book

Head First PMP, 4th Edition

by Jennifer Greene, Andrew Stellman

September 2018

Beginner to intermediate

922 pages

23h 21m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Who is this book for?Who should probably back away from this book?We know what you’re thinking.And we know what your brain is thinking.Metacognition: thinking about thinkingHere’s what WE didHere’s what YOU can do to bend your brain into submissionRead meThe chapters are ordered the same way as the PMBOK Guide.We encourage you to use the PMBOK Guide with this book.The activities are NOT optional.The redundancy is intentional and important.The Brain Power exercises don’t have answers.AcknowledgmentsO’Reilly Online LearningUpdated for the 2021 PMP exam
Do these problems seem familiar?Projects don’t have to be this wayYour problems…already solvedWhat you need to be a good project managerthere are no Dumb QuestionsUnderstand your company’s big pictureYour project has valueYour project follows a lifecyclePredictiveAdaptiveIterativeIncrementalHybridTailoringProjects, programs, and portfolios have a lot in commonProfessions with proven processesBusiness valueDeal with constraintsProjects, programs, and portfolios all use chartersCharterWhat a project IS…… and what a project is NOTA day in the life of a project managerthere are no Dumb QuestionsHow project managers run great projectsProject management offices help you do a good job, every timeSupportiveControllingDirectiveGood leadership helps the team work togetherLeadershipTeam building and trust buildingMotivationProject teams are made of peopleInfluencingConflict managementCoachingPolitical and cultural awarenessthere are no Dumb QuestionsOperations management handles the processes that make your company tickA PMP certification is more than just passing a testMeet a real-life PMP-certified project managerExam QuestionsExam Answers
A day in Kate’s lifeKate wants a new jobOrganization MagnetsThere are different types of organizational structuresThe project manager has the most authority and power in a project-oriented organization.A few more types of organizationsPMOs can be supportive, controlling or directivethere are no Dumb QuestionsKate takes a new jobKate’s working in an organic organizationBack to Kate’s maintenance nightmareManaging project constraintsthere are no Dumb QuestionsDon’t reinvent the wheelYou can’t manage your project in a vacuumKate’s project needs to follow company processesKate’s project needs clear acceptance criteriaKate makes some changes……and her project is a success!Organization Magnets SolutionsExam QuestionsExam Answers
Cooking up a projectProjects are like recipesIf your project’s really big, you can manage it in phasesPhases can also overlapIteration means executing one phase while planning the nextBreak it downProcess MagnetsProcess MagnetsAnatomy of a processthere are no Dumb QuestionsCombine processes to complete your projectKnowledge areas organize the processesKnowledge Area MagnetsKnowledge Area Magnets SolutionsThe Project Manager’s RoleYour technical skills make successful projects happenHow does your project fit in?Leadership is different than managementStyles of leadershipProject managers need to understand how power dynamics affect the teamTypes of powerthere are no Dumb QuestionsThe benefits of successful project managementExam QuestionsExam Answers
Time to book a tripLarry’s cutting cornersThe teachers are thrilled…for nowThese clients are definitely not satisfiedLarry’s been let goThe day-to-day work of a project managerA bird’s-eye view of a projectThe seven Integration Management processesStart your project with the Initiating processesIntegration Management and the process groupsThe Develop Project Charter processMake the case for your projectUse expert judgment and data gathering techniques to write your project charterData gathering techniques help everyone understand the goal of your projectInterpersonal and team skills and meetings make sure everyone is on the same pageA closer look at the project charterTwo things you’ll see over and over and over…there are no Dumb QuestionsPlan your project!The Project Management plan lets you plan aheadThe Project Management plan is a collection of other plansA quick look at all those subsidiary plansthere are no Dumb QuestionsQuestion Clinic: The just-the-facts-ma’am questionThe Direct and Manage Project Work processThe project team creates deliverablesExecuting the project includes repairing defectsThe three components of the Direct and Manage Project Work process:Deliverables include everything that you and your team produce for the projectThe Manage Project Knowledge processKnowledge is the lifeblood of any projectEventually, things WILL go wrong……but if you keep an eye out for problems, you can stay on top of them!Sometimes you need to change your plansLook for changes and deal with themMake only the changes that are right for your projectHow the processes interact with one anotherChanges, defects, and correctionsDecide your changes in change control meetingsControl your changes; use change controlPreventing or correcting problemsthere are no Dumb QuestionsFinish the work, close the projectYou don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay hereSo why INTEGRATION Management?What else is there?Project Integration Management MagnetsProject Integration Management Magnets SolutionIntegration Management kept your project on track, and the teachers satisfiedExam QuestionsExam Answers
Out of the frying pan……and right back into the fireCubicle conversationIt looks like we have a scope problemthere are no Dumb QuestionsYou’ve got to know what (and how) you will build before you build itThe power of Scope ManagementThe six Scope Management processesPlan your scoping processesNow you’ve got a roadmap for managing scopeCubicle conversationCollect requirements for your projectTalk to your stakeholdersMake decisions about requirementsUnderstand your requirementsThe stakeholders know a lot about the project alreadySee your ideas betterUse a questionnaire to get requirements from a bigger group of peopleObservation can help you see things from a different point of viewA prototype shows users what your product will be likethere are no Dumb QuestionsNow you’re ready to write a requirements documentDefine the scope of the projectHow do you define the scope?Interpersonal and team skillsProduct analysisData analysisExpert judgmentDecision makingthere are no Dumb QuestionsThe project scope statement tells you what you have to doFireside ChatsQuestion Clinic: The which-is-BEST questionCreate the work breakdown structureThe inputs for the WBS come from other processesBreaking down the workBreak it down by project or phaseDecompose deliverables into work packagesProject Scope Management MagnetsMore MagnetsProject Scope Management Magnets SolutionsInside the work packagethere are no Dumb QuestionsThe project scope baseline is a snapshot of the planthere are no Dumb QuestionsThe outputs of the Create WBS processthere are no Dumb QuestionsCubicle conversationWhy scope changesGood changeBad changeScope creepGold platingThe Control Scope processAnatomy of a changeA closer look at the change control systemJust two Control Scope tools and techniquesThere’s no “right order” for the Control Scope and Validate Scope processesthere are no Dumb QuestionsControl Scope Process MagnetsControl Scope Process Magnets SolutionsMake sure the team delivered the right productThe stakeholders give you criteria for deciding when you’re doneIs the product ready to go?The project is ready to ship!Exam QuestionsExam Answers
Reality sets in for the happy coupleMeet the wedding plannerSchedule management helps with aggressive timelinesProject Schedule Management MagnetsProject Schedule Management Magnets SolutionPlan your scheduling processesNow you know how you’ll track your scheduleUse the Define Activities process to break down the workTools and techniques for Define ActivitiesRolling wave planning lets you plan as you gothere are no Dumb QuestionsActivity MagnetsActivity Magnets SolutionDefine activities outputsActivity listActivity attributesMilestone listChange requestsProject Management plan updatesThe Sequence Activities process puts everything in orderDiagram the relationship between activitiesNetwork diagrams put your tasks in perspectiveDependencies help you sequence your activitiesExternal dependenciesDiscretionary dependenciesMandatory dependenciesInternal dependenciesLeads and lags add time between activitiesthere are no Dumb QuestionsScheduling software can help you see the sequence of activitiesCreate the network diagramFiguring out how long the project will takeEstimation tools and techniquesCreate the duration estimatethere are no Dumb QuestionsBack to the weddingBringing it all togetherQuestion Clinic: The which-comes-next questionOne thing leads to anotherUse the critical path method to avoid big problemsHow does knowing your critical path help?How to find the critical pathFinding the float for any activityFloat tells you how much extra time you havethere are no Dumb QuestionsFigure out the early start and early finishEarly startEarly finishFigure out the latest possible start and finishLate startLate finishAdd early and late durations to your diagramsTake a backward pass to find late start and finishLet’s take some time out to walk through this!there are no Dumb QuestionsCrash the scheduleFast-tracking the projectUse data analysis techniques when you build your scheduleSimulationScheduling toolOther Develop Schedule tools and techniquesResource optimization techniquesAdjusting leads and lagsData analysis: schedule compression and schedule network analysisAgile release planningProject management information systemOutputs of Develop ScheduleProject scheduleChange requestsProject calendarsSchedule dataSchedule baselineProject Management plan updatesProject documents updatesthere are no Dumb QuestionsInfluence the factors that cause changeControl Schedule inputs and outputsWhat Control Schedule updatesMeasuring and reporting performanceControl Schedule tools and techniquesthere are no Dumb QuestionsControl Schedule MagnetsAnother satisfied customer!Control Schedule Magnets AnswersExam QuestionsExam Answers
Time to expand Head First KitchenThe renovation goes overboardKitchen conversationIntroducing the Cost Management processesPlan Cost ManagementEstimate CostsDetermine BudgetControl CostsPlan how you’ll estimate, track, and control your costsNow you’ve got a consistent way to manage costsCost Management planWhat Alice needs before she can estimate costsOther tools and techniques used in Estimate CostsData analysisVendor bid analysisReserve analysisCost of qualityProject management information systemDecision makingLet’s talk numbersBenefit-cost ratio (BCR)Net present value (NPV)Opportunity costInternal rate of returnDepreciationLifecycle costingNow Alice knows how much the Kitchen will costCost estimatesBasis of estimatesUpdates to project documentsKitchen conversationThe Determine Budget processWhat you need to build your budgetDetermine budget: how to build a budgetthere are no Dumb QuestionsQuestion Clinic: The red herringThe Control Costs process is a lot like schedule controlA few new tools and techniquesData AnalysisProject management information systemTo-complete performance indexLook at the schedule to figure out your budgetBudget at completion (BAC)How to calculate planned valueEarned value tells you how you’re doingHow to calculate earned valuePut yourself in someone else’s shoesIs your project behind or ahead of schedule?Schedule performance index (SPI)Schedule variance (SV)Are you over budget?Cost performance index (CPI)Cost variance (CV)To-complete performance index (TCPI)You’re within your budget if…You’ve blown your budget if…The earned value management formulasInterpret CPI and SPI numbers to gauge your projectForecast what your project will look like when it’s doneMeanwhile, back in the KitchenOnce you’ve got an estimate, you can calculate a variance!Finding missing informationthere are no Dumb QuestionsKeep your project on track with TCPITo-complete performance index (TCPI)TCPI for the Head First Kitchen renovation projectA high TCPI means a tight budgetParty time!Exam QuestionsExam Answers

What is quality?You need more than just tests to figure out qualityOnce you know what the product is supposed to do, it’s easy to tell which tests pass and which failQuality up closeQuality vs. grade“An ounce of prevention…”And that’s why you need the three Quality Management processes!Plan Quality is how you prevent defectsHow to plan for qualityThe Quality Management plan gives you what you need to manage qualitythere are no Dumb QuestionsInspect your deliverablesUse the planning outputs for Control QualityTools for data gatheringTools for data analysisInspection, testing, and product evaluationTools for data representationQuestion Clinic: The which-one questionControl Quality means finding and correcting defectsthere are no Dumb QuestionsTrouble at the Black Box 3000™ factoryIntroducing Manage QualityA closer look at some tools and techniquesMore ideas behind managing qualityFireside ChatsThe Black Box 3000™ makes record profits!Exam QuestionsExam Answers
Mike needs a new teamCubicle conversationGet your team together and keep them movingFigure out who you need on your teamA closer look at the Plan Resource Management outputsImportant components of the Resource Management planThe Resource Management planthere are no Dumb QuestionsWhat you need to estimate resourcesResource calendarsEstimating the resourcesGet the team togetherCubicle conversationDevelop your teamDevelop the team with your management skillsYour interpersonal and team skills can make a big difference for your teamLead the team with your management skillsFour important kinds of powerMotivate your teamStages of team developmentHow’s the team doing?Cubicle conversationManaging your team means solving problemsConflict management up closeSome of the common reasons that conflicts happenHow to resolve a conflictMake sure to control resources to keep your project on trackOutputs of the Control Resources processthere are no Dumb QuestionsThe Cows Gone Wild IV team ROCKS!Question Clinic: The have-a-meeting questionExam QuestionsExam Answers
Party at the Head First Lounge!But something’s not rightAnatomy of communicationGet a handle on communicationTell everyone what’s going onGet the message?More Manage Communications toolsOne of your most important outputsthere are no Dumb QuestionsLet everyone know how the project’s goingIt all starts with work performance dataTake a close look at the work being doneNow you can get the word outPeople aren’t talking!Count the channels of communicationCounting communication lines the easy waythere are no Dumb QuestionsIt’s party time!Question Clinic: The calculation questionExam QuestionsExam Answers
What’s a risk?How you deal with riskPlan Risk ManagementThe Risk Management plan is the only outputUse a risk breakdown structure to categorize risksAnatomy of a riskWhat could happen to your project?Data-gathering techniques for Identify RisksUseful data gathering techniquesMore Identify Risks techniquesData analysis tools and techniquesWhere to look for risksNow put it in the risk registerRank your risksExamine each risk in the registerData gatheringData analysisData representationthere are no Dumb QuestionsQualitative vs. quantitative analysisPerform Quantitative Risk AnalysisFirst gather the data……then analyze itCalculate the expected monetary value of your risksDecision tree analysis uses EMV to help you make choicesthere are no Dumb QuestionsUpdate the risk register based on your quantitative analysis resultsHow do you respond to a risk?It isn’t always so badAdd risk responses to the registerImplement Risk ResponsesAs you respond to risk, you update your project documentsRisk response can find even more risks Risk Management ExposedYou can’t plan for every risk at the start of the projectMonitor Risks is another change control processHow to monitor your risksMore control risk tools and techniquesthere are no Dumb QuestionsQuestion Clinic: The which-is-NOT questionExam QuestionsExam Answers
Victim of her own successCalling in the cavalryAgreement Process MagnetsAgreement Process Magnets SolutionsAsk the legal expertAnatomy of an agreementYou can have several contracts for a single projectStart with a plan for the whole projectMake or Buy MagnetsMake or Buy MagnetsThe decision is madeTypes of contractual agreementsFixed price contractsCost-reimbursable contractsTime and materialsMore about contractsFigure out how you’ll sort out potential sellersContract MagnetsGet in touch with potential sellersUse outputs from the Plan Procurement Management process to find the right sellerPick a partnerthere are no Dumb QuestionsTwo months later…Keep an eye on the contractStay on top of the sellerData analysis toolsthere are no Dumb QuestionsKate closes the contractQuestion Clinic: BYO questionsContract Magnets SolutionExam QuestionsExam Answers
Party at the Head First Lounge (again)!Not everybody is thrilledUnderstanding your stakeholdersFind out who your stakeholders areHow engaged are your stakeholders?Managing stakeholder engagement means clearing up misunderstandingsMonitor your stakeholders’ engagementNow you can tell when you need to change the way you deal with stakeholdersIt’s party time!
Doing the right thingThe main ideasKeep the cash?Fly business class?New softwareShortcutsA good price or a clean river?We’re not all angelsExam QuestionsExam Answers
Process MagnetsA long-term relationship for your brainHere’s how to do this next sectionUse the Examination Content Outline… as a study toolHow to do this next sectionDownload and read the Examination Content Outline right now!Answer each group of questions……then fill in the “Sharpen” exercise for one of the questionsProcess Magnets Solutions
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Content preview from Head First PMP, 4th Edition

Chapter 1. Introduction: Why get certified?

Tired of facing the same old problems? If you’ve worked on a lot of projects, you know that you face the same problems, over and over again. It’s time to learn some common solutions to those problems. There’s a whole lot that project managers have learned over the years, and passing the PMP exam is your ticket to putting that wisdom into practice. Get ready to change the way you manage your projects forever.