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Direct and Manage Project Work

5 minutes 5 Questions

Direct and Manage Project Work is a process where the project manager and the project management team lead and perform the work required to achieve project goals. They implement approved plans, follow processes, and create project deliverables. This process also involves monitoring risks, managing issues, and ensuring timely completion of activities. It is crucial for the successful implementation of the project management plan and helps the project manager to deal with uncertainties, changes, and project constraints.

Direct and Manage Project Work: PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition

Importance: The Direct and Manage Project Work process plays a crucial role in the Project Integration Management knowledge area. This process ensures that the project deliverables are completed as per the Project Management Plan. Further, it helps ensure that work performance data is being collected and analyzed, facilitating effective decision-making.

What it is: Direct and Manage Project Work involves managing project execution to assure project deliverables are produced while keeping a close eye on technical and organizational challenges. It's during this process that changes are implemented and corrective actions are taken. The process is central to good project management because it ensures you stay on track and achieve your project objectives.

How it works: Under this process, the project team performs the planned work, monitors the progress, and communicates the status to stakeholders. The process also involves analyzing, tracking, and managing any changes to the project. This includes managing risks, quality, and any other factors that could impact the project.

Answering Exam Questions: To answer questions concerning Direct and Manage Project Work, you must understand the linkages between this process and other processes within the Project Integration Management knowledge area. Remember that this process encompasses the majority of effort and budget in a project. It's where the work is performed to deliver the product of the project. Exam tip: Expect questions on the exam to range from interpreting work performance data to understanding the impact of changes in project work.

Exam Tips: Answering Questions on Direct and Manage Project Work: Understand that this process is where scope, time, and cost objectives are achieved, and the product of the project is produced. Read the questions carefully. Pay attention to words like 'except,' 'not,' and 'never.' As you read each question, try to predict the correct answer before looking at the choices. This way, you can avoid any potential confusion from the possible answers.

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PMP - Integration Management Example Questions

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Question 1

You are managing a project when a team member identifies a potential risk that was not included in the risk register. What should you do first?

Correct Answer: Update the risk register and carry out a proper risk assessment

When a new risk that was not initially identified is brought to the attention, the first action should be to 'Update the risk register and carry out a proper risk assessment'. This is because the risk register is intended to track and manage potential risks throughout the project. Ignoring the risk does not follow good project management practices. While accommodating the risk within the project plan and discussing with the team are important, they usually come after identification and assessment. In essence, they are processes that follow the decision made after risk assessment has been completed.

Question 2

During the Direct and Manage Project Work process, you notice that team members are consistently exceeding the allocated budget for their tasks. What is the most appropriate action to take?

Correct Answer: Analyze the root causes of the budget overruns and implement corrective actions

The most appropriate action to take when team members are consistently exceeding the allocated budget for their tasks is to analyze the root causes of the budget overruns and implement corrective actions. This approach is proactive and addresses the underlying issues causing the problem.

By analyzing the root causes, the project manager can identify whether the overruns are due to inaccurate estimations, scope creep, inefficient processes, or other factors. Once the causes are understood, corrective actions can be implemented to address these issues and prevent further budget overruns.

This option is better than the alternatives because:

1. Revising the project budget to accommodate increased spending patterns does not address the root cause and may encourage further overspending.

2. Implementing strict financial controls and reducing future task budgets may negatively impact the project's quality and timeline, and does not address the reasons for the current overruns.

3. Requesting additional funding from the project sponsor should be a last resort after other options have been exhausted. It does not solve the underlying problem and may strain the relationship with the sponsor.

The chosen approach aligns with best practices in project management, focusing on identifying and addressing the root causes of issues to improve overall project performance and ensure successful delivery within budget constraints.

Question 3

During a recent team meeting, the team raised concerns about frequent changes in project requirements. As the project manager, what should you do to ensure that changes are properly managed?

Correct Answer: Implement a change control process

The best approach to manage changes in a project is to 'Implement a change control process'. A change control process is designed to handle changes in a structured manner, controlling the influence of changes throughout the project lifecycle, which allows for transparency, encourages communication, and reduces risks. The other responses are not appropriate: 'inform the team not to accept any changes' is unrealistic since changes are usually unavoidable and an essential part of project management; 'accept all changes without question' is not a wise strategy as it can lead to scope-creep or other project issues; 'ask the team to determine the validity of changes' is not the key responsibility of the team members, and could lead to confusion or inconsistency in how changes are evaluated and managed.

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