MSPF Sample Questions & Answers
Governance themes such as organisation, vision, and stakeholder engagement carry the most weight, alongside the seven guiding principles, moving a programme through identification, definition, and managing tranches, and tailoring the method to different contexts.
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- Question 1Advanced
MSP Principles · Leading change
Case Study
A national transportation authority has launched the 'Smart Motorways' programme, aiming to reduce congestion and improve journey times across the country. The programme involves upgrading existing motorways with technology like variable speed limits, traffic monitoring systems, and automated incident detection. The programme is structured into three tranches, each focusing on a different geographical region.
The Sponsoring Group is composed of senior officials from the Department of Transport and the national treasury. The Programme Board includes representatives from highway operations, technology vendors, and public safety agencies. The vision is 'a seamlessly connected and efficient national road network, enabled by intelligent technology.' However, six months into the first tranche, stakeholder engagement is proving difficult. Highway maintenance crews feel the new technology is being 'forced' on them without proper consultation, and public advocacy groups are raising privacy concerns about the increased traffic monitoring.
The Programme Manager reports that two key projects within the first tranche—the central control software and the on-road sensor installation—are becoming misaligned. The software project is developing features that the hardware from the sensor project cannot support. This misalignment threatens to delay the delivery of the first tranche's capabilities and erode the programme's credibility.
Which MSP principle has been MOST neglected, leading to the friction with highway crews and public advocacy groups?
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Correct answer: C
The principle of 'Leading change' emphasizes the need to actively engage with stakeholders, understand their perspectives, and bring them along on the journey of transformation. The feeling among maintenance crews of having change 'forced' on them and the unaddressed concerns of advocacy groups are clear indicators that this principle has been poorly applied. Effective change leadership requires proactive communication and involvement, not just top-down implementation.
- Question 2Intermediate
MSP Governance Themes · Benefits Management
The 'Benefits Management' governance theme is critical to justifying a programme's existence. It involves a cycle of activities to ensure value is delivered. Which of the following BEST represents the logical sequence of these activities within the benefits management cycle?
flowchart LR A(Identify) --> B(Plan); B --> C(Realize); C --> D(Review); D --> A;Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
The benefits management cycle logically begins with 'Identifying' the potential benefits. This is followed by 'Planning' how these benefits will be measured and achieved (in the Benefits Realization Plan). Then, as capabilities are delivered, the benefits are actively 'Realized'. Finally, progress is 'Reviewed' to ensure the benefits are materializing as expected and to feed lessons learned back into the identification of new or revised benefits.
- Question 3Intermediate
MSP Governance Themes · Organisation
A programme to implement a new company-wide CRM system is underway. The Programme Manager must ensure that the new system, once delivered, is adopted effectively by the sales, marketing, and customer service departments. Which role is primarily responsible for preparing these business areas for the change and for realizing the benefits from their perspective?
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Correct answer: C
The Business Change Manager (BCM) is the role responsible for representing the interests of the business areas impacted by the programme. Their primary focus is on ensuring business readiness, managing the transition from the old way of working to the new, and ultimately ensuring that the benefits defined in the business case are realized within their area of responsibility.
- Question 4Beginner
MSP Principles · Learning from experience
The MSP principle 'Learning from experience' is applied throughout the programme lifecycle. What is the MOST important outcome of applying this principle?
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Correct answer: C
The core purpose of 'Learning from experience' is not just to document the past, but to actively use that knowledge to improve current and future performance. This involves a continuous cycle of capturing, analyzing, and applying lessons to enhance decision-making and increase the likelihood of success.
- Question 5Intermediate
MSP Transformational Flow · Closing a Programme
During the 'Closing a Programme' process, several key activities must be completed to ensure an orderly shutdown. Which of the following activities is fundamental to this process?
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Correct answer: B
A key part of closing a programme is formally assessing what has been achieved against the blueprint and business case. Since many benefits are realized after the programme concludes, it's crucial to establish and hand over a plan for ongoing benefits reviews to ensure the value is tracked and measured long-term.
- Question 6Intermediate
MSP Governance Themes · Blueprint Design and Delivery
A programme's Blueprint describes the future state of the organization's processes, systems, organization, and technology (POT). Which MSP governance theme is MOST directly responsible for defining and maintaining this Blueprint?
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Correct answer: C
The 'Blueprint Design and Delivery' theme is explicitly focused on creating a detailed model of the organization's future state after the programme is complete. It translates the high-level Vision into a tangible description of the new capabilities (POT) that the programme must deliver.
- Question 7Advanced
MSP Principles · Designing and delivering a coherent capability
A university is running a programme to create a new 'Digital Campus' experience for students, involving projects for a new student portal, online course delivery, and virtual library services. The Programme Manager is struggling to coordinate the interdependencies between these projects. Applying the MSP principle 'Designing and delivering a coherent capability' would help the Programme Manager to:
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Correct answer: B
This principle emphasizes that a programme's value comes from integrating the outputs of its projects to create a new, holistic capability. For the 'Digital Campus', this means ensuring the portal, online courses, and library services work together seamlessly. The principle guides the Programme Manager to actively manage the integration points and dependencies to deliver a unified and effective solution.
- Question 8IntermediateSelect 2
MSP Governance Themes · Business Case
The 'Business Case' is a living document within an MSP programme. Which TWO of the following events would most likely trigger a formal review and potential update of the programme's Business Case? (Select TWO)
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Correct answers: B, C
The end of a tranche is a major decision point where the programme's continued viability is assessed before committing resources to the next tranche. This always requires a review of the business case.
Since a programme must remain aligned with corporate strategy, any significant change to that strategy necessitates a review of the business case to ensure the programme is still relevant and justified.
- Question 9Beginner
MSP Transformational Flow · Managing the Tranches
True or False: In MSP, a 'tranche' is a group of projects and other work that are grouped together to deliver a step-change in capability and realize measurable benefits.
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Correct answer: A
This statement is true. A tranche is a core concept in MSP for structuring a programme. It represents a significant delivery stage, providing a focus for investment decisions and benefits realization at key points in the programme lifecycle.
- Question 10Intermediate
MSP Governance Themes · Vision
A government agency is implementing a new digital identity system for citizens. The programme has a clear vision: 'Secure and simple digital access to all government services for every citizen.' The Programme Manager is developing the communication plan. According to the 'Vision' governance theme, what is the primary purpose of continuously communicating this vision?
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Correct answer: D
The Vision is not just a statement; it's a critical tool for leadership and governance. Continuously communicating it ensures that all stakeholders, from the Sponsoring Group to the project teams, remain aligned and motivated. It serves as a guiding star, helping to resolve conflicts and steer decisions in a consistent direction toward the desired future state.
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