1. Right Answer: B
Explanation: Earned value analysis (EVA) is an industry standard method for measuring a project's progress at any given point in time, forecasting its completion date and final cost, and analyzing variances in the schedule and budget as the project proceeds. It compares the planned amount of work with what has actually been completed, to determine if the cost, schedule and work accomplished are progressing in accordance with the plan. EVA works most effectively if a well-formed work breakdown structure exists. Function point analysis (FPA) is an indirect measure of software size and complexity and, therefore, does not address the elements of time and budget. Cost budgets do not address time. PERT aids in time and deliverables management, but lacks projections for estimates at completion (EACs) and overall financial management.
2. Right Answer: B
Explanation: An IS auditor should not recommend discontinuing or completing the project before reviewing an updated business case. The IS auditor should recommend that the business case be kept current throughout the project since it is a key input to decisions made throughout the life of any project.
3. Right Answer: C
Explanation: A project steering committee that provides an overall direction for the enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation project is responsible for reviewing the project's progress to ensure that it will deliver the expected results. A project sponsor is typically the senior manager in charge of the primary business unit that the application will support. The sponsor provides funding for the project and works closely with the project manager to define the critical success factors or metrics for the project. The project sponsor is not responsible for reviewing the progress of the project. A system development project team (SDPT) completes the assigned tasks, works according to the instructions of the project manager and communicates with the user project team. The SDPT is not responsible for reviewing the progress of the project. A user project team (UPT) completes the assigned tasks, communicates effectively with the system development team and works according to the advice of the project manager. A UPT is not responsible for reviewing the progress of the project.
4. Right Answer: D
Explanation: During the data conversion stage of a project, the data owner is primarily responsible for reviewing and signing-off that the data are migrated completely, accurately and are valid. An IS auditor is not responsible for reviewing and signing-off on the accuracy of the converted data. However, an IS auditor should ensure that there is a review and sign-off by the data owner during the data conversion stage of the project. A database administrator's primary responsibility is to maintain the integrity of the database and make the database available to users. A database administrator is not responsible for reviewing migrated data. A project manager provides day-to- day management and leadership of the project, but is not responsible for the accuracy and integrity of the data.
5. Right Answer: A
Explanation: Cost performance of a project cannot be properly assessed in isolation of schedule performance. Cost cannot be assessed simply in terms of elapsed time on a project. To properly assess the project budget position, it is necessary to know how much progress has actually been made and, given this, what level of expenditure would be expected. It is possible that project expenditure appears to be low because actual progress has been slow. Until the analysis of project against schedule has been completed, it is impossible to know whether there is any reason to reduce budget, if the project has slipped behind schedule, then not only may there be no spare budget but it is possible that extra expenditure may be needed to retrieve the slippage. The low expenditure could actually be representative of a situation where the project is likely to miss deadlines rather than potentially come in ahead of time. If the project is found to be ahead of budget after adjusting for actual progress, this is not necessarily a good outcome because it points to flaws in the original budgeting process; and, as said above, until further analysis is undertaken, it cannot be determined whether any spare funds actually exist. Further, if the project is behind schedule, then adding scope may be the wrong thing to do.
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