Can some help me with the below questions

Submitted by Jp2786 on Tue, 04/08/2014 - 23:45
During project executing, a project team member informs the project manager that based on her observations, the project cannot meet the quality standards set for it. The project manager meets with all the parties concerned to analyze the situation. Which part of the quality management process is the project manager involved in?
 
a) Perform quality assurance
b) Quality analysis
c) Perform quality control
d) Plan quality
 
During project executing, a project team member informs the project manager that a work package has not met the quality metric, and that she believes it is not possible to meet it. The project manager meets with all the concered parties to analyze the situation. Which part of quality management process is the project manager involved in?
 
a) Perform quality assurance
b) Quality analysis
c) Perform quality control
d) Plan quality
 
The only difference I can find between the 1st and 2nd question is that the 1st question talks about  quality standards and the 2nd one talks about  quality metrics. Is this going to have an impact on the solution? Please help. 
 
 
 
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Thu, 04/10/2014 - 03:40

No , it should not have an impact on the answer.

A standard  provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose, Metrics is the final measure of the output.  I can say that Quality standard for a given product can be it should not have more than 3 sigma deviation and metrics will give actual deviation. If I dont meet the standard, i dont meet the metrics and vice versa.

As per PMBoK

P. Q Assurance is making sure right quality processes, policies, procedure are used and improve, correct them by CRs. Eventhough the process takes quaility control measurements and quality metrics, they are not used to verify the end product/results. The QA took doesnt care about what the output is lying there

On the other hand, P. Q. Control, measures the parameters at project and product levels, compares with quality metrics (variance analysis) and also identify ROOT causes of 1 ) poor product quality + 2) poor project measurements . So, in the above case, PM HAS to be in the P . Q control, as they are trying to see if the END product met the quality metrics. right ?

Read first para P 206, to get it clear.

P. Q Assurance: Are we building the product correct WAY

P. Q Control: Are we building the CORRECT end products

Jp2786

Thu, 04/10/2014 - 04:36

hey..... 1st of all, thanks for your detailed response. I really appreciate it and I'm sure this will help our fellow PMP aspirants as well.

Before I begin, I want get one thing out of the way: Even if we are in M&C i.e. P.Q Control we can move back to P.Q Assurance or P.Quality if the situation demands so. Am I right?

Now, for the 1st questions, as you have right said, P. Q Assurance is making sure right quality processes, policies, procedure and STANDARDS are used and improve, correct them by CRs. (I added the word standards). Since the 1st questions says that "the project cannot meet the quality standards set for it" the key words are "Project" and "standards" then shouldn't it be P.Q Assurance.

Similarly for the 2nd question, the questions says " work package has not met the quality metric", the key word is "work package" and "metric" so, as you have rightly said  P. Q. Control, measures the parameters at project and product levels, compares with quality metrics (variance analysis) and also identify ROOT causes" so this is P.Q  Control. 

As per the solution guide that I have, for the 1st question it is  P.Q Assurance. and for the 2nd one  P.Q  Control.

2nd questions is from Rita Guide, the reasoning can be found there. For the 1st question the guide says: "The team should reevaluate whether the quality standards are valid. This is part of the perform quality assurance process"

Even I marked P.Q control for both, but giving it a second thought I'm guess we could be wrong. Please advise.

Thanks in advance.

Regards

Jp