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Bms406:Project Management Question Paper
Bms406:Project Management
Course:Bachelor Of Commerce
Institution: Kenyatta University question papers
Exam Year:2012
KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS 2011/2012
SECOND SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF
BACHELOR OF COMMERCE
BMS406: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
DATE: Tuesday, 27th March 2012
TIME: 11.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Answer question One and any other Two questions.
Question One
Read the case below and answer the questions that follow.
Troubled Projects
(a)Jack walked into work on Monday morning like any other. Although Jack had
substantial experience, he had only recently joined PintCo after being hired away from a
chief competitor. He was still learning about some of the nuances of his current
employer.
After the typical morning banter, Brandon and Jack got to the topic at hand. “Jack, I?ll get
straight to the point. I need to you to take over the Customer Master File project from
Paul.” Brandon said. He continued, “We hired you because of your significant project
management expertise. I know that you?ve turned around a lot more difficult situations
than this.” Over an hour later, Jack emerged from Brandon?s office and set out to learn
more about the challenge that Brandon had posed to him.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Jack tool over the Customer Master File project,met with key project team members, and conducted dozens of interviews with key stakeholders.
“Brandon, I?ve talked to the project team and to key stakeholders, and I know why this project is in trouble,” Jack started. “If you truly want me to turn this project around, I?ll need your support to make some critical changes.” What did you find out, Jack, and what can I do to help?”
Jack drew a deep breath and began to explain his findings. “Brandon, as you know this project has been in flight for nearly 6 months now and it is already behind schedule and over budget.” Jack went on, “In talking to the project team and other stakeholders, I don?t see the situation getting better without making some pretty significant changes.”
Jack?s experience helped him to quickly identify a number of critical issues with the project, which he carefully outlined for Brandon:” the scope of the project is not well defined, the IT architects are sitting in their ivory towers and disagree with the project?s direction, the project team is not functioning as a team, there is lack of clear executive sponsorship, and Steve from Marketing is trying to manipulate this project for his own political gain.” I?m not going to sugar coat this for you Brandon,” Jack explained. “I?ve seen this situation far too often in my career, and if we don?t change the situation this project will fail in glorious fashion.” Brandon and Jack both agreed with some plan to tackle the situation and help turn the project around. Jack knew that some of the changes
would be unpopular, but without them the project would be doomed.
(i)With reference to the above case explain how the problems identified by jack could be tackled.(5 marks)
(ii)
What are some of the challenges that are likely to be encountered by jack in trying
to turn around the project?(5 marks)
(b)
The following table gives the activities and other relevant data for the project:
Activity
Normal Time
Crash Time
Normal Cost
Crash Cost
(days)
(days)
(Ksh “000”)
(Ksh “000”)
1-2
4
3
600
800
1-3
2
2
400
400
1-4
5
4
750
900
2-3
7
5
400
600
2-5
7
6
800
1,000
3-5
2
1
500
650
4-5
5
4
600
850
Indirect cost per day for the project is Ksh 200,000
(iii)
Draw the network for the project and determine the normal and crash critical
paths.( 5 marks)
(iv)
Find the normal cost of the project.(5 marks)
(v)
Find the least increase in cost over normal cost to crash the project completion
time from normal time to crash time.(10 marks)
Question Two
(a)
Having gone through project management course, you have been approached by a client
who has been having trouble with many failed projects, advice your client on why
projects fail and suggest solutions.(7 marks)
(b)
State and explain any four tools used in project management.(8 marks)
(c)
Explain using examples, the various misconception about conflicts.(5 marks)
Question Three
(a)
A well conceived idea is more likely to succeed; using practical examples explain the
sources of various project ideas.(10 marks)
(b)
Project appraisal is a process of detailed examination of several aspects of a given project
before recommending the same. Discuss the various appraisal techniques, supporting
your discussion with practical examples.(10 marks)
Question Four
(a)
Organizational structure is concerned with the allocation of task and establishment of
authority-responsibility relationship between the members of the organization. Discuss
the various organization structures and how projects fit into those structures. (10 marks)
(b)
While project appraisal is an estimate for the „future?, post project evaluation is an
assessment of the „past?. Using a project of your choice explain how you go about
evaluating it.(10 marks)
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