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Dom 402 :Cat Question Paper
Dom 402 :Cat
Course:Bachelor Of Commerce
Institution: University Of Nairobi question papers
Exam Year:2012
University of Nairobi
School of Business
Department of Management Science
DOM 402: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Continuous Assessment Test Module 1 16th April 2012,9:00 – 10:30 AM
Attempt all three questions.Questions do not carry equal marks. Give only concise relevant answers with illustrations and examples where appropriate.
1)
a) Explain the following terms and its significance in project management. (10 marks)
i) Programme
ii) Strategic business unit
iii) Social cost benefit analysis
iv) Non-numeric appraisal
v) Scope
b) Distinguish between project management and ‘normal’ management. Why do some consider project management an art? (5 marks)
c) With the aid of a diagram, describe the relationship between the functions of management, time, and the attainment of project objectives. (6 marks)
d) Is the project life cycle approach applicable to any project? Explain your answer. (4 marks)
2)
a) Compare and contrast the Gantt chart, CPM and PERT as project implementation planning tools, including which is the most widely used and why (9 marks)
b) A training and development project has the following estimates:
Activity Duration (Weeks) Predecessor(s)
A: Select personnel 3 -
B: Invite personnel 5 -
C: Budget OK? 14 A
D: Prepare materials 5 A
E: Engage instructor 4 B
F: Select date 7 B
G: Remind personnel 8 D, E
H: Start project 5 G, F
i) Draw the network and find the critical path (5 marks)
ii) Assume activity A took 5 weeks. Re-plan the project. (3 marks)
iii) From where would you suggest transferring resources, and to what activities, so that the original date may be maintained? (3 marks)
3) You and some friends have decided to start an income generating project after campus, hoping to grow it into a serious business in time. At present all you have are vague notions and a few ideas floating around with no firm commitments.
a) Briefly describe the process you have to go through before settling on one to invest in. (7 marks)
b) As young jobless Kenyans with no work experience or capital, what are your financing options? Which would you prefer and why? (4 marks)
c) Assume you need Kshs 3 million to fully develop your innovative mobile business idea based on new software one of you developed, but you can only raise Kshs 1.2 million from all sources. What are your options now? Which one will you take and why? (4 marks)
University of Nairobi
School of Business
Department of Management Science
DOM 402: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Continuous Assessment Test Marking Scheme Module 1 16th April 2012,9:00 – 10:30 AM
Attempt all three questions.Questions do not carry equal marks. Give only concise relevant answers with illustrations and examples where appropriate.
1)
a) Explain the following terms and its significance in project management. (10 marks) – 1 mk for definition, 1 mk for significance – 2 each.
i) Programme
It is a solution relating to groups or a set of connected projects. Important because solving a problem may require more than one project, but that must be implemented as a set.
ii) Strategic business unit
Work in an organization is organized as projects, Management by Projects, each is termed SBU. It can be very efficient in realizing strategic objectives.
iii) Social cost benefit analysis
The appraisal of a project from the point of view of the whole society, necessary for public projects or large private ones that impact a community
iv) Non-numeric appraisal
Selection of a project without mathematical analysis, necessary in certain cases such as sacred cow where it is dictated from the top, operating necessity for emergencies etc
v) Scope
The extent a project is to cover as indicated in the objectives, important because scope management is an important task to avoid scope creep
b) Distinguish between project management and ‘normal’ management. Why do some consider project management an art? (5 marks)
Project management deals with unique, temporary, initiatives while normal management deals with routine and long-lasting activities. PM calls for more flexibility and adaptability, while NM is more steady and predictable. (3 mks)
PM is considered art because it integrates soft human skills with hard structured management knowledge. Combining the two is an art rather than a science. (2 mks)
c) With the aid of a diagram, describe the relationship between the functions of management, time, and the attainment of project objectives. (6 marks)
Diagram – 3 mks (give proportionate mks for others though not exact that carry the same idea)
- Project progresses in a life-cycle through stages. This is achieved through management processes as one manages the project to meet project objectives (vertical axis functions in diagram) – 3 mks
d) Is the project life cycle approach applicable to any project? Explain your answer. (4 marks)
- Yes (1 mk), it does not matter type or sizeetc, all projects have a beginning and end, and go through stages. What differs is the length and activities in particular stages. (3 mks)
2)
a) Compare and contrast the Gantt chart, CPM and PERT as project implementation planning tools, including which is the most widely used and why (9 marks)
- The Gantt chart is based on assumptions of that activities can be treated linearly and that durations are deterministic i.e. can be known in advance with a high degree of precision (2 mks)
- A weakness of Gantt chart is that it does not show logical activity dependencies that govern how fast a project can be completed. (1 mk)
- CPM shows logical dependencies(1 mk)
- The main criticism for CPM is that it assumes projects activities and relationships are linear and deterministic(2 mks)
- PERT (Project Evaluation and Review technique)is similar to CPM but allows for uncertainty in activity duration estimates, it attempts to correct for this using probability theory. (2 mk)
- Gantt chart is most widely used as it is easy to learn and apply. (1 mk)
(Key points are underlined)
b) A training and development project has the following estimates:
Activity Duration (Weeks) Predecessor(s)
A: Select personnel 3 -
B: Invite personnel 5 -
C: Budget OK? 14 A
D: Prepare materials 5 A
E: Engage instructor 4 B
F: Select date 7 B
G: Remind personnel 8 D, E
H: Start project 5 G, F
i) Draw the network and find the critical path (5 marks)
Network – 3 mks (give in proportion to correctness), CP 2mks
ii) Assume activity A took 5 weeks. Re-plan the project. (3 marks)
iii) From where would you suggest transferring resources, and to what activities, so that the original date may be maintained? (3 marks)
3) You and some friends have decided to start an income generating project after campus, hoping to grow it into a serious business in time. At present all you have are vague notions and a few ideas floating around with no firm commitments.
a) Briefly describe the process you have to go through before settling on one to invest in. (7 marks)
Description of prefeasibility (2 mks) and feasibility analysis stages (5 mks).
Prefeasibility may use any technique such as project rating index, feasibility – brief on required steps – market, and technical, organizational, financial, appraisal and selection
b) As young jobless Kenyans with no work experience or capital, what are your financing options? Which would you prefer and why? (4 marks)
Loan, grant, venture capital VC, angel capital AC (2 mks) – equity not possible
Preference – grant, venture or angel – they don’t require re-payment if project fails, no need for collateral, though VC and AC require giving up part ownership. (2 mks)
c) Assume you need Kshs 3 million to fully develop your innovative mobile business idea based on new software one of you developed, but you can only raise Kshs 1.2 million from all sources. What are your options now? Which one will you take and why? (4 marks)
- May drop project
- Partial development and licensing
- Joint Venture
(3 mks)
- Company becomes a take-over candidate due to project potential; this is a double-edged sword since own bargaining power is reduced, hence need to decide and act fast
- Explanation on which – dropping project is not a good option – either partial dev. or JV (1 mk)
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