Prof. Ahmet Kılıç · Scope: Phase 2 → Phase 5 · 15 MCQ + 5 classic
→ swipe table sideways
| # | Phase | 1 word | The job |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initiation | Start | Goal, feasibility, stakeholders, approval |
| 2 | Planning | Prepare | Break down work, schedule, resources, cost, comms, risk |
| 3 | Execution | Do | Build it; manage time/cost/quality/change/risk… |
| 4 | Performance & Monitoring | Measure | Track KPIs & scope; control cost/quality/risk; report |
| 5 | Close | Finish | Final tests, resolve issues, debrief, report, celebrate |
Project (PMI): a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.
Project management: the initiation, planning, controlling, monitoring and completion of projects.
4 basic project goals (magic triangle): fulfill scope · meet deadlines (time) · keep to budget (cost) · meet quality.
Planning turns the approved idea into a concrete plan. There are 6 planning documents, built in a chain — each one feeds the next.
You can't schedule before you know the work, and you can't cost it before you know the resources.
Cuts the whole project into smaller and smaller pieces. Its 3 elements:
Created from the WBS. For each work package you add its duration, responsibility (who does it), and dependencies (what must finish first). Result: a timeline of work packages.
Built from the schedule by adding effort estimation — how many person-days (PD) each work package needs, and who supplies them, week by week.
Built from the resource plan. It estimates personnel and material effort. Each WP's cost is summed → total project cost; mapped onto the timeline → the cost plan. A buffer (Puffer) is added on top.
Goals: regulated exchange of information · optimize the information & communication flow · create transparency and clarity · promote and control communication through regular meetings.
A project risk = an event with a negative impact on project results. It threatens timelines, costs, results, quality — and even customer satisfaction.
| Risk | Problem | |
|---|---|---|
| What | A scenario that may or may not happen | A fact that has already happened / exists |
| One word | Uncertainty | Fact |
| You can… | Prevent or reduce it | Only solve it now |
Risk Management Process — 4 steps:
Where the work happens. The PM directs and manages the project. Work is organised into 9 management areas.
Time · Cost · Quality · Change · Risk · Problem (Issue) · Procurement · Acceptance · Communication.
The process of estimating, budgeting and controlling project costs. Begins in planning, continues through the project so the budget is not exceeded.
The planning, control and optimization of business processes and value chains, based on pre-defined requirements. Aim: improve quality or keep it consistently high.
All activities meant to bring a major change in an organization. The process is a loop:
Risk management never stops (identify → evaluate → set measures → monitor). The risk matrix plots probability against damage (low / medium / high).
Aim: prevent problems before they occur · find solutions to recurring faults · reduce the impact of incidents.
8 steps: Identify the problem → Determine root cause → Organize & prioritize → Find an intermediate solution → Create a database of known bugs → Take time for change management → Solve the problem → Analyze the process.
Involves evaluating, selecting and creating formal contractual agreements and managing supplier relationships. The PM mostly coordinates information for the procurement team; the legal department handles the bulk.
Regulates the distribution of information to stakeholders throughout the whole project. PMI lists it as one of its ten knowledge areas.
Benefits of time management: set limits between work and private life · reduce stressors · improve productivity · break bad habits.
1 · Timeboxing 2 · Timeblocking 3 · Pomodoro 4 · Eisenhower 5 · Eat the Frog 6 · Pareto 7 · GTD
| Method | Core idea |
|---|---|
| Pomodoro | Timer for 25 min, one task; 5-min break; after 4 rounds a 20–30 min break |
| Eisenhower | Sort by urgency × importance. "Two kinds of problems: urgent and important" |
| Eat the Frog | Tackle the large / complex task first, then less urgent work |
| Pareto (80/20) | Spend 20% of time, achieve 80% of results |
| Timeblocking | Divide the day into blocks of time for routine + prioritized tasks |
| Type | Urgent? | Important? | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Yes | Yes | Complete as quickly as possible |
| B | Yes | No | Schedule it |
| C | No | Yes | Delegate if possible |
| D | No | No | Discard — time eaters |
While the team executes, monitoring measures and controls the work — it runs in parallel with execution.
It lets you measure project performance and reduce risks and losses. The team stays ready to: keep to schedule · stay within budget · avoid scope increases · manage risk · improve quality.
Example: range climbing 800 → 1000 → 2000 km, or fault rate (FIT) dropping across measures.
You perform final testing to ensure the end result is stable and performs as expected before officially completing the work.
A debrief is the optimal way to capture and process lessons learned. The team gives feedback on what went well, what didn't, and what to optimize next time.
A risk is a possible scenario that may or may not happen — it's about uncertainty. You can prevent or reduce it before it occurs.
A problem is a fact that has already happened or exists — you can only solve it now.
Name it: Risk management is one of the 9 execution areas (Phase 3) and continues in Phase 4 monitoring.
What goes wrong: A project risk is an event with a negative impact on project results. If risks aren't identified, evaluated, reduced and monitored, they hit the project across the magic triangle:
Why it matters: Risks left in the red zone of the risk matrix (high probability × high damage) cannot be tolerated — without measures to cut their probability or consequences, they can derail or even end the project.
Name it: Phase 5 — Project Close. The PM officially ends the project and sets up next steps.
Responsibilities / tasks:
Execution (Phase 3) = doing the work. Build the deliverables, develop the team, assign resources, run the plans, and manage the 9 areas (time, cost, quality, change, risk, problem, procurement, acceptance, communication).
Monitoring (Phase 4) = measuring & controlling the work. Report KPIs, monitor change requests, keep track of scope, control cost/quality/risk, and communicate with partners.
Name it: Phase 2 — Project Planning. Six documents built in a chain, each feeding the next:
→ swipe table sideways
| Question | The odd-one-out answer |
|---|---|
| NOT a phase of the life cycle | Project Kick-off / Validation / Testing |
| NOT a task of Phase 3 (Execution) | Stakeholder / Test / Road-map management |
| NOT a task of Phase 5 (Closure) | Start feasibility study |
| NOT a step of risk management | Improvement of project risks |
| NOT a step of problem management | Identification of risks |
| NOT a benefit of time management | Increase in time cost |
| NOT a goal of communication plan | Evaluating/selecting supplier contracts |
| NOT achieved with problem management | Increase the cost impact |
| NOT a time management method | Communication / Innovation method |
| NOT part of WBS | Risk buffer |
| Question | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| Step/task of Phase 4 (Monitoring) | Report KPIs / keep track of scope |
| Step/task of Phase 3 (Execution) | Quality / Change / Risk / Problem management |
| Risk definition | A possible scenario that can or cannot happen |
| Problem definition | A fact that has already happened or exists |
| Actual cost > planned cost → do what? | Find the root cause & define measures |
| Why final tests? | Ensure end result is stable & performs as expected |
| Project closure definition | Final phase: resolve issues, share results, debrief |
| QM goal (ISO 9001) | Optimize processes & value chains, keep at high level |
| Part of quality management | Control |
| Part of change management | Request for change / Impact analysis |
| Eisenhower principle | Two kinds of problems: urgent & important |
| Pareto principle | Spend 20% of time, achieve 80% of results |
| Pomodoro method | 25-min focused blocks on one task |
| Communication plan goal | Regulated exchange of information |
| Resource plan input | Effort estimation |
| Cost plan input | Effort estimation for personnel + material |