Governance question from CRC

Jitesh, I selected a although b and c seem to be correct as well. What is the best choice? Thank you, darryl

You are Company A's program manager for the development of an online banking system for your community bank, for which your company will receive $20 million. One of your first tasks was to work with your sponsor and specify the purpose of the phase-gate reviews and when they will be held on this program. One goal of these reviews is to:
a.  Monitor the business environment for changes
b.  Assess strategic alignment of the program
c.  Ensure the program charter remains viable
d.  Identify the key decision makers and stakeholders associated with this program

Program Monitoring and Control question from CRC

Jitesh, I selected c by invalidating the other three choices. Nevertheless, can you direct me to where this is stated in the SPM as the question indicates. I know this is true for project management as per the PMBOK Guide figure 3-2, pg. 51. Thank you, Darryl

Assume your county government decided to move into program management as it found that a number of projects under way had interrelationships and interdependencies in terms of the benefits they were to deliver to the citizens in the county. While the county has a project management methodology, it did not have one for program management so it decided to build on the best practices in the Project Management Institute's Standard for Program Management. As you reviewed the guidelines in The Standard for Program Management, you noted some activities are performed throughout the course of the program; an example is:
a.	Program Schedule Control
b.	Benefits Realization
c.	Program Performance Monitoring and Control
d.	Manage Program Issues

Financial Management question from CRC

Jitesh, I selected a because contingency reserves are managed by the program manager. The other three choices did not support my experience, which is the reason for invalidating each. Did I answer the question correctly?

You manage a program in the Ministry of Education. Your seven-year program is designed to ensure mandatory testing requirements for high school students throughout the country. Your program receives funding soon after the start of each fiscal year. Funds that are not spent during a fiscal year cannot be allocated to other programs or agency activities; rather, they revert to the general fund. As a program manager, you ensure that:
a.	Your program focuses on reserve analysis
b.	You spend all the money allocated in each fiscal year
c.	All available financial information and all income and payment schedules are listed in detail as the budget is prepared
d.	You add at least a 10 percent margin to the budget in anticipation of the reductions by the Ministry's budget office

 

Tools vs Techniques Question from CRC

As the program manager for the new landfill program for your county, you are facing a number of challenges. You have identified a large number of stakeholders, mostly in the county and the residents who have this "not in my backyard" syndrome about the landfill program, along with environmental activists. However, you recognize you need to engage each stakeholder group, even if they are negative, to ensure overall success. Recently, at some key meetings, you and your team realized some of the active stakeholders were missing. You realized some also missed the previous meeting. To identify and assess causes of nonparticipation, as a program manager, one tool to use is:

a.  Root cause analysis
b.  Cause-and-effect diagrams
c.  Variance analysis
d.  Conflict resolution strategies

Jitesh, I selected a instead of b. I am confused because the writer of the question refers to a "tool" whereas and "analysis" in my thinking is a technique. What is correct answer to this question and can I expect confusion like this on the real exam? Please ask your reccent PgMPs if this type of confusion needs to be planned for and how should I get the right answer. Thanks, darryl

 

Environmental Factors Question from CRC

Jitesh, I strugged between choices b and c becasue the correct answer does not align with the SPM wording. Pg. 30 of SPM cites "cultural diversity" and an EEF. How in your opinion did the writer of this question deliberately confuse the PgMP aspirant? It make no sense to me. Just venting with hope the real exam is more precise in the answer options. Darryl

You are pleased to be the first program manager in your company to manage a virtual team. While the company has managed programs for several years, in the past, it tended to hire subject matter experts or ask people from its offices in four other continents to meet in one place in order to work as a collocated team. It also relied extensively on contactor support. Finally, your executives have recognized that it will be cost beneficial to use a virtual team for your new program to develop a new product that combines the capabilities of a smart phone, an eBook reader, and a tablet in a single device that is less expensive with a higher quality of resolution than possible with the existing products on the marketplace. Such an approach is one in which you should consider:
a.	Using focus groups to obtain a picture of the various attitudes of your stakeholders
b.	The cultural backgrounds of the team members
c.	Changing culture
d.	Using market analysis