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