Answer for what your organisation actually does today, not what the procedure says. Nothing is stored on our servers.
Scope & WBS 1. How is project scope defined before work begins?
Verbally or in a proposal; no formal breakdown A task list exists, but it is not structured or coded A WBS is produced to a standard structure for most projects A WBS with a dictionary, coded and linked to cost accounts WBS, dictionary and control accounts are baselined and audited
Scope & WBS 2. Can you trace a deliverable back to a budget and an owner?
No Sometimes, by asking the people involved Usually, for larger deliverables Yes, through control accounts with named owners Yes, and the traceability is checked at every gate
Schedule 3. How is the schedule built?
Dates in a spreadsheet or slide A Gantt chart with dates, little or no logic Logic-linked in scheduling software, critical path visible Logic-linked, resource-loaded, with a formal baseline As above, plus schedule quality checks before every issue
Schedule 4. How often is schedule quality checked (logic, float, constraints)?
Never Only when something goes wrong Occasionally, informally Every update, against defined criteria Every update, against DCMA-style metrics, with findings tracked
Cost & earned value 5. How do you know whether the project is over or under budget today?
By comparing spend to budget Spend versus budget, plus a manual estimate of progress Earned value is calculated for the project as a whole Earned value at control-account level with CPI and SPI trends As above, plus independent estimates at completion and TCPI analysis
Cost & earned value 6. How is the forecast at completion produced?
The budget is restated until it is clearly wrong A judgement call by the project manager Actuals plus remaining budget A formula-based EAC using performance to date A range of EACs with a stated basis, reviewed each period
Risk 7. What form does your risk register take?
There isn't one A list of concerns, rarely updated A register with probability and impact scoring A scored register with owners, responses and review dates As above, plus quantitative analysis feeding contingency
Risk 8. How is schedule or cost contingency determined?
A percentage, by habit A percentage, negotiated Judgement informed by the risk register Quantitative risk analysis at a stated confidence level QRA at a stated confidence level, drawn down and tracked
Change control 9. What happens when scope changes mid-project?
The team absorbs it It is discussed, sometimes recorded A change request is raised for significant items All changes are logged, assessed and approved before work starts As above, with baseline impact quantified and re-baselining controlled
Change control 10. Can you show the difference between the original and current baseline?
No Roughly, from memory or emails Yes, for cost Yes, for cost and schedule Yes, with every movement attributable to an approved change
Reporting & governance 11. How is the monthly report produced?
Written from scratch, largely narrative Manually assembled from several spreadsheets A standard template populated by hand Largely automated from the controls data Automated, with variance thresholds triggering analysis
Reporting & governance 12. When a sponsor asks why a number moved, how long does an answer take?
Days, and it may not be conclusive A day or two of digging Same day, from the reporting pack Immediately, with the cause identified Immediately, with cause, impact and corrective action
