For those who have just started an APM PMQ course here are a couple of exam questions for you to try.
1) Describe five responsibilities of the project users during the project lifecycle?
2) List and describe the differences between projects and operations?
3) Describe the five benefits of a project lifecycle?
4) List and describe five factors that define the project environment (or context)?
Remember each answer must be made of five paragraphs of two to three sentences each.
If you post your answers below I will give you feedback.
@david feeback on “Describe five responsibilities of the project users during the project lifecycle?” a very good answer not much to add
@Sarah Beesley, 4) List and describe five factors that define the project environment (or context)?
A really good start, please try to include an example or illustration in each point. These can be as simple as
1. Political context: This is the context in which the different stakeholders have a vested interest and will try to influence the strategic direction of the project. An example of this would be a change in government which could lead to the change of government policy on for example the building of new schools.
@Derek Clarkson feedback on “1.Describe five responsibilities of the project users during the project lifecycle.” almost a model answer, I would just number the answers but it’s a really minor point
List and Describe the differences between projects and operations
Projects and Operations (or business-as-usual (BAU)activities) have differences:
1.Different parts of the product lifecycle
2.Defined start and end / temporary
3.Change vs process
4.Products / outcomes vs benefits realisation
5.Approach to Risk
Different parts of the product lifecycle. Within the product (or extended) lifecycle, a project will conceive, develop, deliver, hand-over products. The products will then be used in operations until it is decommissioned at end of product life. Although users would normally start using the product during the project, steady-state operations with the product continue after the project closes.
Defined start and end / temporary. Projects have defined starts and ends. They are temporary in nature, bringing together a team to perform a particular purpose. BAU can be indefinite, and have many, changing purposes.
Change vs Process. Projects, by definition, will always produce and manage change. BAU may include a repetitive cycle and outputs, but not necessarily changes. BAU will manage process, for example by driving out inefficiencies in a repetitive process.
Products / outputs vs benefits realisation. The project will produce products (and perhaps outcomes), but will rarely be responsible for delivering benefits that results from these products. The benefits realisation falls to the business (operations), for example under control of a business unit that sponsored the project, or under programme or portfolio direction to a BAU function.
Risk. A project will manage risk whereas operations will look to minimise risk. Since projects by definition bring about change and have a unique element, projects are inherently risky. Projects will look to manage the risks without necessarily minimising them. BAU functions will look to minimise risk wherever possible, particularly where the risks are as enduring as the business itself.
Describe the 5 benefits of a project lifecycle
Five benefits of a project lifecycle are:
Ensures next phase of work is understood. The project is broken down into consecutive phases. The planning for each phase is presented for authorisation at each decision point (end of phase), giving the control of ensuring a phase is understood and planned before it is authorised. Typically a whole project will be planned at least in outline at the outset. Each phase plan will refine the original plan and elaborate to a level of suitable detail.
Better estimating (shorter durations). Incorporated in each phase plan will be the estimates for that phase. As with the plans’ elaboration from the original (typically higher level) project plan, estimates for each discrete phase should be better than a long-range estimate both because of the shorter duration of a phase (compared to that of the project) and because lessons learned in the project to date may be fed-back to refined estimates.
Limits risk. In addition to the routine escalation of risks (that should happen by the project manager to the project board) which are outside the delegated project risk tolerance, the project board has the opportunity to consider at each project point (end of each phase) whether the aggregated risks of the project are acceptable before authorising the project to proceed to the subsequent phase. This control ensures that sufficient oversight is applied in order to limit the risk to the business.
Funds allocated through a series of Go/No-Go decisions. The project phases are separated by decision points. At each decision point, the project will only proceed if it still has a valid business case (and have forecast benefits and costs that are acceptable to the business)
Lessons learned can be applied to future phases. As lessons are learned throughout the project, they’ll be logged. When planning successive phases of the project, the available information of previous lessons learned (including those learned during the project) will be taken into account. The benefits from previous lessons are therefore maximised.