Project Management – Study & OA Control Center

Turn scope, schedule, cost, risk, and stakeholders into one mental picture so OA scenario questions feel like running a project you already know.

OA-Focused Scenario Thinking

Triple Constraint • Scope, Time, Cost

Plans, Baselines & Change Control

Risk, Stakeholders & Communication

COURSE SNAPSHOT

What Project Management Wants You to Prove

By OA time, you should be able to:

Explain core PM concepts: project vs. operations, triple constraint, lifecycle phases.
Read a scenario and identify issues with scope, schedule, cost, quality, or risk.
Choose PM tools (WBS, Gantt, critical path, risk register, stakeholder plan) that fit the problem.
Communicate and escalate the right way as a project manager or sponsor.

Use this dashboard like a cockpit:

Review domains & frameworks (triple constraint, lifecycle, etc.).
Drill flashcards until terms feel intuitive, not memorized.
Use Practice Quiz in Test Mode to simulate OA-style scenarios.
Check off tasks → WGU pre-assessment → OA.

PROGRESS TRACKER

Project Management Checklist

Check items off as you master them. Stored locally only.

Overall Progress

DOMAINS

Core Project Management Domains

Names vary by syllabus, but these buckets align with classic PM content.

Domain 1 – Foundations & Lifecycle
Projects vs. operations, project roles, PM process groups, project lifecycle phases.
Domain 2 – Scope & Schedule
Requirements, scope statement, WBS, activity lists, network diagrams, critical path, schedule baselines.
Domain 3 – Cost, Quality & Procurement
Estimating, budgeting, cost baseline, quality planning/assurance/control, basic contracts.
Domain 4 – Risk & Stakeholders
Risk identification, analysis, responses, risk register; stakeholder identification, engagement strategies.
Domain 5 – Communication, Change & Agile
Communication planning, status reporting, change control, agile vs. predictive approaches.

TINY PLAN

8–10 Day Project Management Sprint

Compress or expand depending on VR&E load and other courses.

Day 1: Foundations – project vs. operations, roles, process groups, lifecycle.
Day 2: Scope – requirements, scope statement, WBS basics.
Day 3: Schedule – dependencies, network diagrams, critical path.
Day 4: Cost & quality – estimating methods, budgets, quality concepts.
Day 5: Risk – identification, qualitative analysis, responses.
Day 6: Stakeholders & communication – stakeholder analysis, comms plan.
Day 7: Change control & agile vs. predictive.
Day 8: Mixed review with flashcards + quiz.
Day 9: Pre-assessment + targeted review on weak areas.
Day 10: Light pass + OA.

FLASHCARDS

Core PM Concepts Drill

Tap card to flip. Visualize a real project as you go. Domain:

Term

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PRACTICE QUIZ

Mini Scenario Check

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PRACTICE QUIZ

OA-Style Project Management Scenarios

Use Test Mode to answer from memory first, then review flashcards & frameworks for anything that feels fuzzy.

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FRAMEWORKS

Triple Constraint & Lifecycle

Triple Constraint (Iron Triangle)

• Scope: What is included (and not included) in the project deliverables.
• Time (Schedule): How long the project should take; milestones and deadlines.
• Cost: Budget, resources, and financial limits.

Change one side → at least one of the others is usually affected.
OA Angle: If a scenario pushes for “more features, same time and budget,” a good PM challenges that or adjusts scope/time/cost.

PM Process Groups (High-Level)

1) Initiating – Define the project at a high level and get authorization.
2) Planning – Define scope, schedule, cost, risks, quality, communications, etc.
3) Executing – Direct and manage the work, lead the team, communicate.
4) Monitoring & Controlling – Track progress, compare to baseline, manage changes.
5) Closing – Formal acceptance, lessons learned, close contracts.

OA Angle: Identify which group a described activity belongs to.

Project Lifecycle (Predictive Style)

Concept → Feasibility → Planning → Execution → Transition/Close.

OA Angle: Early phases = high uncertainty, low cost; later phases = higher cost, lower flexibility.

TOOLS & ARTEFACTS

WBS, Critical Path, Risk & Stakeholders

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Hierarchical breakdown of project deliverables and work into smaller pieces.
• Focuses on what needs to be done, not the schedule itself.

OA Angle: If a question asks for a tool to “decompose work into manageable pieces,” that’s WBS.

Critical Path (Schedule)

• Longest sequence of dependent activities in the project schedule.
• Determines minimum project duration.
• Delay on the critical path → delays the project finish (if nothing else changes).

OA Angle: When deciding which delay is most serious, look for tasks on the critical path.

Risk Register

• List of identified risks, causes, impacts, probability ratings, responses, and owners.

OA Angle: If a scenario mentions “documenting and tracking risks,” the risk register is the tool.

Stakeholder Analysis & Engagement

• Identify stakeholders → analyze interest, influence, and impact → plan engagement & communication.

OA Angle: Strong answers consider both influence (power) and interest when choosing how to communicate.