Project Planning & Execution Flashcards

A SAC is tasked with scaling a successful pilot program from one school to five schools. Which risk should be addressed FIRST in the expansion plan?

Answer: Assessing whether trained staff capacity exists at each receiving school

Program quality depends on trained implementers; scaling without adequate staffing capacity is the most common cause of fidelity breakdown.

Which type of program evaluation examines whether a student assistance program is being delivered to the intended population?

Answer: Process evaluation

Process evaluation assesses whether a program is reaching its target population and being implemented as planned.

A SAC identifies a potential scope creep risk — stakeholders are requesting additional services beyond the original program design. The BEST response is to:

Answer: Document the requests, assess feasibility, and formally revise the project scope if approved

Documenting and formally evaluating scope change requests maintains program integrity while demonstrating responsiveness to stakeholders.

Which project management tool is MOST useful for tracking the interdependence of tasks in a complex SAC program launch?

Answer: A network diagram showing task dependencies and the critical path

A network diagram (or critical path method) maps task dependencies, helping identify which delays will affect the overall timeline.

A SAC program's formative evaluation reveals that students are disengaging during session three of a six-session curriculum. The MOST appropriate response is to:

Answer: Analyze the session three content and format, then make evidence-informed adjustments

Formative evaluation exists specifically to inform real-time improvements, and evidence-based adjustments improve student outcomes without abandoning the program.

Under FERPA, when a SAC shares student attendance data with an external community partner for program evaluation purposes, which condition MUST be met?

Answer: The student's parents or eligible student must provide written consent, or the sharing must qualify under a FERPA exception

FERPA requires written consent or an applicable exception (such as the school official exception with a data-sharing agreement) before student records are shared with outside parties.

Which element MOST distinguishes a program goal from a program objective in a SAC project plan?

Answer: Goals are broad, long-term statements of intent; objectives are specific, measurable, and time-bound

Goals articulate the desired end state in general terms, while objectives break that state into measurable, time-bound benchmarks.