult to articulate or when the people are reluctant to explain their requirements. Another term that
refers to observation, job shadowing may be done with the observer viewing the user on the job.
Observation may also be accomplished through the use of a participant observer who performs the
process or procedure in order to experience how it is done, which helps uncover hidden requirements or
factors not initially noticed through observation.
Prototypes
Prototypes, or models, are built before the actual product in order to obtain feedback on requirements
sooner. Because the prototypes are tangible, this model allows the stakeholders to experiment and “see”
possible outcomes rather than just discussing abstract representations or assuming their requirements.
The concept of progressive elaboration is supported by prototyping because it is used on mock up
creation, user experimentation, feedback generation, and prototype revision. All these feedback cycles
formulated from experiments are designed to eventually be sufficient to complete or design the final
output.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is primarily a compare and contrast activity between different organizations that may have
a bearing on the project. Most often actual and planned practices such as processes or operations are
compared with the goal of: establishing best practices, work toward continuous improvement of existing
practices, as well as deriving a basis for measuring the performance of the requirements gathering
process.
Context Diagrams
Context diagrams take advantage of the power of representing a system or product graphically. The
Context Diagram shows the system under consideration as a single high-level process and then shows
the relationship that the system has with other external entities (systems, organizational groups, external
data stores, etc.).
Document Analysis
Document Analysis is a practice that can help elicit requirements and identify information relevant to the
requirements. It describes the act of reviewing the existing documentation often of comparable business
processes or systems in order to extract pieces of information that are relevant to the current project, and
therefore should be considered as project requirements. Some more common documents that are
analyzed are business process models, use cases, requirements specifications, and RFPs. Existing
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documentation can be scoured for an understanding of key functions, business rules, business entities,
and business entity attributes. Document analysis may also be necessary when stakeholders are not
available to offer insight into existing business processes or systems.
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PMI Sample questions
PMP Sample Test Questions
(correct answers are bolded)
1. An accepted deadline for a project approaches. However, the project manager realizes only 75%
percent of the work has been completed. The project manager then issues a change request.
What should the change request authorize?
A. Additional resources using the contingency fund
B. Escalation approval to use contingency funding
C. Team overtime to meet schedule
D. Corrective action based on causes
2. The project manager develops a process improvement plan to encourage continuous process
improvement during the life of the project. Which of the following is a valid tool or technique to assist
the project manager to assure the success of the process improvement plan?
A. Change control system
B. Process analysis
C. Benchmarking
D. Configuration management system
3. The project manager meets with the project team to review lessons learned from previous projects.
In what activity is the team involved?
A. Performance management
B. Scope identification
C. Risk identification
D. Project team status meeting
CAPM Sample Test Questions
(correct answers are bolded)
1. Which interpersonal skill is displayed by developing a vision and strategy, and inspires people to
achieve that vision and strategy?
A. Motivation
B. Leadership
C. Influencing the organization
D. Effective communication
2. Administer procurements is performed as part of which process group?
A. Planning
B. Executing
C. Monitoring and Controlling
D. Closing