CompTIA Project+ Study Guide

Introduction xviii
Assessment Test xxxii
Chapter 1 Initiating the Project 1
Defining the Project 2
Identifying the Project 2
Programs and Portfolios 3
Understanding Operations 4
Using the PMBOK Guide(r) 4
Understanding Organizational Structures 5
The Functional Organization 5
The Matrix Organization 6
The Projectized Organization 8
Validating the Project 9
How Projects Come About 10
Business Case Validation and Stakeholder Identification 12
Project Selection 13
Project Selection Methods 13
Understanding the Project Management Knowledge Areas 17
Understanding the Role of the Project Manager 17
Leadership 18
Communication 19
Problem-Solving 19
Negotiating 20
Organization and Time Management 21
Summary 21
Exam Essentials 22
Key Terms 23
Review Questions 24
Chapter 2 Project Team Roles and Responsibilities 29
Stakeholder Roles and Responsibilities 31
The Customer 32
The Project Sponsor 32
The Project Manager 33
The Project Coordinator 34
The Project Scheduler 34
The Project Team Members 34
The Project Management Office 35
The Stakeholder Matrix 36
Receiving a Project Request 37
The Project Request Process 37
The High-Level Scope Definition 37
Documenting the High-Level Scope Definition 39
Summary 40
Exam Essentials 40
Key Terms 41
Review Questions 42
Chapter 3 Creating the Project Charter 47
Project Process Groups 49
The Initiating Processes 50
The Planning Processes 50
The Executing Processes 52
The Monitoring and Controlling Processes 53
The Closing Processes 53
Creating the Project Charter 54
Goals and Objectives 55
Project Description 55
Key Deliverables 55
High-Level Requirements 56
High-Level Milestones 56
High-Level Budget 56
High-Level Assumptions 56
High-Level Constraints 57
High-Level Risks 57
Other Contents 58
Criteria for Approval 58
Formal Approval 58
Holding the Kickoff Meeting 58
Summary 60
Exam Essentials 61
Key Terms 62
Review Questions 63
Chapter 4 Creating the Work Breakdown Structure 67
Documenting the Scope Management Plan 68
Writing the Scope Statement 69
Project Objectives 70
Project Description 70
Acceptance Criteria and Key Performance Indicators 71
Key Deliverables 71
Exclusions from Scope 71
Time and Cost Estimates 71
Assumptions 72
Constraints and Influences 72
Constraints 72
Influences 75
Approval of the Scope Statement 77
Documenting the Requirements 77
Requirement Categories 78
The Requirements Document 80
Creating the Work Breakdown Structure 80
Decomposing the Major Deliverables 81
Guidelines for Creating a WBS 82
Benefits of the WBS 83
WBS Dictionary 84
Summary 87
Exam Essentials 88
Key Terms 88
Review Questions 90
Chapter 5 Creating the Project Schedule 95
Schedule Planning 96
Defining Tasks 97
Task Sequencing 98
Types of Dependencies 98
Logical Relationships 98
Creating a Network Diagram 99
Assigning Resources 100
Determining Task Durations 100
Defining Duration 101
Estimating Techniques 101
Creating the Project Schedule 103
Milestones 104
Displaying the Schedule 105
The Critical Path Method 105
Duration Compression 107
Project-Scheduling Software 108
Setting the Baseline and Obtaining Approval 108
Quality Gates 108
Establishing Governance Gates 109
Summary 111
Exam Essentials 112
Key Terms 112
Review Questions 114
Chapter 6 Resource Planning and Management 119
Determining Resource Needs 121
Resource Management Concepts 121
Interproject Work 124
Personnel Management 124
Selecting Team Members 124
Organization Charts and Position Descriptions 125
Matrix-Based Charts 126
Roles and Responsibilities 127
Building and Managing a Cohesive Team 127
Trust Building 128
Monitoring Team Performance 129
Conflict Management 132
Managing Conflict 133
Project Kickoff 136
Summary 139
Exam Essentials 140
Key Terms 141
Review Questions 143
Chapter 7 Defining the Project Budget and Risk Plans 147
Estimating Costs 148
Cost-Estimating Techniques 148
Estimating Tips 152
Creating the Project Budget 153
Creating the Project Budget 154
Cost Baseline 156
Expenditure Tracking and Reporting 156
Earned Value Management 157
Expenditure Reporting 160
Risk Planning 161
Risk Identification 162
Risk Analysis 163
Risk Response 165
Risk Monitoring 167
Summary 169
Exam Essentials 170
Key Terms 170
Review Questions 172
Chapter 8 Communicating the Plan 177
Communications Planning 179
Exchanging Information 180
Listening 182
Methods of Communicating 182
Forms of Communicating 183
Communication Methods 183
The Communication Plan 186
Communicating with Project Team Members 188
Managing Stakeholder Expectations and
Communication Needs 189
Engaging Stakeholders 190
Factors That Influence Communications 192
Communication Triggers 194
Summary 198
Exam Essentials 199
Key Terms 200
Review Questions 201
Chapter 9 Processing Change Requests and Procurement Documents 205
Project Management Plan Review 207
Implementing Change Control Systems 208
Identify and Document the Change Request 210
Change Request Log 210
Evaluate the Impact and Justification of Change 211
Change Control Board 212
Implement the Change 213
Validate the Change 213
Updating the Project Management Plan 213
Communicating the Changes 214
Types of Organizational Change 214
Procurement Planning 215
Statement of Work 216
Vendor Solicitation 217
Vendor Selection Criteria 218
Types of Contracts 219
Partner and Vendor-centric Documents 220
Agile Project Management 221
Sprint Planning 222
Daily Standups or Scrum Meetings 223
Scrum Retrospective 223
Other Methodologies 224
Summary 225
Exam Essentials 226
Key Terms 227
Review Questions 229
Chapter 10 Project Tools and Documentation 233
Project Management Tools 235
Charts 236
Dashboards and Status Reports 240
Knowledge Management Tools 243
Using Performance Measures 244
Key Performance Indicators 245
Key Performance Parameters 246
Balanced Score Card 246
Project Endings 246
Characteristics of Closing 246
Types of Project Endings 247
Steps in Closing Out a Project 249
Obtaining Sign-Off 249
Transferring the Product of the Project 249
Releasing Team Members 250
Closing Out the Contract 250
Administrative Closure 251
Archiving Project Documents 251
Documenting Lessons Learned 251
Preparing the Project Close Report 254
Summary 255
Exam Essentials 256
Key Terms 257
Review Questions 258
Appendix Answers to Review Questions 263
Chapter 1: Initiating the Project 264
Chapter 2: Project Team Roles and Responsibilities 266
Chapter 3: Creating the Project Charter 267
Chapter 4: Creating the Work Breakdown Structure 269
Chapter 5: Creating the Project Schedule 270
Chapter 6: Resource Planning and Management 272
Chapter 7: Defining the Project Budget and Risk Plans 273
Chapter 8: Communicating the Plan 275
Chapter 9: Processing Change Requests and Procurement Documents 276
Chapter 10: Project Tools and Documentation 278
Index 281