- (Exam Topic 8)
Project Scenario
Calendar Project (Note: The companies and people within the scenario are fictional.)
There has been a reduction in fie number of orders at the MNO Manufacturing Company due in part to the increased marketing activities of its competitors. To help counter this, the company has decided to create a promotional calendar for next year for all its current and prospective customers. The end product of this project will be a prepared calendar pack, ready for printing. The design of the calendar will be similar to one sent out previously, and must reflect the company image as described in the existing corporate branding standards. Another project is currently producing a new company logo when is to be printed on each page of the promotional calendar. The prepared calendar pack will consist of:
Design for each month - correctly showing at public holidays and new company logo
Selected paper and selected envelope - for printing and mailing the calendar
Chosen label design - a competition to design a label will be held as part of this project
List of customers - names and addresses of customers to whom the calendar will be sent.
The project is currently in initiation and will have two further stages: Stage 2 will include tie activities to:
Create the customer fast using information from the Accounts and Marketing departments
Confirm compliance with the Data Protection Legislation
Create a design for each month - this will be done by the internal creative team
Select and appoint a professional photographer
Gather photograph design ideas from previous project and agree photographic session schedule
Prepare a production cost forecast
Select paper and envelope. Stage 3 will include the activities to:
Produce and select tie professionally-taken photographs
Hold the label design competition and choose the label design
Assemble the prepared calendar pack.
A production cost forecast, based on the options and costs for the paper, envelope, printing and marketing of the calendar is to be produced in stage 2. However, the actual production and distribution of the calendars is not within the scope of the project. The product cost forecast will be reviewed by the Project Board to determine whether tie project should continue.
It is now 05 October and the prepared calendar pack must be delivered to the print company by 30 November, to enable printing and distribution of the calendar in time for Christmas. The cost of the activities to develop the specialist products and the cost of the project management activities are estimated to be £20,000. There is a project time tolerance of +1 week /-2 weeks and a project cost tolerance of +£6,000 / -£6,000. A change budget of £500 has been allocated but there is no risk budget.
At the end of initiation there is +1 week 1-2 weeks time tolerance for this project. Which statement is true?

1. A. There can be no time tolerances for any of the stages.
2. B. All of the project level time tolerance can be allocated to stage 2.
3. C. The Stage Plan for stage 2 could create some additional project time tolerance by allowing no time tolerance in Team Plans.
4. D. Additional time tolerance for the project could be found by adding extra resources without affectingother tolerances.

Correct Answer: B

- (Exam Topic 3)
Which of the following statements is true of the business interest on the project?

1. A. Ensures the project provides value for money
2. B. Ensures the requirements for the project are defined
3. C. Ensures the products produced meet the desired quality
4. D. Represents the users of the product

Correct Answer: A

- (Exam Topic 4)
Scenario
Additional Information Product Description

Quality notes from the Daily Log
The Director of Information Technology Division (DIT) has been asked to ensure that any changes to the outsourced staff employment contracts adhere to employment law. The DIT will review future job descriptions of the transferred staff before the final contract is signed with the selected service provider.
The service level agreement between MFH and the selected service provider will specify the type and quality of service required. The selected service provider must follow the industry standards for providing outsourced services.
MFH has a quality management system which contains a document control procedure for all its documentation, however this does not include change management.
All project documents will be subject to a quality review. Nominated products will require a formal approval record signed-off by the quality review chair.
Extract from the draft Quality Management Strategy (may contain errors) Introduction
* 1. This document defines the approach to be taken to achieve the required quality levels during the project.
* 2. The Project Board will have overall responsibility for the Quality Management Strategy.
* 3. Project Assurance will provide assurance on the implementation of the Quality Management Strategy. Quality management procedure - Quality standards
* 4. The selected service provider will operate to industry standards for providing outsourced services.
* 5. MFH document standards will be used. Records
* 6. A Quality Register will be maintained to record the planned quality events and the actual results from the quality activities.
* 7. Configuration Item Records will be maintained for each product to describe its status, version and variant.
* 8. Approval records for products that require them will be stored in the quality database. Roles and responsibilities
* 9. The DIT will check that the employment contracts for outsourced staff adhere to employment law.
* 10. Team Managers will provide details of quality checks that have been carried out.
* 11. Team Managers will ensure that the Quality Register is updated with the names of team members who are involved in the review process.
* 12. The Senior User will review the Product Descriptions of the products to be produced by the selected service provider to ensure that they can be achieved.
Which statement applies to the Roles and responsibilities section?

1. A. Delete entry 9 because this should only be recorded in the Product Description.
2. B. Delete entry 10 because this is the responsibility of the quality review chair.
3. C. Delete entry 11 because only the Project Manager can update the Quality Register.
4. D. Amend entry 12 because this is the responsibility of supplier assurance.

Correct Answer: D

- (Exam Topic 2)
Which of the following statements is TRUE with regard to expected benefits?

1. A. They cannot be assigned
2. B. They don't need to follow corporate objectives
3. C. They should be measurable
4. D. Tolerances cannot be set against expected benefits

Correct Answer: C

- (Exam Topic 1)
Project Scenario – Health and Safety Training Project:
ABC Company is a well-established training company that uses a standard model to develop training materials and deliver courses to customers.
ABC Company has commissioned a project in response to recent changes in government legislation relating to health and safety on construction sites. The project will deliver “capability to provide health and safety training”, including the materials needed for classroom-based training and e-learning. The expected benefits for construction companies include a reduction in lost days and legal costs due to accidents.
The e-learning course will be developed by a specialist external consultancy. The materials for
classroom-based training will be delivered by ABC Company’s development team. All course materials will be piloted before they are used. ABC Company will deliver training to its customers and also hopes to sell the course materials to other training companies as part of their operational business. ABC Company will use their own sales and marketing departments to promote the courses.
The legislation requires construction companies to comply with the new legislation within two years. The course materials and trainers have to be accredited by a government agency before courses can be delivered. ABC Company is planning to deliver pilot courses within five months of starting the project.
The ABC Company standard development model for new courses recommends the following stages:

End of the Project scenario. Additional Information:
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) founded the company five years ago. Under her leadership, ABC Company has grown quickly into a successful training company. It delivers a range of accredited professional training.
The Finance Director is also a founder member of ABC Company and is responsible for authorizing budgets for the Operations and Development Teams. She authorizes all large contracts personally.
The Purchasing Manager reports to the Finance Director and is responsible for managing and monitoring supplier contracts.
The Operations Director is responsible for the delivery off all training and for the training development budget. His department organizes courses, venues and trainers. They work with the Product and the Sales teams to provide a comprehensive training schedule. ABC Company’s IT manager reports to the Operations Director.
The Business Development Director has recently been appointed to identify new training needs and propose new products. She will work with the Operations. Director to ensure a cost-conscious approach and that appropriate development technologies are used for the health and safety course.
The Training Development Manager reports to the Business Development Director and is responsible for developing training materials and gaining accreditation, in accordance with the standard course development model. Course developers in his team have skills in a range of development technologies and are allocated to projects as needed.
The Training Delivery Manager, who reports to the Operations Director, is responsible for ensuring that internal and external trainers deliver ABC Company training courses to the required standard. He also checks course materials to ensure they are fit for purpose and of the required quality.
The Central Services Director has responsibility for corporate communications, facilities management and configuration management. He recently led a project to consolidate all company quality systems into one quality management system and set up a corporate quality department, now managed by the Corporate Quality Manager.
The Corporate Document Manager reports to the Central Services Director. She helped establish the company’s document management system and now operates it across the business. She manages a team of administrators and contracts staff when workload is high.
The Sales Director joined ABC Company two months ago and is keen to establish himself by suggesting new markets for the courses and material. All account managers and the marketing team report to him. They promote existing training courses to other training companies and existing customers.
End of the additional information.
All the products that are due in stage 3 have been completed, apart from the ‘updated corporate quality procedures’. The work has been completed but the product has not yet been approved. The executive has been told that it will be signed off before the end of the project. In response to an exception report, the executive has instructed the project manager to plan to obtain approval of the product in stage 4.
Is this appropriate application of the report management stage end’ activity, and why?

1. A. Yes, because approval of the product can be carried forward into the next stage, with authority from the project board.
2. B. Yes, because the completion of the product in the next stage is a follow-on action recommendation for stage 4.
3. C. No, because approval of the products was planned for stage 3 and must be completed before the stage ends.
4. D. No, because a project-level exception plan is required before approval of the quality procedures can be delayed.

Correct Answer: A