At the beginning of a project, the project manager needs to determine the project activities, their durations, and dependencies in order to complete a schedule. These activities are typical of the execution of the schedule management plan, which results in a schedule.

Communication with stakeholders and understanding their risk tolerance are both essential for project success. However, these aspects are typically addressed within the stakeholder engagement and risk management plans, respectively, not directly within the schedule.

The user story connects the business requirements to the solution requirements. Acceptance criteria captures further detail about the users’ needs. The criteria describe what should be completed, using specific enough terms, to guide the approval process. From this list, the last option describes how the team will know when the customer test groups have approved the product design and scent, so the team can know that development can begin.

In agile methodologies, such as the Scrum framework, business analysts play a crucial role in bridging the gap between stakeholders (including business owners, product owners, and end-users) and the development teams. Facilitating communication and collaboration between stakeholders and development teams is a fundamental role of a business analyst in agile. Business analysts help ensure that requirements are understood by the development team, provide clarification, and gather feedback from stakeholders to refine requirements as the project progresses.

Creating a detailed project plan with specific milestones and deadlines is not typically the primary responsibility of a business analyst in agile. Agile focuses on flexibility and adapting to change, so planning is done incrementally during iterations or sprints. Documenting extensive requirements in a comprehensive specification document is more aligned with predictive approaches. In agile, requirements are typically captured in a more dynamic and lightweight manner, such as in a product backlog, and are subject to frequent changes based on stakeholder feedback. While risk assessment and mitigation are important in any project, agile approaches emphasize adaptability and addressing risks as they arise during development rather than extensive upfront risk assessment.

A product roadmap is flexible and adaptable to changing market conditions and customer expectations. A product roadmap is a high-level plan that outlines the vision and direction of the product over time and communicates the why and what behind what a project is building. A product roadmap should include the market and customer needs; it is not a static document that defines the product scope and requirements. The other options are more related to the product backlog, which is a list of features, tasks, and resources for each phase of the product development cycle.

Once the problem or opportunity is understood, the situation statement should be drafted documenting the needs or the opportunity to be explored.

A wireframe is a type of prototype, specifically a mockup of a user interface design, used to show what a screen would look like. It can be low fidelity—for example, a sketch—or high fidelity like an actual representation of the final user interface.

A use case diagram is a scope model that shows all the in-scope use cases for a solution. This is helpful for selecting a solution that is in scope for users. Process flow diagrams visually map the steps people take in their jobs or when they interact with a solution. We use a story map to sequence user stories.

When stakeholders are identified for an initiative, it is because they are either going to affect or be affected by an initiative. It would, therefore, be illogical for a stakeholder to be removed from the list once they are identified. Once identified, a business analyst can classify all the stakeholders into one of the 5 levels of engagement – “Unaware”, “Resistant”, “Neutral”, “Supportive”, and “Leading”. This helps to show the relationship of the stakeholder to the project. In the case of a resistant stakeholder, we try to understand the source of their resistance so that we can take action to facilitate their support, or at least be able to manage their engagement effectively.

The junior team member can help to prioritize tasks and update the iteration backlog, as directed by the team. These are the simplest tasks on this list. The daily scrum is generally facilitated by the scrum master, and, therefore, would not be the junior project coordinator's direct responsibility. Another interpersonal task on this list is processing stakeholder feedback. The junior team member would have to know how to check, filter, and prioritize that feedback so it is applied effectively—this task requires some level of experience. Metrics tracking and the earned value analysis method also requires expertise and knowledge that a junior team member may not have.

Inviting stakeholders to the iteration reviews aligns with the agile way of working, allowing them to be updated frequently and directly and giving them the opportunity to provide immediate feedback.

Team member M’s update aligns with the recommended format of a daily standup: what was done, what will be done, and any blockers. The other project team members are giving updates, but they're not relevant to project work or they give too much detail for the daily standup, which is supposed to last between 10 and 15 minutes and give everyone a chance to report on what was done, what's next, and blockers.

Projects can change development approach at any time, and incorporating a different way of planning is possible if you understand the similarities and differences between project planning using a work breakdown structure (WBS) and agile planning techniques.

The work planned in the WBS, specifically in the work package level, should be converted to user stories first and then the project team should work with the project manager or a product owner, to approve the work.

Team members who develop multiple skills to manage various aspects of the project effectively are ideal agile team members. These teams can be cross-functional and high performing.

The project vision is stated in the project charter so that answer is incorrect. If there is a product owner, then the person in this role can further shape or influence the vision. The team’s job is to execute the work. Agile project team members should have T-shaped skills. The letter T represents the combination of a broad set of diverse skills (the horizontal line indicating breadth) and some expertise in a single field (the vertical line showing depth in a single area). The I-shaped person, in contrast, is deeply skilled in one area. Finally, if a team has a daily standup for 1 hour each day, then they are not performing this agile ceremony correctly. The daily standup is timeboxed to between 10 and 15 minutes and follows a set agenda wherein each team member states: what they did since the last meeting, what they will do next, and what challenges or obstacles they face.

To calculate the schedule variance (SV), we use the formula:
SV = EV – PV

Where:
EV (Earned Value) is the value of the work completed.
PV (Planned Value) is the value of the work that was planned to be completed.

EV is given as US$70,000. This represents the value of the work completed after 3 months.
PV represents the value of the work that was planned to be completed at this point, which is US$75,000 according to the project plan.

Now, calculate the SV:
SV = EV - PV
SV = US$70,000 - US$75,000
SV = -US$5,000

Consequently, the SV for this project is -US$5,000.

A positive SV indicates your project is ahead of schedule.
A negative SV indicates your project is behind schedule.
An SV equal to 0 indicates your project is on schedule.

The answer indicates that the project is behind schedule by US$5,000.

The project manager wants to calculate earned value (EV). The EV tells the project manager the value of the work completed since the start of the project. To determine this, they need to know the budget at completion (BAC) value and the amount of work completed since the project began.

Earned Value (EV) is the measure of work performed expressed in terms of the budget authorized for that work. Actual Cost (AC) is the realized cost incurred for the work performed on an activity during a specific time period.
Cost Variance (CV) is the amount of budget deficit or surplus at a given point in time, expressed as the difference between the earned value and the actual cost. Planned Value (PV) is the authorized budget assigned to scheduled work.

The WBS dictionary is a document that provides detailed deliverable, activity, and scheduling information about each component in the work breakdown structure (WBS). In a work package, which is the part of the WBS that contains the most granular level of detail, the work is defined, and cost and duration are estimated and managed. The dictionary provides details about the WBS, which is the information the project manager is looking for.

Schedule baseline is not correct. This is the approved version of a schedule model that can be changed using formal change control procedures and is used as the basis for comparison to actual results. Finally, all the items mentioned here are part of the project management plan, so that is not the correct answer.

In a project development approach, overall risks increase over time and then will be lowest at the closing stage of the project. Although risk is low at the start of the project, the predictive approach emphasizes upfront planning, measurement, and control. Hence, risk at the start of the project is not a true reflection of the overall project risk.

It’s important to note that despite overall risk being lowest at project closure, the impact of a risk at project closure is more serious than at any other time.

Whenever any kind of issue arises on a project, the project team should be prepared to take action. This team is hybrid, with a project manager at the helm of project work, but the team should be confident in performing the work and addressing the technical issue. The project manager will manage the issue, including entering details in the risk log or any needed analysis related to the project and quality. Escalation is performed from the project to the next level of authority, typically the project sponsor. The team would not escalate a technical problem to a project manager in any case because project managers are not technical specialists.

Leadership is a quality anyone can and should have. It emphasizes having a vision, being a lifelong learner, and having a people-oriented focus in order to steer teams and organizations toward success. Management focuses on short-term objectives, relies on control, and conducts activities that keep teams and organizations focused.

The project manager ensures project success by managing daily tasks, whereas the project sponsor provides high-level support, funding, and alignment with organizational goals. This distinction in roles is fundamental in project management.

The intention of lessons learned is to promote continuous improvement and learning as a part of project management practice. Capturing lessons learned only at the end of a project or by having a single meeting at the end is a mistake frequently made among project teams. Teams may be less busy then, but they also may be suffering from fatigue. Therefore, it may not be the best time to capture learning about processes and the project work. Team members are active contributors to lessons learned, along with the project manager. The purpose of lessons learned is to incorporate the learning from the project into the project team’s and organization’s ecosystem.

Milestones and task durations are artifacts used in predictive schedule planning. Milestones are also used in adaptive planning, for example, milestones on a product roadmap. Milestones are essentially markers that indicate the end of a phase or planning point and are used by project managers and project teams in any kind of project development approach. Milestones and task durations, as with any other aspect of a project, can be changed.

Product deliverables would include attributes or features of the product or service developed by the project. Project deliverables would include artifacts of the project itself. The only product deliverables in this list are the techniques for ecosystem restoration, which is the product, and the characteristics of that product.
All other choices are project attributes or deliverables. Even the quality standards for the restored ecosystem are part of the quality management plan, which is a part of the project.

Change management is a structured approach for transitioning organizations, whereas project change control deals with project document modifications. Change management, also known as enterprise or organizational transformation, is a comprehensive and structured approach for transitioning individuals, groups, and organizations from their current state to a future state in which desired benefits are realized. Change management is concerned with the broader organizational transition process.

On the other hand, change control is specifically related to managing changes within the context of a project, particularly with respect to project documents and deliverables. Change control is a procedure in which modifications are conducted through a predetermined procedure. In predictive approaches, project managers use the Perform Integrated Change Control process to modify documents, deliverables, or project baselines. These are identified, documented, and then approved or rejected. In adaptive approaches, a less formal procedure is used, typically a general framework for evaluating and assessing change within a project team's way of working and governance.

In this scenario, the security vulnerability is a risk that has been identified during the project's execution phase. Nothing has happened yet. If something happens—for example, the software is hacked—the risk becomes an issue that poses an immediate threat to the project's success. Risks are potential future events or conditions that may impact the project and may be known or unknown and appear at any time. Issues are real, current problems. Assumptions and constraints are typically identified during the planning phase, but even during the execution phase, the security vulnerability is a clear risk. A constraint is a known and fixed condition that must be adhered to during the project. An assumption is a factor in the planning process considered to be true, real, or certain, without real proof or demonstration.

This is a program. Programs are related projects, subsidiary programs, and program activities that are managed in a coordinated manner to obtain benefits not available from managing them individually.

The burnup chart shows the progress over time in story points, displaying the actual work completed. The product roadmap tells the story of the product vision at a high level and is used for planning purposes. The business analyst seems to be comparing the product vision with what has been completed thus far, perhaps to help set priorities for what should be done next.

Stakeholder collaboration is the best practice for requirements gathering. This approach emphasizes the importance of involving all relevant parties to ensure the requirements capture the actual needs and objectives of the project or initiative. Stakeholder buy-in is often essential to project success.

Nobody knows the length of the first iteration, so the project team just needs to pick a duration and see how it works. If anyone external to the project team decides, the team loses autonomy and self-management. Agile teams make decisions on their way of working—including iteration length—and can adjust the cadence if necessary.

Conflict management is an essential interpersonal and problem-solving skill for project professionals and requires emotional intelligence (EI). Conflict happens in all projects and can involve any number of people. Projects operate in dynamic environments and face many mutually exclusive constraints, including budget, scope, schedule, and quality, which can lead to conflicts. It is common to want to avoid conflict, but not all conflict is negative. How conflict is handled can either lead to more conflict or better decision-making and stronger solutions. Addressing conflict before it escalates beyond useful debate leads to better outcomes, but intervention is not always necessary. Outcomes of conflicts are handled at the project manager’s discretion but if they are recorded in a project artifact, it should probably be in the lessons learned.

A key skill of a project manager is to communicate effectively with stakeholders. A communications management plan is a document that describes how the project information will be communicated to the stakeholders, as well as the frequency, format, and content of the communication.

A stakeholder register identifies and analyzes the project stakeholders, including their roles, interests, expectations, and influence. A stakeholder engagement plan identifies the strategies and actions required to promote productive involvement of stakeholders in program and project decision-making and execution. A RACI (responsible, accountable, consulted, informed) matrix will delineate the roles and responsibilities of project team members and stakeholders but it is not intended to explain their communication preferences.

The stakeholder engagement plan is a strategic document that outlines how to effectively engage stakeholders throughout the life cycle of a program or project. The stakeholder engagement plan, therefore, can guide a project manager and team in how to work effectively with project stakeholders to achieve the desired participation levels for the project. Stakeholders include the customer or client, so effective engagement with these stakeholders is essential to the health and outcome of a project.

The team member’s alert about the weather calls attention to a potential risk, and the budget limitation represents a constraint. The likelihood of bad weather is based on weather forecasts and scientific predictions, so we can consider this a situation that should be planned for by using the risk register. A constraint is a limiting factor that affects the execution of a project, program, or portfolio. For now, the client’s budget limitation is a constraint we should be aware of. If it negatively affects the project, it may become an issue.

Assumptions are beliefs or statements taken for granted without proof. An issue is a realized risk or a problem that occurs in a project and that the team needs to take action on right away. Neither the future nor likely bad weather or budget limitation are issues right now.