Following decisions are the subject of stakeholders

Course 6 – Capstone: Applying Project Management in The Real World QUIZ ANSWERS

Week 1: Initiating a Project

Google Project Management: Professional Certificate

Coursera Answers & Study Guide

Initiating a project INTRODUCTION

The Initiating a Project course, available as part of Coursera’s Google Project Management: Professional Certificate, teaches you the core skills needed to initiate projects effectively. You will learn how to analyze project documents and supporting materials to identify project requirements, evaluate stakeholders, and problem-solve. Additionally, you will develop your ability to create a focused project charter that effectively aligns the project’s scope and goals among its stakeholders.

You’ll also become adept at making goals SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based) and engaging in productive negotiations with stakeholders to prioritize objectives. With these skills under your belt, you’ll be fully prepared to tackle even the most complex initiatives with confidence.

Learning Objectives

  • Explain the Project Management certificate program structure and course functionality.
  • Analyze materials to identify project requirements, evaluate stakeholders, and problem-solve.
  • Complete a project charter, filling out key information including a project summary, goals, scope, benefits, and costs.
  • Add specificity to project goals to make them SMART.
  • Use the project charter as a tool to align project scope and goals among project stakeholders.
  • Apply effective negotiation skills with stakeholders to prioritize project goals.

ACTIVITY: DRAFT A PROJECT CHARTER

1. Which of the following pieces of information from the supporting materials is appropriate for the project summary? Select all that apply.

  • Plans to expand the tablet rollout to all Sauce & Spoon locations
  • A detailed timeline of the project’s tasks and milestones
  • The pilot will roll out in the bar area of each restaurant (CORRECT)
  • The Sauce & Spoon locations selected for the rollout (CORRECT)

Correct: The decision to limit the rollout to the bar area of each restaurant is an important detail that is appropriate for the summary.

Correct: The pilot locations are important pieces of information that are appropriate for the summary.

2. Which goals did you identify in the supporting materials for this project? Select all that apply.

  • Create a project charter
  • Hire 3-5 more waitstaff at each location
  • Decrease table turn time by 30 minutes (CORRECT)
  • Increase product mix (CORRECT)

Correct: The tablets will reduce ordering and checkout times, which should help the team achieve this goal.

Correct: Selecting tablets that can promote specific items and offer coupons should help the team achieve this goal.

3. Which goals are suggested or implied by the supporting materials? Select all that apply.

  • Adjust the restaurant layout to increase efficiency
  • Reduce the size of the kitchen staff
  • Decrease employee burnout and turnover (CORRECT)
  • Reduce the number of negative customer reviews (CORRECT)

Correct: The supporting materials discuss employee burnout and high turnover rates. The tablets will reduce strain on the restaurant staff, which could help resolve these issues.

Correct: Many recent negative reviews relate to a “delay in service.” The tablets will speed up service, which could help resolve this issue.

4. Which deliverables did you identify in the supporting materials for this project? Select all that apply.

  • A customer loyalty program
  • Tablets installed in the bar area of two restaurant locations (CORRECT)
  • Clear data points to track metrics (CORRECT)
  • A plan to train the staff on the new system (CORRECT)

Correct: The team needs to install the tablets in order to start the pilot program, making this a core project deliverable.

Correct: Collecting data is a core deliverable for this project. The tablets will track table turn time and ordering trends that Sauce & Spoon can use to ensure success.

Correct: A training program is a core deliverable that will help the staff adapt to the change.

ACTIVITY: REVISE YOUR PROJECT CHARTER

1. Which of the following decisions are the subject of stakeholder misalignment within the Sauce & Spoon tablet project?

  • Upgrade the WiFi systems to ensure the tablets run smoothly
  • Reallocate payroll to hire more kitchen staff (CORRECT)
  • Measure project goals through the end of June
  • Remove decreasing guest wait time as a separate goal

Correct: The team could not agree whether to reallocate payroll to hire more kitchen staff, making this a misalignment.

2. How does a project charter act as an alignment tool? Select all that apply.

  • Ensures consistency because it does not change throughout the project
  • Facilitates disagreements among team members about project goals and deliverables
  • Lays out project details to ensure the team is working toward the outcomes all stakeholders expect (CORRECT)
  • Addresses misalignments and documents when and how stakeholders resolve them (CORRECT)

Correct: The project charter documents agreed-upon goals and details. You should update it regularly to realign stakeholders as needed.

Correct: The project charter documents how the team resolves misalignments to avoid confusion in the future.

3. How do Peta and her team resolve the issue of reallocating payroll to the kitchen staff?

  • They agree to hire more bussers and runners to ensure the success of the tablet project.
  • They agree that the added revenue from the tablets will allow Sauce & Spoon to hire more kitchen staff.
  • They decide to hire part-time line cooks.
  • They discuss several ideas, but do not resolve the issue. (CORRECT)

Correct: The team cannot agree on how to resolve the payroll issue, so they do not reach a decision.

ACTIVITY: UPDATE YOUR PROJECT CHARTER GOALS

1. Which of the following is an example of a measurable goal?

  • Improve back-of-house employee satisfaction
  • Decrease table turn time by improving ticket order flow
  • Reduce food waste by 25% by the end of Q2 (CORRECT)
  • Improve table service productivity and efficiency by installing tabletop menu tablets at the start of Q2

Correct: This goal is measurable because it states by how much to reduce food waste.

2. Which of the following is an example of a time-bound goal? Select all that apply.

  • Decrease table turn time by 30%
  • Increase average check value to $75
  • Increase appetizer sales by the end of Q2 (CORRECT)
  • Implement menu tablets by the start of Q2 (CORRECT)

Correct: This goal is time-bound because it is clear when it should be completed.

Correct: This goal is time-bound because it is clear when it should be completed.

3. One of the project goals is to decrease average table turn time. Which version of this goal meets all the SMART criteria?

  • Decrease average table turn time by 30 minutes, resulting in decreased customer wait time and more profit
  • Decrease average table turn time by approximately 30 minutes by the end of the second quarter (Q2), resulting in decreased customer wait time (CORRECT)
  • Decrease average table turn time by the end of the year in order to keep executives and investors happy
  • Decrease average table turn time by 30 minutes by the end of the week, resulting in more profit and a decrease in customer wait time

Correct: This goal meets all the SMART criteria. It has a specific aim, it is measurable in minutes, it is attainable through the tablet program, it is relevant to Sauce & Spoon’s larger business goals, and it is time-bound within Q2.

4. One of the project goals is to increase the average check total for each table. Which version of this goal meets all the SMART criteria?

  • Increase average check total to $75 by selling more appetizers and beverages by the end of Q2, resulting in increased profits (CORRECT)
  • Increase average check total to $75 by the end of Q2
  • Increase average check total by selling more appetizers and beverages by the end of Q2
  • Increase average check total by $75 by selling more appetizers and beverages within five years

Correct: This goal meets all the SMART criteria. It has a specific aim, it is measurable in money spent, it is attainable through the tablet program, it is relevant to Sauce & Spoon’s larger business goals, and it is time-bound within Q2.

GOOGLE PROJECT MANAGEMENT COURSERA ANSWERS AND STUDY GUIDE

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TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE: PROJECT CHARTER COMPONENTS

1. What is the purpose of a project charter? Select all that apply.

  • Serves as a detailed project plan with a schedule
  • Organizes vital project information (CORRECT)
  • Defines the project and outlines necessary details (CORRECT)
  • Acts as a useful reference throughout the project (CORRECT)

Correct: Providing vital project information in a well-organized and skimmable format ensures that more senior stakeholders who may not have time to read all of the details still have visibility into the project and an opportunity to provide feedback on the plans.

Correct: Defining the project and outlining the necessary details in a clear, succinct format can ensure that all project stakeholders agree on what a successful project looks like.

Correct: The project charter is a living document which should be continually updated so that all members of the team and senior stakeholders have a central location to refer to about the project.

2. What three questions should you ask yourself when adding details to a project charter? Select all that apply.

  • Which project management tools would the stakeholders prefer the team use?
  • Who are the stakeholders? (CORRECT)
  • What details are most important to the stakeholders? (CORRECT)
  • Are there project details that the stakeholders might disagree with? (CORRECT)

Correct: You need to identify your key stakeholders to ensure you’re getting feedback and direction from the people who are funding the project and who will ultimately judge the success of the project.

Correct: You need to know which details are most important to your stakeholders so you can prioritize ensuring success on these details and providing frequent updates on the areas of highest concern to your stakeholders.

Correct: You need to identify any details your stakeholders might not agree with so you can provide additional visibility for those details, lead conversations with stakeholders to resolve the disagreements, and ultimately document the outcomes of those conversations.

3. How can you use your project charter as a tool to align with stakeholders in the initiation phase?

  • Ask stakeholders to each submit their visions for the project and add these as separate project charters.
  • Edit the project charter into a 1-page, high-level summary for your team members to review.
  • Introduce the project team to stakeholders so that everyone can discuss the project charter together.
  • Present the project charter to stakeholders to confirm that everyone agrees with the project information. (CORRECT)

Correct: To facilitate alignment, you present the charter to stakeholders and confirm agreement. This is essential, as misalignment among stakeholders about project details is a common cause of project failure.

4. Fill in the blank: _____ are the expected gains of a project. These can be direct or indirect.

  • Milestones
  • Benefits (CORRECT)
  • Costs
  • Stakeholders

Correct: Benefits are the expected gains of a project. These can be direct, monetary gains or indirect benefits, like an improvement in customer engagement or satisfaction.

5. What step for making project charter goals measurable involves researching how others in your industry quantify success?

  • Benchmarking (CORRECT)
  • Setting milestones
  • Aligning stakeholders
  • Budgeting

Correct: To make a goal measurable, you can research how others in your industry quantify success. This is called benchmarking, which refers to evaluating success against a standard.

6. What key information does the project charter contain? Select all that apply.

  • Schedules
  • Deliverables (CORRECT)
  • Goals (CORRECT)
  • Summary (CORRECT)

Correct: The project charter contains key information like deliverables.

Correct: The project charter contains key information like the project goals.

Correct: The project charter contains key information like the summary.

7. Fill in the blank: A common cause of project failure is _____. Select all that apply.

  • making too many changes to the project charter
  • using the wrong template for the project charter
  • misalignment between you and your stakeholders on the vision for the project (CORRECT)
  • misalignment on the project details between stakeholders (CORRECT)

Correct: Even if you succeed at all of the deliverables you feel are important to the project, if your stakeholders have different key deliverables, they may consider the project a failure.

Correct: For a project to be a complete success, all of the stakeholders need to be in agreement on the definition of what success looks like for the project.

8. What are project benefits?

  • The estimate of the amount of money allocated to complete the project
  • The money spent on project tasks
  • The expected gains of a project (CORRECT)
  • The boundaries of a project

Correct: Benefits are the expected gains of a project. These can be direct, monetary gains or indirect benefits, like an improvement in customer engagement or satisfaction. The benefits of a project should outweigh the costs.

9. Beyond clarifying who your stakeholders are, what can a stakeholder analysis help you understand? Select all that apply.

  • How to increase a stakeholder’s level of influence
  • How strongly to prioritize a particular stakeholder’s needs and goals (CORRECT)
  • How your stakeholders prefer to communicate (CORRECT)
  • What your stakeholders’ priorities are (CORRECT)

Correct: You can use a stakeholder analysis to better understand stakeholder priorities, communication preferences, and needs and goals. Later, this tool will help to support your project negotiations.

Correct: A stakeholder analysis is a visual representation of your stakeholders. It helps you learn how your stakeholders prefer to communicate. It also clarifies stakeholder priorities and how to prioritize stakeholder needs and goals.

Correct: A stakeholder analysis is a visual representation of your stakeholders. It helps you understand who your stakeholders are, what their priorities are, and how they prefer to communicate.

10. Persuasion and negotiation are constructive tools that can help project managers do what? Select all that apply.

  • Escalate conflict to maximize gain
  • Achieve workable solutions for everyone involved (CORRECT)
  • Enhance communication (CORRECT)
  • Clarify wants and needs (CORRECT)

Correct: When it comes to project management, persuasion and negotiation are constructive tools. They help to raise the level of communication, clarify needs, and find solutions for all involved.

Correct: As a project manager, it is important to understand that people you negotiate with are colleagues and peers, not opponents. To that end, you can use persuasion and negotiation as constructive tools. These typically raise the level of communication, clarify needs, and help find solutions for all involved.

Correct: As a project manager, persuasion and negotiation are constructive tools. They help to raise the level of communication with stakeholders, clarify needs, and find solutions for all involved.

11. Fill in the blank: A _____ is a temporary alliance or partnering of individuals or groups in order to achieve a common purpose or to engage in a joint activity.

  • development team
  • merger
  • stakeholder group
  • coalition (CORRECT)

Correct: An effective coalition includes people with the right mix of influence or power and interest.

Initiating a project CONCLUSION

In this course, you will learn to analyze project documents and supporting materials to identify project requirements, evaluate stakeholders, and problem-solve. You’ll complete a project charter and use it as a tool to align project scope and goals among stakeholders.

You will also add specificity to project goals to make them SMART and apply effective negotiation skills with stakeholders to prioritize project goals. These skills are essential for anyone who wants to pursue a career in Project Management. Join the course now at Coursera.org