Module 2: Defining project goals, scope, and success criteria
Test your knowledge: Identifying project goals
Practice Quiz
1. Which three questions should you ask yourself to make a goal specific?
- Where should it be delivered?
- Can it be reasonably reached?
- What do I want to accomplish?
- Who is involved?
Explanation:
Specific goals should clearly define what is to be achieved and who will be involved. These questions help clarify the goal’s purpose and focus.
2. Which of the following is an example of a measurable goal? Select all that apply.
- Achieve a 20% improvement in customer satisfaction ratings based on post-support survey results
- Reduce employee turnover
- Increase market reach
- Increase product revenue by 5%
Explanation:
A measurable goal includes a clear metric or target (e.g., percentages, numbers) that allows progress and success to be quantified. Goals like “Reduce employee turnover” and “Increase market reach” lack specific metrics, so they are not measurable.
3.What’s a strategy to determine if a goal is attainable?
- Post the goal on a project management forum for feedback
- Hire a goal-setting coach
- Break down the goal into smaller parts
- Ask the stakeholders
Explanation:
Breaking down a goal into smaller, manageable parts helps assess its feasibility by identifying the necessary steps and evaluating the resources or constraints involved.
4. What can you do to determine if a goal is relevant?
- Consider if the goal matches the organization’s other needs and priorities.
- Compare it to goals the organization set in previous years.
- Compare it to the project goals of the organization’s three closest competitors.
- Ask a project manager on another team.
Explanation:
A relevant goal aligns with the organization’s broader objectives, strategies, and priorities. This ensures that the goal contributes to overall success and avoids resource misallocation.
5. Which of the following are examples of key results? Select all that apply.
- Launch a website redesign
- Successfully process 50 online orders by month’s end
- Increase the number of website visitors by 25% by end of year
- Implement online ordering
Explanation:
Key results are specific, measurable outcomes that indicate progress toward an objective. Goals like “Launch a website redesign” and “Implement online ordering” are broad actions, not measurable results.
6. Which of the following are objectives and key results (OKRs) development best practices? Select all that apply.
- Key results should be tactical and specific.
- Each key result should have 2-3 objectives
- Objectives should be motivational and inspiring.
- are a resource that should be linked to the project plan.
Explanation:
OKRs combine inspiring objectives with specific, tactical key results to measure progress. Integrating OKRs into the project plan ensures alignment with the broader project goals. Key results should not have objectives assigned to them; rather, objectives have multiple key results.
Test your knowledge: Defining project scope
Practice Quiz
7.Which of the following best describes the difference between in-scope and out-of-scope?
- Items within the project boundaries that are contributing to the project’s overall goal and items that are not
- Problems the project manager can easily recognize and problems the project managers cannot recognize
- Goals you believe your team needs to meet and goals the stakeholders believe the team needs to meet
- It’s your job as a project manager to set firm boundaries for the project so the team can stay on track.
Explanation:
Scope creep happens when new tasks, requirements, or changes are introduced after the project starts, often without proper review or approval. Changes before a project begins are part of initial planning and goal-setting, not scope creep.
8. Which of the following best describes scope creep?
- Adding members to a project team
- Cancelling a project after it has begun
- Changing a project after it begins
- Changing a project before it begins
Explanation:
Scope creep happens when new tasks, requirements, or changes are introduced after the project starts, often without proper review or approval. Changes before a project begins are part of initial planning and goal-setting, not scope creep.
9. What are some tactics to handle external scope creep? Select all that apply.
- Suggest alternative solutions to your customer’s or stakeholder’s proposed changes.
- Define the project’s requirements.
- Tell team members to ignore outside requests that will add project tasks.
- Limit communication outside the team once the project begins
Explanation:
External scope creep occurs when stakeholders or customers propose changes. You can mitigate this by:
- Proposing alternatives: Suggesting other options to meet their needs without altering the scope.
- Defining requirements: Clearly documenting what the project will include, its goals, resources, and timeline from the outset.
Ignoring external requests or limiting communication isn’t advisable, as collaboration with stakeholders is key to success.
10. A designer on your project team suggests making changes to the product’s logo just prior to launch. What’s a strategy that could help avoid this internal scope creep?
- Assign some of the designer’s tasks to someone else so they can begin working on the logo changes.
- Remind the designer about the project’s scope and the effects of internal scope creep.
- Have the designer begin to implement the logo design changes immediately.
- Push back the product’s launch date to allow time for the design to implement changes to the logo.
Explanation:
Internal scope creep arises from team members introducing changes that fall outside the agreed-upon scope. By reminding the team of the project’s scope and potential effects, such as delays or increased costs, you can prevent unnecessary changes and keep the project aligned with its goals.
Module 2 Challenge
Graded Quiz.
11. As a project manager, you’re using the SMART criteria to craft goals for your team. During the process, you ask yourself if a goal is aligned to the organization or the company’s goals. Which SMART criteria does this question represent?
- Relevant
- Attainable
- Time-bound
- Specific
- Measurable
12. Which of the following scenarios best represents a project that is going out-of-scope?
- The deliverable to present your project’s pre-launch event at a three-day, in-person conference is now an online conference. The switch reduces the costs associated with event space, travel, and people resource tim.
- During the project weekly meeting, the project manager learns the main vendor will increase the cost of raw materials by 20% due to an international shortage.
- The manufacturer of one of the project deliverables just lost power after a large storm. They don’t expect to be in production for one week, delaying the project timeline.
- During the project weekly meeting, the project sponsor adds a new deliverable requirement that costs $10,000 USD. This addition surpasses the budget by $5,000 USD.
13. Consider the following scenario:
A new company project isn’t going well. The company hires outside evaluators to review the project. The evaluators tell the company that its plan has too many delays and that the company won’t be able to complete the project on time. They also identify one issue causing a delay is the company and the investors (stakeholders) have different expectations of what the completed project should be.
What step could the company have taken to avoid scope creep?
- Have stakeholder involvement before the project begins.
- Hire a different organization to review the project.
- Require more detailed bids from the evaluators in writing.
- Make the investors adopt the company’s project expectations.
Explanation:
Involving stakeholders early ensures alignment on project goals, reducing misunderstandings and preventing conflicting expectations later. Without early involvement, disagreements about outcomes or deliverables can lead to delays and scope creep.
14. Fill in the blank: The difference between a goal and a deliverable is that the goal is the desired outcome of the project and the deliverable is a _____ of the project.
- progress
- success criteria
- tangible outcome
- SMART method
15. Which of the following scenarios best represents project launch?
- The client agrees to the initial timeline and budget.
- The website development team researches a specific audience through sales data analysis.
- The project team releases a new product.
- The project manager works with stakeholders to develop project goals and deliverables.
Explanation:
A project launch signifies the transition from planning and execution to delivering the finished product. Releasing a new product is a concrete example of launch, indicating the project has been completed and made available to users or stakeholders.
16. Consider the following scenario: The Director of Product requests that the project manager do what they can to finish the project early. However, the Director also states that they cannot spend any additional funds.
Using the triple constraint model, what trade-off could the project manager use to meet the Director of Product’s request?
- Change the budget
- Change the project goal
- Change the project scope
- Change the team
17. Which of the following indicate whether a project manager accomplishes what they set out to do?
- Deviation critera
- Launch standard
- Accuracy standard
- Success criteria
18. Which of the following is an engagement metric?
- A 20% increase of participation time within an app.
- A 35% increase of first-time customers.
- Number of new customer sign-ups for a subscription.
- Double the amount of initial orders.
19. How will you quantify if you’re landing a project at its intended goal?
- Check if the project meets the initial success criteria
- Ask the clients if they’re happy with the result
- Send out feedback surveys to team members
- Solicit stakeholders for their opinions
20. Suppose as a project manager you’re receiving requests from stakeholders to add new features to the product you’re developing. How would you deal with this external scope creep?
- Implement the initial stakeholders requests and then ban all future requests.
- Agree on who can make formal requests and how your team will evaluate and act on those requests.
- Ignore the requests because the project is already underway.
- Take a team vote to decide if the team should add the new feature to the product.
21. Which of the following is true about Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)?
- Implement the initial stakeholders requests and then ban all future requests.
- Agree on who can make formal requests and how your team will evaluate and act on those requests.
- Ignore the requests because the project is already underway.
- Take a team vote to decide if the team should add the new feature to the product.
22. As a project manager, you’re using the SMART criteria to craft revenue goals for your team. During the process, you determine that current business conditions will allow for a maximum revenue increase of about 4.5% over last year’s revenue. Based on this estimate, you set a goal for your team to show at least 1% revenue increase each quarter of this year. In this instance, which SMART criteria are you using?
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
23. Which of the following demonstrates a project manager keeping the project in-scope? Select all that apply.
- The key stakeholder meets with the project manager to set the scope and deliverable agreements in writing. The project manager keeps the key stakeholder informed while communicating with project team members.
- The key stakeholder has had to meet with the project manager several times to define the project scope. The project manager is delaying meetings and is unclear about project tasks.
- The key stakeholder and the project manager clearly define the project scope in the initial planning stage. The project manager documents all the details to be referred to throughout the project life cycle.
- The key stakeholder clearly states the project needs to be completed in 6 months and must stay within scope. The project manager has not been able to keep the project on schedule and has yet to inform the key stakeholder of the delay.
24. Suppose that you’re starting as a project manager for a new client. What three strategies can you use to decrease the likelihood of scope creep and make the project a success? Select all that apply.
- Keep complicated documents from the client because you don’t want to confuse them.
- Set ground rules and expectations for client involvement once the project begins.
- Show the client the details of what you’re going to create and how much it will cost.
- Ask for constructive criticism on the initial product proposal.
25. As a project manager for an online retailer, you meet with your company’s head of customer service and are asked to establish a rewards program and monitor its effect on the number of repeat online customers. Your team launches a finished website that introduces a new rewards program and add a link to the website on all new order confirmation emails. Which of the following is a project goal in this scenario?
- Meet with your company’s head of customer service
- Add a link to the rewards program website on all new order confirmation emails
- Launch a finished website that introduces a new rewards program
- Monitor the effect of a new rewards program on the number of repeat online customers
26. What is part of a project launch?
- Presenting the final deliverable to the client
- Measuring the success of the project
- Defining and managing the project scope
- Budgeting the deliverables for success
27. Consider the following scenario: The Director of Product requests a project cost reduction of 25%. However, they also state that the product’s final result needs to look and function as originally agreed with no additions to project workload.
Using the triple constraint model, what trade-off could the project manager use to meet the Director of Product’s request?
- Change the team
- Change the timeline
- Change the project goal
- Change the project scope
28. Which of the following best describes what success criteria are?
- The metrics that show whether your project accomplishes what you set out to do
- The process to determine whether your project tasks are in-scope or out-of-scope
- The amount of funds that are available for you to complete your project
- The use of the triple constraint model to manage changes to your project scope
29. As a project manager, you utilize your project management tools to check whether the project is progressing alongside the planned timelines. What type of metric would this be an example of?
- An adoption metric
- An engagement metric
- A business metric
- An efficiency metric
30. A project manager launches a project to streamline a local city's school bus route schedule to reduce the amount of time students are on the bus by 30%. What scenario below demonstrates that the project manager landed at the intended goal?
- The project manager reviews the data in 3 months to determine if they reduced the amount of time students spend on the bus by at least 30%.
- The project manager surveys the team members to ask how they feel about the project success; their feedback is reviewed and determines the next team.
- The project manager completes the research and development required for the plan and adds another county to compare success rates for the project.
- The project manager hands over the project to the client with all of the plans and documents and considers the project a success.
31. Fill in the blank: When determining a measurable outcome, _____ define how you will measure whether a desired outcome has been achieved.
- budgets
- key results
- goals
- objectives
32. Fill in the blank: The goal of a project helps to determine the _____.
- culture
- presentation
- stakeholders
- deliverables
33. As the project manager for a team of software developers, your team has been hired to develop a piece of proprietary software for a corporate customer. After a few weeks working on the project your customer announces that they must reduce their budget for your project by 15%, but that the software needs to look and function as originally agreed with no changes.
Using the triple constraint model, what trade-off could you use to meet your customer’s new requirements?
- Change the project goals
- Change the timeline
- Change the project scope
- Change team roles
34. Which of the following is the best example of success criteria?
- Launch a new website on time and on budget.
- Create a new product feature that increases customer engagement by 10%.
- Make a new user interface that is easier to use.
- Implement a successful onboarding process for new employees.
35. What’s a main difference between the adoption and engagement metrics?
- Adoption is generally a one-time occurrence. Engagement is ongoing.
- Adoption replaces a business metric. Engagement compliments other business metrics.
- Adoption is an external metric. Engagement is an internal metric.
- Adoption requires more expensive tools. Engagement requires less expensive tools.
36. As a project manager, your team has been tasked to come up with a new service that increases revenue by 4% within one year. The team implements a new service, a website has gone live, catalogs have been printed and delivered, orders have been received, and revenue starts to go up. How can you show that you’ve successfully landed this project?
- Demonstrate a 6% increase in revenue one year after implementation.
- Demonstrate a 4% increase in customer engagement after implementation.
- Demonstrate a 6% increase in revenue two months after implementation.
- Demonstrate implementation of website, delivery of catalogs, and new orders.
37. Fill in the blank: When determining a measurable outcome, _____ define what needs to be achieved and describe a desired outcome.
- key results
- objectives
- metrics
- budgets
38. As a project manager, you’re using the SMART criteria to craft revenue goals for your team. During the process, you look at last year's revenue data as a benchmark for deciding how much to increase revenue this year. In this instance, which SMART criteria are you using?
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Explanation:
Measurable criteria involve using data or metrics to set goals and track progress. By using last year’s revenue as a benchmark, the project manager ensures the goal can be quantified and assessed, fulfilling the measurable aspect of SMART.
39. As a project manager it is your responsibility to maintain the limits of the project. Which of the following are ways that scope creep is likely to affect your project? Select all that apply.
- Increased risk
- Team member turnover
- Schedule delays
- Losses to your bottom line
40. Consider this Office Green scenario: A member of the marketing team suggests allowing customers to choose from an additional three plant colors. Select all that apply.
What can help prevent project scope creep in this scenario? Select all that apply.
- Get clarity on project requirements
- Go along with the member’s suggestion
- Make project plans visible
- Create a plan for dealing with out-of-scope requests
41. Fill in the blank: Deliverables help project managers, team members, and stakeholders _____ and realize the impact of the project.
- quantify
- adjust
- rank
- compare
42. Which of the following is an adoption metric?
- An increase in customer satisfaction score
- A 20% increase in the amount of tasks completed
- A 35% increase in first-time customers
- Double the amount of time participating within an app
43. As a project manager, your team has been tasked to come up with a new service that increases revenue by 4% within one year. The team implements a new service, a website has gone live, catalogs have been printed and delivered, orders have been received, and revenue starts to go up. What is this an example of?
- A successful project launch
- A successful implementation of OKRs
- A successful project landing
- A successful use of the triple constraint method
44. As project manager, you approve a team member’s request to change the order of their tasks because they think it will be more efficient. However, this change disrupts another team member’s work process: they need to do two additional tasks not related to the project’s goal. What is happening on this project?
- The project is going out-of-scope.
- The project is staying in-scope.
- The project is iterating.
- The project is becoming more efficient.
45. Suppose as a project manager you’re receiving requests from stakeholders to add new features to the product you’re developing. How would you deal with this external scope creep?
- Agree on who can make formal requests and how your team will evaluate and act on those requests
- Ignore the requests because the project is already underway
- Implement the initial stakeholders requests and then ban all future requests
- Take a team vote to decide if the team should add the new feature to the product
46. As a project manager for an online retailer, you meet with your company’s head of customer service and are asked to improve the response time to customer email inquiries by 15 percent by the end of the first quarter. Your team creates email templates for responding to typical questions from customers and produces an end-of-quarter report that shows a 17 percent improvement in response time after your templates were implemented. Which of the following best represents the success criteria for this project?
- Approval from your company’s head of customer service
- Email templates for responding to typical questions from customers
- An end-of-quarter report that shows a 17 percent improvement in response time
- A 15 percent improvement in response time at the end of the first quarter
47. Which of the following is the best example of success criteria?
- Achieve an 87% customer satisfaction rate within three months of product launch.
- Use the triple constraint model to manage changes in project scope.
- Offer the best product in our industry.
- Create a new product feature that will satisfy customers.
Explanation:
Success criteria are specific, measurable, and time-bound outcomes that define project success. Achieving an 87% customer satisfaction rate within three months of product launch is clear and quantifiable, unlike broader statements or plans.
48. As project manager, you approve a team member’s request to change the order of their tasks because they think it will be more efficient. However, this change disrupts another team member’s work process: they need to do two additional tasks that are not related to the project’s goal. What is this an example of?
- Internal scope creep
- External scope creep
- Calibrating scope
- Internalizing scope
Explanation:
Internal scope creep occurs when changes originate within the team and lead to deviations from the project plan. In this case, altering task order caused additional, unrelated tasks for another team member, disrupting the project without adding value to its objectives.
49. Which scenario demonstrates project landing?
- The car company Janco launches a new car series called the Cruiser ST. The launch is successful and all the dealerships request more models.
- The project manager considers positive feedback from the project sponsor as enough evidence to assume success and reports the project complete.
- The Director of Product requests to reduce the budget by 25% but the final outcome still needs to look and function as originally agreed.
- The project manager checks back on the project in five years to see if the training program produces a 20% increase in the county’s recycling rate.
50. Fill in the blank: Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) combine both a goal and a _____ to determine a measurable outcome.
- vision
- consensus
- budget
- metric
51. As a project manager, you’re using the SMART criteria to craft goals for your team. During the process, you create goals that are a little challenging, but also encourage growth. In this instance, which SMART criteria are you using?
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
52. As the project manager for a team of software developers, your team has been hired to develop a piece of proprietary software for a corporate customer. After a few weeks working on the project your customer announces that they will need their software several weeks sooner than originally expected, but that the software needs to look and function as originally agreed with no changes.
Using the triple constraint model, what trade-off could you use to meet your customer’s new requirements?
- Change team roles
- Change the project scope
- Change the budget
- Change the project goals
53. As a project manager, you have created a dashboard that allows your stakeholders to easily track gaps and trends in revenue. What type of metric would this be an example of?
- An efficiency metric
- A business metric
- A happiness metric
- An engagement metric
54. The objective for a car company is to launch a new series of cars. Which three of the following could be examples of key results? Select all that apply.
- Create a best-in-class midsize sedan.
- Meet production deadlines 95% of the time.
- Distribute 98% of the product on time to dealerships.
- Improve the customer satisfaction survey score by 15%.
Explanation:
Key results are specific, measurable outcomes tied to an objective. These results focus on production efficiency, timely delivery, and customer satisfaction, which directly support the objective of launching a new car series. The other option is too broad and aspirational to be considered a key result.
55. Once a team launches a project, there’s still work to be done. Which of the following scenarios would occur in the landing phase? Select all that apply.
- Gather the project team to discuss what they learned during the project and how to improve the process.
- Decide how to deliver an organization-wide announcement and campaign for the project.
- Work with stakeholders on the prioritization and documentation before building a new product.
- Check that forms and processes are collecting the necessary data to evaluate project success.
56. As a construction project manager, your crew has been hired to build a new warehouse for a corporate customer. After a few weeks working on the project your customer announces that they will need their warehouse completed several weeks sooner than originally expected, but that they cannot spend more money on the project.
Using the triple constraint model, what trade-off could you use to meet your customer’s new requirements?
- Change the project goals
- Change the budget
- Change the project scope
- Change team roles
Explanation:
The triple constraint model consists of scope, time, and cost. When the deadline is moved up without increasing the budget, reducing the project scope (such as removing features or tasks) is the logical trade-off to meet the new timeline.
57. Which of the following is a happiness metric?
- A 5% increase in customer satisfaction score
- A 20% increase in the amount of tasks completed
- Double the amount of time participating within an app
- A 35% increase in first-time customers
Explanation:
Happiness metrics gauge user or customer satisfaction with a product or service. An increase in customer satisfaction score directly reflects improved user happiness, whereas other metrics may focus on performance or engagement.
58. As a project manager for an online retailer, you meet with your company’s head of customer service and are asked to establish a rewards program and monitor the number of repeat online customers. Your team launches a finished website that introduces a new rewards program and add a link to the website on all new order confirmation emails. Which of the following is a project deliverable in this scenario?
- Launch a finished website that introduces a new rewards program
- Monitor the number of repeat online customers
- Establish a rewards program
- Meet with your company’s head of customer service
59. As a project manager for an online retailer, you meet with your company’s head of customer service and are asked to improve the response time to customer email inquiries by 15 percent by the end of the first quarter. Your team creates email templates for responding to typical questions from customers and produces an end-of-quarter report that shows a 17 percent improvement in response time after your templates were implemented. Which of the following best represents the project launch?
- Producing an end-of-quarter report that shows a 17 percent improvement in response time
- Meeting with your company’s head of customer service
- Creating email templates for responding to typical questions from customers
- Improving the response time to customer email inquiries
Explanation:
A project goal represents the intended outcome—in this case, improving email response time by 15%. Other elements, like creating templates or producing reports, are steps or tools to achieve the goal, not the goal itself.
60. As a project manager you are writing OKRs for your team. How many key results should you try to develop for each of your project objectives?
- Two or three
- Four or five
- At least six
- One
61. As a project manager, your team has been tasked to come up with a new service that increases customer engagement by 4% within one year. The team implements a new service, a website has gone live, catalogs have been printed and delivered, orders have been received, and customer engagement starts to go up. A year later, customer engagement has increased by 2%. What is this an example of?
- A successful implementation of OKRs
- A failed project launch
- A failed project landing
- A successful project landing
Explanation:
A failed project landing occurs when a project’s outcomes fall short of key performance metrics despite achieving deliverables. Here, the project succeeded in execution but failed to meet the goal of increasing customer engagement by 4%.