Q.1    A project has the following Normal and Crash times and associated costs:

The partially completed network is shown below:

Q.1     (Continued):

a)  Calculate the total float, free float, and identify the critical path. You are not required to redraw the diagram, and may show your answer in a written      format in your answer book. A simple table is suggested for the floats. (5 marks)

b)  Calculate and show cost/time slope in pounds (£) for each activity in the network. Present your answer as a fully-labelled table. (5 marks)

c)  The client for the project requires the duration to be reduced by 2 days.        Assume that activities can only be ‘crashed’ to the blocks of time given in the table, and not incrementally on a day-by-day basis (i.e. not crashed at all, or fully crashed. No half measures).

Which activity or activities would you ‘crash’? Give TWO (2) reasons for your choice. (6 marks)

d)  State TWO (2) potential downsides of ‘crashing’ a project network. (4 marks)

Q.2

a)  What is a Matrix project management structure? (4 marks)

b)  In the context of an IT-intensive project, what are the advantages and          disadvantages of a Matrix project management structure when compared to the alternatives? (16 marks)

Q.3    According to Tuckman (1965), what are the 5 key stages of team           development? Explain each stage in the context of a newly formed IT Start-up company, highlighting the key issues for a project manager to be aware of and challenges to overcome. [20 marks]

Q.4

a)  Explain, using appropriate diagrams, the Hershey-Blanchard theory of situational leadership. (8 marks)

b)  You are the project manager for a newly formed team working on a software development project.

How would you utilise situational leadership over the course of the project? (12 marks)

Q.5

a)  What is meant by “Quality Assurance” and “Quality Control”? Explain both terms. (4 marks)

b)  In the context of a 2-year long IT coding project, what steps would you            undertake to monitor the quality of the project in order to reassure a nervous  client? You should explain how this will be done practically, as well as at what stage of a project key aspects will be undertaken. (16 marks)

Q.6     The following TWO (2) figures will help you answer the questions which follow.

a)  Calculate the Risk Scores for A-H and list the risks in priority order, highest to lowest. (Risks A-H can be seen in Table 6.2 above) (4 marks)

b)  You are the Owner of Risk E. During the 1st week of the 6 month long project, Risk E has occurred at least once a day, each time causing a 10% to 15%      delay in the schedule. What does this mean about the original risk                   assessment, and what steps should be taken? Include relevant options for      treatment strategies and contingency plans in your answer. (12 marks)

c)  What are Threats and Opportunities, and why are they treated separately? Give ONE (1) example of each that may be relevant to an IT based project. (4 marks)

Q.7      This question concerns the Milestone Slip Chart shown below:

a)  What monthly reporting period is the chart above currently showing? (2 marks)

b)  Describe how this chart is used to monitor a project. (4 marks)

c)  Looking at the progress of the final milestone in the chart above . What can you deduce about the progress of the project so far, and what actions might the project team have undertaken? Explain your answer. (12 marks)

d)  When do you expect the project shown in the chart to finish? State any assumptions you have made. (2 marks)

Q.8

a)  What is a project stakeholder? (2 marks)

b)  Why is stakeholder management and engagement important for the            successful completion of a project? How does the focus of this engagement change throughout the lifecycle of a project? (18 marks)

Q.9    A project is planned to be completed in 20 weeks. The following table shows task progress at Week 10. All cost data is in £.

a)  What is the project’s Budget at Completion (BAC)?   (2 marks)

b)  Calculate the Earned Value for the project to date.    (6 marks)

c)  Using the data provided, calculate:

i.     Cost Variance

ii.     Schedule Variance (cost)

iii.     Cost Performance Index (CPI)

iv.     Schedule performance index (SPI,cost)

(6 marks)