UNIVERSITY OF ZIMBABWE

2017 May/June Examinations

MBA528 : PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Faculty: COMMERCE

Department: GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

Duration: 3 HOURS

Examiner: LIC. E. MAKONI

Authorized Materials: Non-Programmable Scientific Calculator.

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. This paper contains Six (6) Questions
2. Answer Question One (40 marks); and any other Three Questions (20 marks each)
3. Start each question on a new page
4. This question paper comprises Three (3) printed pages

NB: DO NOT TURN OVER THE QUESTION PAPER OR COMMENCE WRITING

UNTIL INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY THE CHIEF INVIGILATOR.

Page 1 of 3
QUESTION 1 (Compulsory - 40 marks)

(a) Explain with the aid of examples the concept of ‘time-cost tradeoffs’ in projects.
[5 marks]

(b) Information for Mr. Torumwa’s house construction project is given in table 1
below.

Table 1: House construction project details

Activity Description Normal Crash time Normal cost Crash time

time (wks) (wks) ($) cost
($)
1-2 Design house 12 7 3000 5000
and get
financing
2-3 Lay foundation 8 5 2000 3500
2-4 Order materials 4 3 4000 7000
3-4 Dummy 0 0 0 0
4-5 Select paint 4 1 500 1100
4-6 Build house 12 9 50000 71000
5-6 Select carpet 4 1 500 1100
6-7 Finish work 4 3 15000 22000

(i) Draw the project network. [5 marks]

(ii) The owner wants the house completed in 30 weeks. Discuss the feasibility
of the owner’s desire. [15 marks]

(iii) If the project requires crashing to enable completion in 30 weeks, analyze

and recommend how much extra cost would be incurred to complete the
house by this time. [15 marks]

QUESTION 2
(a) Explain, using examples, the relevance of milestones in projects. [8 marks]

(b) For a project in which you have produced a network diagram. Assess the merits
in the proposal that project milestones should ideally be placed at those nodes
where a number of activities culminate and others start. [12 marks]

Page 2 of 3
QUESTION 3
Discuss Bruce Tuckman’s stages of team development, clearly revealing implications
and expectations from a management perspective of each stage. [20 marks]

QUESTION 4
(a) You have just taken over as manager of a project that will create many benefits
for the performing organisation, but you sense a high level of resistance in
various stakeholders from the start. Suggest and justify what you would consider
to be the most appropriate action to solve the problem. [10 marks]

(b) You are just leaving a meeting during which you have been assigned as the
manager of a project to build a sub -station that is part of a major electric power
distribution system. The decision to run the project has been made before your
assignment and without your involvement. Some basic decisions on deliverables,
staffing, budgeting and on the completion date have already been made as well.
Propose the various steps you would undertake to ensure smooth takeover.
[10 marks]

QUESTION 5
(a) Being the project manager in a high risk electronics project with a lot of new
technologies, you developed a risk management plan and identified risks which
you documented in a risk register.

You also analyzed the identified risks and a response was planned. During risk
control meetings, it gets obvious that the documents you created are not very
helpful. Discuss what you think you could probably have done wrong. [10 marks]

(b) During your human resource planning, you identified that your team members
are not sufficiently qualified for their tasks. Propose and justify an appropriate
solution to this problem. [10 marks]

QUESTION 6
(a) Explain, using examples, the purpose and core contents of a project charter.
[8 marks]

(b) You recently took over the assignment for a project. The project charter had
already been developed. Propose an appropriate next step for you. [12 marks]

END EXAMINATION PAPER

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