CIPS L5M8 Project and Change Management Exam Practice Test

AMultiple Cause Diagramhelps teamsvisualise complex, interconnected factors, encouragingopen discussionabout drivers behind changes and areas requiring action. This suits a context with morale issues and confusion about causes.

TheChange Cycle(Salerno and Brock) followsLoss → Doubt → Discomfort → Discovery → Understanding → Integration. Early stages involve emotional loss and uncertainty before adjustment begins.

RACIcharts responsibility and communication roles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) for tasks/decisions. SWOT is strategic analysis; Gantt is scheduling; PRINCE2 is a methodology.

TheChange Cyclemoves fromloss → doubt → discomfort → discovery → understanding → integration. Since Lucy is in the “doubt” phase, her next stage will bediscomfort, where uncertainty and anxiety peak before adaptation begins.

Resource levellingadjusts resource allocations to balancedemand vs. capacity constraintsover time (adding when workload peaks; releasing when it ebbs) to reduce bottlenecks.

AGantt chartvisually maps activities againsttimeto show sequencing and overlap of tasks. It’s used for scheduling, tracking progress, and identifying dependencies.

Hire purchaseinvolves staged payments with anoption to ownthe asset at the end (often via afinal/balloonpayment). Finance/operating leases don’t necessarily transfer ownership.

Lean and Six Sigma typically driveincremental, continuous improvementsto processes. L5M8 categorises this asadaptation—ongoing, small-scale changes rather than radical overhauls.

Aconsortium(collaborative grouping without forming a new legal entity) canexpand bidding capacityto access larger contracts and may involvelow capitalcommitment relative to alternatives. Creating anew legal entitycharacterises ajoint venture.

In Cox’s Stepladder model,mergers and acquisitionsare not part of buyer–supplier relationship levels. They are described as acore competency, representing full organisational integration beyond contractual relationships.

Cynicism often results from a breach of thepsychological contract, leading to mistrust. Managers shouldrebuild confidencethroughtransparent communication(upward and downward) and bycelebrating successesthat demonstrate progress and credibility of change.

Theory-Driven Evaluationseeks to understand thecausal mechanisms—how and whya project achieved (or failed to achieve) results — rather than merely measuring outputs.

Lewin’s classic model frames change asUnfreeze → Change → Refreeze. The first step isunfreezing, preparing the organisation/people to move away from the current state before making and stabilising the change.

InGreiner’s growth phases, thecollaborationphase addresses bureaucratic overload usingteamwork, interpersonal collaboration, and flexible structures (e.g., matrix). It follows creative → direction → delegation → coordination →collaboration.

AProject Reviewis an evaluative learning exercise focusing onreflection(lessons learned) andlong-term impactassessment. It promotes organisational learning and improvement for future projects.

AMonte Carlo Analysisis a quantitativerisk simulationtechnique. It models uncertainty by running many scenarios to estimate potential outcomes for cost, time, or other risk variables.

Reconstructioninvolvesrapid, often concurrent changesthat significantly shift the organisation’s functioning (distinct from evolution/adaptation’s incrementalism and from a single radical revolution).

Afunctionalstructure delivers projects through departmental silos (line hierarchy), handing work between functions; coordination is via line managers rather than a single project manager.

A risk assessment quantifieslikelihood (probability)andseverity (impact), assigning scores that help prioritise mitigation actions.Typeandownerare qualitative factors.

For large/complex initiatives,Senior UsersandSenior Suppliersare commonly represented (e.g., via user and supplier advisory groups) to reflect those affected and those providing key deliverables.

TheExecutiveserves as thesingle point of accountability,manages conflicts of interest, andappoints board members.Senior Userpromotes user outcomes;Senior Supplierrepresents designers/developers.

Ajoint ventureis specifically defined by forming anew legal entityowned by the participants for a defined purpose.

TheGoal Griddistinguishes whether outcomes are good/bad and whether they already exist or not, yielding four categories:Achieve, Preserve, Avoid, Eliminate.

Goalsare the high-level, long-term aspirations.Objectives, by contrast, areshort-term, specific, measurable stepsthat support those goals (e.g., increasing sales by 10% within 12 months).

Evolutionary changeis gradual and low-intensity, which may cause aloss of urgency or momentum, leaving some individuals disengaged or resistant due to lack of visible progress.