International Project Management Association (IPMA) Practice Exam

Which document typically includes the criteria for project success and performance metrics?

1. Project Charter

2. Scope Management Plan

3. Work Breakdown Structure

4. Lessons Learned Document

The correct answer is: Project Charter

The project charter is a foundational document in project management that plays a crucial role in defining a project's purpose and its goals. One of the key elements included in the project charter is the identification of success criteria and performance metrics, which are essential for evaluating the project's effectiveness and progress. The success criteria lay out what it means for the project to be considered successful. This might include achieving specific deliverables, staying within budget, completing the project on time, or meeting quality standards. Performance metrics can encompass various indicators that measure progress towards these criteria, such as cost performance index (CPI), schedule performance index (SPI), and other quantitative measures that help in tracking the project's overall health. While the other options serve important purposes within project management, they don't typically encapsulate the criteria for success and performance metrics in the same comprehensive way as the project charter does. For instance, the scope management plan focuses on defining and controlling what is included in the project, the work breakdown structure provides a detailed breakdown of project deliverables and tasks but does not directly relate to success criteria, and the lessons learned document is primarily retrospective, capturing knowledge gained from project experiences rather than setting forth performance metrics for future projects.