Project Monitoring and Control

5 minutes 5 Questions

This is the chronic phase of the project where the project's performance is observed and measured regularly to identify any variances from the project management plan. In this phase, careful monitoring and controlling are performed to ensure that the quality of deliverables is meeting the standards…

Guide: Project Monitoring and Control

Project Monitoring and Control is a significant aspect of Project Integration Management under CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management).
Why is it Important?
It is important because it enables project managers to keep a close eye on the progress of the project and make sure it aligns correctly with the project plan. Without it, project risks could go unrecognized, and areas of improvement might be overlooked.
What is it?
Project Monitoring and Control involves tracking, reviewing, and regulating the progress and performance of a project. It also involves identifying any areas in which changes to the plan are required, and initiating those changes.
How does it work?
This process mainly involves five stages: Measure, Compare, Find, Corrective Action, and Repeat. The monitoring and controlling processes are continuously repeated throughout the project lifecycle.
Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Project Monitoring and Control
1. Understand the concept thoroughly.
2. Use real-life examples to explain the theoretical part in your answers.
3. Emphasize on its role and significance in project management.
4. Be aware of the five stages and explain them with examples.
5. If asked for a comparison, highlight the differences accurately.
6. Use the terminology that is standard to the CAPM body of knowledge to illustrate that you understand the material.
7. Practice answering questions to get a good grip of how to answer in the actual exam.
Remember, understanding is key. Good Luck!

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CAPM - Project Monitoring and Control Example Questions

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Question 1

At the half-way point in your project, you realized that your team is only able to finish 30% of the work due to unexpected technical issues. As a project manager, what would you do to control this situation?

Demand the team to work overtime in order to catch up with the schedule. Initiate a re-estimation process to adjust the schedule according to your team's velocity. Cancel the project as it's not going according to the plan. Inform stakeholders that the project will run longer than anticipated without making any adjustments.

Correct Answer: Initiate a re-estimation process to adjust the schedule according to your team's velocity.

The best possible action as a project manager is to initiate a re-estimation process to adjust the schedule according to your team's velocity (Answer 215863). This allows for a more realistic view on the progress with the available resources and capacity. Simply informing stakeholders without taking any corrective measures (Answer 215864) won't solve the problem. Demanding the team to work overtime (Answer 215865) is not considered a sustainable or healthy solution, as it can lead to burnout and won't necessarily improve productivity. Canceling the project (Answer 215866) should be the last resort, and only considered if all other options are exhausted and the project is deemed unfeasible.

Question 2

During the execution phase, your project's earned value analysis indicates that the Cost Performance Index (CPI) is 0.95 and the Schedule Performance Index (SPI) is 1.05. Given these values, what is the most appropriate action to take?

Focus efforts on maintaining the schedule as the SPI is greater than 1, indicating efficiency in time management. Initiate requests for additional funding as the project is running over the cost baseline despite being on schedule. Analyze the causes of the cost overrun and develop a plan to improve cost performance. Adjust the project schedule to allocate more budget towards critical activities as the project is slightly ahead on schedule.

Correct Answer: Analyze the causes of the cost overrun and develop a plan to improve cost performance.

The Cost Performance Index (CPI) is a measure of the cost efficiency of budgeted resources, calculated by dividing earned value by actual cost. A CPI of 0.95 indicates that for every dollar spent, only 95 cents worth of work is being completed, suggesting a cost overrun. Therefore, the most appropriate action is to analyze the causes of the cost overrun and develop a plan to improve cost performance. This is crucial to bring the project back on track financially. The other answers are incorrect because they either misinterpret the data or suggest actions that are not directly addressing the identified issue. Initiating requests for additional funding does not tackle the root cause of the cost overrun and may not be a viable option without first trying to correct the cost efficiency. Focusing efforts solely on maintaining the schedule ignores the cost issues. Adjusting the project schedule to allocate more budget is not warranted since the project is already ahead of schedule, and the main concern at this point is the cost overrun, not the schedule performance.

Question 3

During project execution, you discover that a team member has implemented a minor change to the project deliverable without following the change control process. What should you do first?

Tell the team member to undo the change and do nothing further. Ask the team member to submit a change request per the change control process. Accept the change since it was minor and will not affect the project significantly. Allow the team member to proceed, and note the change informally.

Correct Answer: Ask the team member to submit a change request per the change control process.

In project management, it's essential that all changes to the project deliverables, no matter how minor, go through the formal change control process. This ensures that each change is properly evaluated for impacts on scope, time, cost, quality, and risk before approval and implementation. By asking the team member to submit a change request per the change control process, you adhere to established protocols, maintain project integrity, and ensure that all stakeholders are informed of changes. Accepting the change without following the process, undoing the change without assessment, or noting the change informally bypasses necessary evaluation and documentation steps, which can lead to unmanaged risks and scope creep.

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