Stage 3: Including a Practice Test and its Impact on Project Budget
Question
During stage 3, the project scope was extended to include a practice test for learners to take during the training course.
The cost of this test will be included in the cost of the course.
The change to project scope was approved and the cost of £2,500 was paid for from the change budget.
The project manager documented an increase of £2,500 in the project budget in the business case.
Is this an appropriate action, and why?
Answers
Explanations
Click on the arrows to vote for the correct answer
A. B. C. D.B.
The appropriate answer to this question is C. No, because the use of the change budget means that the project budget does not need to be increased.
The change to project scope was approved and the cost of £2,500 was paid for from the change budget. A change budget is a portion of the overall project budget that is set aside to cover the costs of approved changes to the project scope, schedule or budget. The purpose of the change budget is to allow the project manager to manage changes to the project while keeping the overall project budget under control.
Therefore, it is not appropriate for the project manager to document an increase of £2,500 in the project budget in the business case. The change budget is specifically designed to handle changes to the project budget, so the project budget does not need to be increased for the cost of the practice test.
Answer A is incorrect because the justification for the project does not need to be recalculated based on the revised project budget. The business case should reflect the original project budget and the approved change budget.
Answer B is incorrect because the project manager does not determine which costs need to be updated at the end of each stage. The project manager must follow the project management plan and obtain approval for any changes to the project budget.
Answer D is incorrect because changes to operational costs post-project should not have been included in the business case. The business case should only include the original project budget and any approved change budget. Operational costs are ongoing costs that occur after the project is completed and are not included in the project budget.
