File: ch10; Chapter 10:Monitoring and Information Systems

Concept Check Questions (based on “Practice Quizzes”)

[By nature, all questions are coded as Difficulty: Easy and AACSB: Reflective Thinking]

Learning Objective10.1 Recognize the planning-monitoring-controlling cycle at work in project

execution.

1. Successful Project Monitoring Systems (PMS) plan, monitor, and facilitate control of:
a. Budgets vs Expenses
b. Project Activities on PERT-CPM diagrams
c. On-time Delivery of products
d. Time vs Schedule, Cost vs Budget, and Performance vs Planned Scope.

Ans: d
Refer to Section10.1
Bloom’s: Knowledge

2. A good project monitoring system will require _________ as compared to commonly used
systems:
a. Greater up-front planning time & investment.
b. Less cost.
c. More time & money, but reduce risk to zero.
d. Outside consultants to manage them.

Ans: a
Refer to Section 10.1
Bloom’s: Knowledge

Learning Objective10.2 Discuss the importance of information needs and the reporting process.

3. Effective reporting systems focus on:

a. Providing complete sets of available data.
b. Following the original scope of the Project Plan.
c. Providing the appropriate level of detail in reports to satisfy different levels of managers.
d. Managing tradeoffs& addressing risks.

Ans: c
Refer to Section 10.2
Bloom’s: Knowledge

4. Common problems in Project Reports include which of the following?

a. Reports are short and hastily put together.
b. They have too much data and too much detail.
c. They are put on a shelf and not forwarded to management.
d. They lack important details.

Ans: b
Refer to Section 10.2
Bloom’s: Knowledge
Learning Objective10.3 Explain how to compute earned value calculations and execute an
earned value analysis.

5. Percent completion is important in EVA and its calculation is estimated by:

a. The 50-50 rule.
b. The 0-100 percent rule.
c. The critical input use rule.
d. There is no universally accepted calculation for percent completion.

Ans: d
Refer to Section 10.3
Bloom’s: Knowledge

6. The “Resource Flow Variance” is:

a. Usually zero
b. Usually positive.
c. Equal to PV-AC.
d. The same as the Cash Flow Variance.

Ans: c
Refer to Section 10.3
Bloom’s: Knowledge

7. Variances are generally calculated so that:

a. Positive variances are favorable.
b. Negative variances are good.
c. Variances of zero are always the favorable.
d. Variances of zero indicate project is totally out of control.

Ans: a
Response: Refer to Section10.3
Bloom’s: Knowledge

Learning Objective10.4 Examine the tradeoffs between different project management

information systems.

8. Large projects in the 1960-1970s were scheduled and tracked:

a. By hand.
b. Using spreadsheets and large groups of Project Engineers.
c. Using small networks of computers.
d. Using large mainframe computers.

Ans: d
Response: Refer to Section 10.4
Bloom’s: Knowledge

9. Today, Project Managers generally use _______ to build schedules and track progress for
large, complex projects.
 a. Slide-rules.
b. Hand-held electronic devices, such as cell-phones.
c. Large, sophisticated computer programs running on PCs.
d. Mainframe computers.

Ans: c
Refer to Section 10.4
Bloom’s: Knowledge