How to structure an excellent answer! The exam consists of 16 questions and your task is to complete 10 of them in the allocated time. Each question starts with a particular command verb: Every question is broken into two parts – a part A and a part B. Part A is always worth 20 marks whilst Part B is always worth 30 marks. The two parts could use different command verbs – for example, part A may ask you to explain 2 items whereas part B may ask you to describe 3 things. This document sets out how to approach 5 of the 6 command verb questions. Interpret is left out as this is used specifically for Earned Value Management questions where you are asked to comment on project performance based on a table of data provided. Outline Sample Question part (a) Outline four ways in which outputs of knowledge management informs decision making. 20 marks (5 marks each) Answer 1 - Here’s an example of a basic answer that would fall short of a pass mark: A lessons learnt register from previous projects can inform a current project in supporting decision making. A search for information (including online) about a topic that is not understood within the project can support decision making. Engaging an SME to provide critical analysis on a topic can support the project decision making. Previous experience of the stakeholder community can be used to support project decision making. There is no depth provided to give any context so the above is not much more than a set of list items. It doesn’t show the marker any depth of knowledge. Answer 2 – Here’s an example of a strong answer to this question: By consulting an organisational lessons learnt register, the project manager can use the experience from similar projects to avoid potential issues and mitigate risks. Encouraging the project team to share experience and expertise ensures that decisions are made with all of the relevant information available. Ensuring that there are clearly documented processes and procedures as part of the project can be used to decide what resources are required to deliver when transitioning to Business As Usual. Utilising best practice resources, e.g. published standards, in order to make decisions based on the benefit of external expertise and experience. Notice how each point gives context. State Sample Question part (a) State four sources of conflict within a project. Marks 20 marks (5 marks each) Answer 1 - Here’s an example of a basic answer that would fall short of a pass mark: 1. Project participants not following the project manager’s instructions 2. Not understanding the project’s objectives 3. Not agreeing the project’s objectives 4. Not being awarded the budget requested Similar to the outline answer previously, there is no context provided. It would score some of the 20 marks, but not enough to gain a pass. Answer 2 – Here’s an example of a strong answer: Personality clashes where two members in a team have different views on life and clash because of this. Resource availability (or lack of) where the project manager needs resources, but they are busy on functional work. Pricing the cost of changes on a fixed price contract where the contractor says it will cost a certain amount, but the client disagrees. Agreeing on requirements at the outset as some stakeholders view some requirements as mandatory, but others just view them as ‘nice to have.’ Notice that you don’t need to write a huge amount for a state question. You must however, provide some context (why) to the statement you’re making. Explain Explain two elements of a procurement strategy and why these are important (20 marks) Answer 1 – Here’s an example of a poor answer: Two elements of a procurement strategy are: 1. Make 2. Buy A business may choose to make something they need or intend to sell at a profit. The business needs to hone the right skills or be willing to take the risk that they can learn how to make the items to the required standard. A business may prefer to buy (rather than make) the items they need. If they don’t know how to make what they need then they will buy it from an established supplier or a new supplier if it’s a novel item. The problem here is that make or buy is one section, not two. If this were combined with another element of a procurement strategy, it would be a decent starting point. However, there is little to show a good depth of knowledge. Explain questions require detail – you need to show a good depth of understanding for the topic you’re covering. When explaining, think of the following things: Purpose / Context Why Who might be involved When you might do it in conjunction with the lifecycle Advantages / disadvanatges Answer 2 – Here’s an example of a strong answer: The procurement strategy defines the project deliver method, the types of contract and phasing. 1. Contract types: The choice of different contract types will depend on a variety of factors in a delivery: ▪ Fixed price: for predictable, known deliveries that can be clearly and accurately defined. They are unlikely to change in the delivery. ▪ Cost plus: for evolving and uncertain levels of work. The requirement is likely to change. Choosing the correct approach for each contract is critical (very important). Additionally, the application of incentives and awards, or penalties could be important to gaining the best project outcomes. 2. Procurement phasing: The procurement strategy should include a description of the phasing. This is important as it allows the procurement to align with the overall project delivery. Specifically: ▪ Phases, a description and objectives or outputs ▪ Performance indicators and plans for monitoring ▪ Any knowledge transfer or lessons learnt process This is not a definitive answer – there are other items in a procurement strategy that you could choose to explain. However, notice the detail provided. Describe Describe two benefits of having a central Project Management Office (20 marks) Answer 1 – Here’s an example of a weak answer: An embedded project office: i. ii. Gives a “home” for project managers to go to once their project is complete. In this way project managers do not need to find another project for them to do by themselves but can rely on others to do this for them. Provides standards for project managers to follow on all projects to which they are assigned. This means that project managers do not need to develop the principles or context for all the projects they work on but must use an “off the shelf” solution The content is OK here but again, there is no depth provided to show the marker a good level of knowledge. This is more of an outline answer. Answer 2 – Here’s an example of a strong answer: A PMO embedded in an organisation can provide many benefits to the organisation and its projects. Two of these are: Standardisation The PMO ensures that across the projects within the organisation the processes, tools and structures employed on a project are standardised. This provides a number of practical benefits including: i. ii. iii. All projects speak a common language, which aids communication across the organisation and enables projects to benefit from other projects such as use of lessons learned, histories across projects, reuse of estimating data, or even actual data to assist planning and control. Aids project costs, as cheaper if everyone talks the same language, cost of PMO resources shared (or even free) between projects and economies of scale. Supports good communication with the PMO acting as the ‘nerve centre’ ensuring information is shared through the organisation and is of high quality and appropriate for the audience Delivery support The PMO makes is easier for the project teams to do their jobs by reducing bureaucracy, providing training, coaching, mentoring and quality assurance with respect to the project management discipline. In addition the PMO provides more day to day practical support including organising the project calendar, facilitating meetings, supporting the project team with their planning and control tasks and providing a central project database which provides traceability by managing documentation, project histories and knowledge. The PMO by undertaking these tasks enables the project team to focus on the delivery of the project and addressing any issues rather than spending their time producing reports and information for stakeholders and each other. Differentiate Explain 3 differences between the following types of organisation structure: (30 marks) Matrix Functional Answer 1 – Here’s an example of a weak answer: A functional organisation has departments such as ‘engineering’, ‘design’, ‘manufacturing’ whereas a matrix organisation does not use these distinctions and puts all participants into a single group (the project) and the divisions instead are by WBS element or work-package. This enables much closer working and a ‘holistic’ approach to the project. In a functional organisation, employees may be working on many projects simultaneously (but still within their technical specialism), however in a matrix organisation, participants are only likely to be working on a single project, any spare time used up by BAU (business as usual) tasks. In a matrix organisation project managers and other project participants are at risk at the end of the project of not having any further work to do – in this case the organisation must create a project management office in order to assign work to these individuals. This is not the case in a functional organisation where individuals will automatically transition to a new project at the end of the current one. Again, not enough detail to show a good understanding. Each point is correct but there needs to be a greater context provided. Answer 2 – Here’s an example of a strong answer: A functional organisation is a traditional hierarchical organisation with direct supervision that is grouped into departments/functions which people are grouped together who have similar skills and are kept in groups. For example, the sales department, the finance department, the software department or the marketing department. A matrix organisation is a combination of a number of organisational structures (functional, project, divisional, flat, the most common being a matrix organisation with a functional and project organisation embedded in such an organisation the supervision / responsibility is shared by the functional managers and the project managers. Three differences between the two are: i. Flow of authority / responsibility. Within a functional organisation the authority flows downwards with the functional manager responsible for their department only. In a matrix organisation the functional managers maintain responsibility for their departments but work together with the project managers who have a project authority that flows across the functions (i.e. sideways) to achieve the goals of a project. This shared authority will shift dependent on the type of matrix organisation, weak, balanced or strong. In the 1st authority lies with the functional manager and in the latter with the project manager. ii. Complexity A functional structure is relatively simple and convenient to manage, being focussed on the delivery of a simple product line and normally located in one location. While a matrix structure is complex in nature due to the combination of two organisational structures (or potentially more) and the need for communication between them. The matrix structure lends itself to the delivery of multiple product lines, potentially across multiple locations and tend to be projectized. iii. Resource allocation Within a functional structure resources are grouped within departments and allocated work by their functional manager, normally on a utilisation of bodies principle but in a matrix organisation skills are better utilised as the most appropriate / capable resources can be allocated to deliver the projects dependant on their needs and priority. This ability to utilise functional resource across a number of projects ensures their efficient use and is cost effective for the projects as they pay for the work they require only. Additional Hints & Tips Candidates should spend some time at the start of the exam to plan out which questions they will attempt and in what order they will be attempted. Markers have seen a lot of scripts in the past where pages and pages have been written for the first few questions and the remaining questions have then been rushed as the candidate runs out of time. Candidates should not write opening/introductory or summarising/closing paragraphs as these will not be marked. Only answer the question posed. Ensure that the number of answers provided match the question structure. For example, if the question asks for 3 explanations, provided 3 (no more and no less) explanations. 1 explanation no matter the length of it can only be given a maximum of 10 marks. Candidates should structure their answers in such a way so that its easy for markers to award them marks, for example if the question asks for 3 descriptions then separate out each description into an its own paragraph with the total answer being 3 paragraphs, rather than laying the answer out as one continual block of text. Do not answer more than 10 questions (for PMQ). Candidates in the past have answered 12 questions in the hope that extra marks will be gained. Only the first 10 questions will be marked. It’s best to spend any extra time reviewing on the 10 answered questions. Do not repeat the question being asked in your answer - this will not gain any marks and uses up some the candidate’s valuable time.
