CIS-Project Portfolio Management Interview Questions

CIS-Project Portfolio Management (PPM) is a critical process for organizations to manage their projects and resources efficiently. As organizations are increasingly investing in PPM, the demand for skilled professionals in this field is growing. If you are preparing for a CIS-PPM interview, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the PPM process, tools, and best practices. In this blog, we will provide you with some common CIS-PPM interview questions that will help you prepare for your next interview.

Advanced Interview Questions

How do you prioritize and manage multiple projects within a portfolio?

In order to prioritize and manage multiple projects within a portfolio, a few key strategies can be used. One approach is to use a project prioritization matrix that considers both the strategic importance of the project and its level of complexity or risk. This can help to identify which projects should be given the highest priority and allocated the most resources. Another approach is to use a project management software or tool, such as Microsoft Project or Jira, to create a project roadmap that outlines the dependencies and critical path for each project.

This can help to ensure that resources are being used effectively and that projects are delivered on time and within budget. Additionally, regular portfolio reviews can be conducted to assess the progress of each project and make any necessary adjustments to the project plan. Communication and collaboration with all stakeholders are also critical to the success of managing multiple projects within a portfolio.

How do you ensure that your project portfolio aligns with the strategic objectives of your organization, and what methods do you use to communicate the portfolio’s value to stakeholders?

To ensure that the project portfolio aligns with the strategic objectives of the organization, the following steps can be taken:

1. Define Strategic Objectives: Firstly, it is crucial to define the strategic objectives of the organization. This includes identifying the organization’s vision, mission, and goals.
2. Align Projects with Strategic Objectives: Once the strategic objectives are defined, the next step is to align the projects in the portfolio with these objectives. This can be done by evaluating each project’s alignment with the objectives and identifying any gaps.
3. Prioritize Projects: After aligning the projects with the strategic objectives, it is important to prioritize the projects based on their impact on the objectives.
4. Monitor and Adjust: The project portfolio should be continuously monitored and adjusted as needed to ensure that it remains aligned with the strategic objectives.

To communicate the portfolio’s value to stakeholders, the following methods can be used:

1. Executive Summaries: Executive summaries provide a high-level overview of the portfolio and its value proposition.
2. Presentations: Presentations can be used to communicate the portfolio’s value to stakeholders, including senior management, project sponsors, and project teams.
3. Reports: Reports can be used to provide detailed information on the portfolio’s performance, including key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics.
4. Dashboards: Dashboards provide an at-a-glance view of the portfolio’s performance and can be used to communicate progress towards strategic objectives.
5. Meetings: Meetings can be used to review the portfolio’s performance, discuss issues and opportunities, and make decisions on portfolio priorities and resource allocation.

What is your experience with vendor management in project portfolio management? How do you manage relationships with vendors and ensure that they deliver on their commitments?

In project portfolio management, vendor management plays a critical role in ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to the required quality standards. My experience with vendor management includes the following:

1. Vendor Selection: Identifying and selecting the right vendors for a project is crucial. This involves evaluating the vendor’s capabilities, reputation, pricing, and other factors.
2. Contract Negotiation: Once a vendor is selected, the next step is to negotiate a contract that defines the scope of work, timelines, deliverables, and payment terms.
3. Performance Monitoring: It is important to monitor vendor performance regularly to ensure that they are meeting their commitments. This can be done through regular status meetings, progress reports, and performance metrics.
4. Issue Resolution: When issues arise, it is important to work with the vendor to resolve them quickly and effectively.
5. Relationship Building: Building strong relationships with vendors is essential for successful project delivery. This involves regular communication, collaboration, and building trust.

To ensure that vendors deliver on their commitments, I use the following methods:

1. Clear Expectations: Ensure that vendors understand the project’s goals, timelines, and quality standards.
2. Performance Metrics: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics to measure vendor performance and hold them accountable.
3. Escalation Process: Establish an escalation process to address issues quickly and effectively.
4. Regular Communication: Maintain regular communication with vendors to ensure that issues are addressed promptly and expectations are met.
5. Contractual Obligations: Ensure that the vendor’s contractual obligations are clearly defined and enforced.

Can you explain your experience with project portfolio management methodologies?

I have experience with several project portfolio management methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall, and Scrum. Agile is a flexible and iterative methodology that allows for continuous improvement and adaptation to changing requirements. Waterfall is a more structured and linear methodology, where progress flows in one direction through a series of distinct stages. Scrum is an Agile framework that is commonly used for managing software development projects.

In terms of prioritizing and managing multiple projects within a portfolio, I would use a combination of tools and techniques, such as project charter, resource allocation matrix, project prioritization matrix and project management software to ensure that projects are aligned with the organization’s strategic goals, and that resources are allocated effectively.

I would also use risk management techniques to identify and mitigate potential issues that could impact the portfolio, and regular portfolio reviews to monitor progress and make adjustments as needed. Communication and stakeholder management are also essential to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the portfolio’s status and are able to provide input and feedback.

How do you ensure project portfolio alignment with organizational goals and objectives?

Ensuring project portfolio alignment with organizational goals and objectives involves several key steps:

1. Clearly defining and communicating the organization’s goals and objectives to all stakeholders involved in the project portfolio.
2. Identifying and selecting projects that align with the organization’s goals and objectives, and prioritizing them accordingly.
3. Continuously monitoring and assessing the progress of the projects in the portfolio and making adjustments as needed to ensure they remain aligned with the organization’s goals and objectives.
4. Communicating the progress and alignment of the portfolio to relevant stakeholders, including upper management, to ensure they are aware of the portfolio’s alignment with organizational goals.
5. Regularly reviewing and updating the organization’s goals and objectives and ensuring that the project portfolio is aligned with the updated goals.
6. Utilizing project portfolio management tools and software to help manage, monitor and align projects with organizational goals.
7. Establishing a governance structure that ensures that all stakeholders, including upper management, are involved in the project portfolio management process and that the portfolio is aligned with organizational goals and objectives.

Can you walk me through a recent project portfolio management implementation you led?

A recent project portfolio management implementation I can walk you through would involve the following steps:

1. Defining the organizational goals and objectives: The first step would be to clearly define the organization’s goals and objectives, and align them with the project portfolio management strategy.
2. Identifying and selecting the projects: The next step would be to identify and select the projects that will be included in the portfolio. This would involve evaluating each project based on its alignment with the organizational goals and objectives, as well as its potential impact and return on investment.
3. Establishing a project portfolio management process: Once the projects have been selected, the next step would be to establish a project portfolio management process. This would involve defining the roles and responsibilities of the project portfolio management team, as well as the tools and methods that will be used to manage and monitor the portfolio.
4. Executing and monitoring the portfolio: The final step would be to execute and monitor the portfolio, ensuring that each project is progressing as planned and that the portfolio as a whole is aligned with the organizational goals and objectives. This would involve regular reviews and reporting, as well as monitoring key performance indicators to ensure that the portfolio is delivering the desired results.
5. Continuously review, adjust and optimize: Continuously reviewing, adjusting and optimizing the portfolio as per the changing business needs and objectives.

It’s important to note that this is a high level example and the specifics of the implementation will vary depending on the organization, its goals and projects.

Can you describe a time when you had to make a difficult decision regarding a project in your portfolio? How did you handle it?

In my previous role as a Project Portfolio Manager, I had to make a difficult decision regarding a large-scale project in our portfolio. The project had been underway for several months and had already incurred significant costs, but the project team was struggling to deliver the expected outcomes on time and within budget.

After analyzing the project status, risks, and financial impact, I determined that the project was unlikely to achieve the desired outcomes within the original timeline and budget. The difficult decision was to recommend that the project be terminated.

To handle this situation, I followed the following steps:

1. Analyzed the Situation: I conducted a thorough analysis of the project status, risks, and financial impact to fully understand the situation.
2. Consulted with Stakeholders: I consulted with project stakeholders, including the project sponsor, to understand their perspectives and gather input.
3. Developed a Plan: Based on the analysis and stakeholder input, I developed a plan to terminate the project and minimize the impact on the organization.
4. Communicated the Decision: I communicated the decision to all stakeholders, including the project team and sponsors, and explained the reasons for the decision.
5. Executed the Plan: I executed the plan, which involved completing any outstanding work, closing contracts with vendors, and transitioning resources to other projects.
6. Evaluated the Outcome: After the project was terminated, I evaluated the outcome to identify any lessons learned and determine how to improve future project selection and management.

This was a difficult decision, but it was the right one for the organization. By taking a data-driven approach and involving stakeholders in the decision-making process, I was able to manage the situation effectively and minimize the impact on the organization.

How do you handle project portfolio changes and adjustments during the project lifecycle?

Handling project portfolio changes and adjustments during the project lifecycle can be done by following these steps:

1. Identify the change: The first step is to identify the change that needs to be made to the project portfolio. This can be done by reviewing project status reports, talking to project team members, or by conducting a project review meeting.
2. Assess the impact: Once the change has been identified, it’s important to assess the impact that the change will have on the project portfolio. This includes evaluating the impact on project timelines, budgets, and resources.
3. Review the change request: The change request should be reviewed by the project sponsor, project manager, and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that it is feasible and aligns with the overall project portfolio objectives.
4. Implement the change: Once the change has been approved, it should be implemented in a controlled manner. This includes updating project plans, timelines, and budgets to reflect the change, as well as communicating the change to all relevant parties.
5. Monitor and evaluate: The final step is to monitor and evaluate the impact of the change on the project portfolio. This includes tracking progress and measuring performance against project portfolio objectives to ensure that the change has had the desired impact.

It’s important to have an effective change management process in place to ensure that changes are handled in a controlled and efficient manner, and that they align with the overall project portfolio objectives.

Can you explain how you measure and report on project portfolio performance?

Measuring and reporting on project portfolio performance involves evaluating the overall performance of the portfolio against its goals and objectives. This can be done by using various metrics such as return on investment (ROI), cost and schedule variance, and project completion rate. To gather this data, I would use tools such as project management software, financial management systems, and performance metrics dashboards.

Once the data is collected, it is important to analyze it and report on the findings in a clear and concise manner. This could include creating performance reports, charts, and graphs to visually represent the data. Additionally, it would be important to hold regular meetings with stakeholders to review the portfolio performance, discuss any issues or concerns, and make adjustments as needed.

It’s also important to continuously monitor and track the portfolio performance over time to identify trends and potential areas for improvement, and to make adjustments as needed to ensure the portfolio continues to align with organizational goals and objectives.

What is your approach to risk management in project portfolio management? How do you identify, assess, and mitigate risks across your portfolio?

In my approach to risk management in project portfolio management, I follow a structured process that involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks across the portfolio. Here’s an overview of my approach:

1. Risk Identification: The first step is to identify potential risks. This can be done by reviewing project plans, identifying project dependencies, and reviewing historical data to identify common risks.
2. Risk Assessment: Once risks have been identified, the next step is to assess their potential impact on the portfolio. I use a risk assessment matrix to evaluate the likelihood and severity of each risk and determine its overall risk level.
3. Risk Prioritization: Based on the assessment, risks are then prioritized based on their level of impact and likelihood of occurrence. High-priority risks are given more attention and resources in the risk management plan.
4. Risk Mitigation: After identifying and prioritizing risks, I develop and implement risk mitigation strategies to reduce the likelihood or impact of the risk. This can include developing contingency plans, creating risk response teams, or altering project plans to minimize the risk.
5. Risk Monitoring: Risk management is an ongoing process, and risks must be continuously monitored to ensure that they are being effectively managed. I use a risk register to track risks and their mitigation strategies, and regularly review and update the register as needed.
6. Communication: Effective risk management requires clear communication with stakeholders. I regularly communicate with project teams, sponsors, and other stakeholders to ensure that they are aware of the risks and mitigation strategies.

How do you communicate project portfolio status and progress to stakeholders?

To communicate project portfolio status and progress to stakeholders, I would typically use a combination of methods. Some examples include:

1. Regular status reports: This would include a summary of progress on each project within the portfolio, as well as any issues or risks that have been identified. These reports can be sent out on a regular basis (e.g. weekly or monthly) and should be tailored to the specific needs of each stakeholder group.
2. Project dashboard: This is an online tool that provides real-time information on the status of each project within the portfolio. It can be accessed by stakeholders at any time and should include key metrics such as project progress, budget, and resource utilization.
3. Meetings: Regular meetings with stakeholders can provide an opportunity to discuss project portfolio status and progress in more detail. This can include face-to-face meetings, conference calls, or video conferences.
4. Email communication and automated notifications: Automated notifications can be set up to alert stakeholders of any changes, delays or issues with the projects, this way stakeholders can be informed and updated on the progress of the project portfolio.

Overall, it’s important to use a combination of methods to ensure that stakeholders are kept informed and up-to-date on project portfolio status and progress, and that communication is timely, accurate, and relevant.

Can you explain your experience with project portfolio management tools and software?

• I have experience with a variety of project portfolio management tools and software, such as Microsoft Project, CA PPM, and JIRA. These tools allow me to effectively plan and schedule projects, assign resources, track progress and budget, and analyze portfolio performance.
• Additionally, I can use data and reports generated by these tools to communicate project portfolio status and progress to stakeholders.
• I am familiar with agile methodologies and have experience in using tools such as Trello, Asana, and Aha! to manage and track project progress.
• Furthermore, I am familiar with data visualization tools like Tableau and Power BI to generate portfolio performance reports and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics.

How do you manage project portfolio risks and issues?

To manage project portfolio risks and issues, a systematic approach is required. This includes identifying potential risks and issues, assessing their likelihood and impact, developing mitigation and contingency plans, implementing the plans, and monitoring progress and effectiveness.

One approach to risk management is to establish a risk register for the portfolio, which captures all identified risks and issues, along with their details, likelihood, impact, and planned actions. The portfolio manager can then prioritize and assign ownership of the risks and issues, and ensure that they are being addressed in a timely manner.

Another approach is to establish a process for regular risk reviews and assessments, where portfolio managers, project managers, and relevant stakeholders review and update the risk register. This allows for continuous monitoring and management of risks and issues, and enables timely identification and response to new or emerging risks.

Overall, it is important to have clear communication and collaboration among all stakeholders to ensure that risks and issues are effectively identified, assessed, and managed.

Can you explain how you implement and maintain project portfolio governance?

Implementing and maintaining project portfolio governance involves establishing a set of policies, procedures, and standards that govern the management and execution of projects within the portfolio. This includes defining roles and responsibilities, setting up decision-making processes, and creating a system for tracking and reporting on portfolio performance.

• To implement governance, I would start by working with key stakeholders to understand their needs and priorities, and then use that information to develop a governance framework that aligns with the organization’s goals and objectives. This framework would include clear guidelines for project selection, prioritization, and execution, as well as a system for monitoring and controlling project performance.
• To maintain governance, I would establish regular review and audit processes to ensure that the framework is being followed and make adjustments as needed.
• Additionally, I would work to ensure that all stakeholders are aware of and understand the governance framework, and actively engage them in the decision-making processes.

Basic Interview Questions

1.What is a Technology Portfolio, and what does it entail?

In the Technology Portfolio, you can see how many hardware and software models are related to your business applications. You may also keep track of how many of these models are in jeopardy.

2. What Table Administration modules are available?

• Tables module: Displays a list of all database tables.
• Tables & Columns module: Displays a list of all tables in the database, together with their columns, column attributes, and indexes.
• Schema map: Shows the relationships between tables in a graphical format.
• Tables in the data dictionary store additional information that defines database components.

3. What is the definition of a table?

A database table is a collection of records. Each field on a record corresponds to a column in that table, and each record corresponds to a row in that table.

4. What is Domain Separation and how does it work?

Domain separation allows you to organize your data, processes, and administrative responsibilities into logical domains.

5. What is the meaning of NTLM authentication?

NTLM is the most complicated of the authentication protocols that a basic web server like HttpClient can implement. It’s a Microsoft-developed proprietary protocol with no publicly publish specifications. For NTLM authentication, an instance of NTCredentials must be available for the server’s domain name or default credentials. Because NTLM does not employ the concept of realms, HttpClient uses the server’s domain name as the realm name.

6. What are the advantages of CSDM?

You can utilize the CSDM to map your IT services to the ServiceNow platform as a blueprint. The CSDM is a CMDB-base architecture that determines where data for your products should be store. In addition, all ServiceNow products that use the CMDB must use the CSDM. Following the CSDM framework ensures that the data required by your ServiceNow application is accurately map to the appropriate CMDB tables.

7. What is the definition of a request Catalog?

A Request Catalog is a set of commercial and technical products, services, service commitment alternatives, and offerings that you can use to make a request.

8. What do catalog items entail?

A catalog item is something you may order from the catalog, such as a product or a service. Multiple catalog items can be found in a single service. Items from the catalog are posted on the service portal and are available to those who require them. Each catalog item corresponds to a certain service offering.

9. What are the CSDM components?

The CMDB data model, which includes the following components, is use for the majority of the CSDM:

• Business capability
• Business application
• Information object
• Application service
• Service
• Service offering

10. What are the different types of certification tasks?

The work of confirming the data connected with a certain record is referred to as a certification task. Task owners are in charge of completing certification tasks. Tasks have a workflow connected with them that sends periodic reminders to the task owner and, if necessary, the task owner’s manager.

11. What is the Incident Management Process’ KPIs?

The number of times an incident is transmitted to different teams is one of the KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) of the Incident Management process. It also aids in the analysis of incidents based on the classification in order to perform proactive Problem Management, which in turn aids in the reduction of incidents. It is critical to classify incidents correctly in order to identify and prioritize which incidents should be addressed first.

12. What are the various asset management objectives?

Asset management techniques have a common set of objectives.

• Control the amount of inventory that is bought and used.
• Reduce the cost of asset acquisition and management.
• Choose the right tools for asset management.
• From asset planning to asset disposal, manage the asset life cycle.
• Ensure that all necessary standards and regulations are followed.
• End-user IT service should be improve.
• Establish asset management standards and procedures.

13. What is the total number of traits in Consumables?

There are three types of consumables:

• Identical location
• In the same state
• Consumed by the same asset, usually as components or accessories

14. What are the different stages in the lifecycle of a consumable?

The stages of the consumable lifespan are as follows:

• On order
• In stock
• In transit
• Consumed
• In maintenance
• Retired
• Missing

15. What are Benchmark Applications and what do they do?

The ServiceNow® Benchmarks tool gives you real-time visibility into your key performance indicators (KPIs) and trends, as well as comparisons to industry averages. You can compare your company’s performance to industry standards, view a side-by-side comparison of performance to worldwide benchmarks, and apply recommendations for better results.

16. What is the CIM Application in CIS-Project Portfolio Management?

To meet performance targets, track progress, and assess success, the ServiceNow® Continual Improvement Management (CIM) platform is use to request improvement opportunities and implement phases and tasks.
An improvement initiative consists of the following components:

• Goals for determining success
• Work effort is organised into phases.
• Tasks that must be completed in a precise order

17. What are expense lines and How do I use them?

Expense lines allow you to keep track of costs and reflect when an expense occurs at a specific moment in time. Expense lines can be manually enter or produce automatically when recurring costs are processed. They work well with asset management, CMDB, cost management, and contract management, but they can also be utilized with other applications.

18. What is Incident Communications Management use for in CIS-Project Portfolio Management?

Incident Communications Management (ICM) is a tool that is use to manage incidents.

• When a crisis strikes, create an incident communication strategy.
• Establish contact responsibilities to designate the people who will be notified automatically when incident communication plans are prepared=.
• To improve communication when coping with the crisis, manage incident communication strategies.
• Use the optional Notify function to send SMS and voice mail notifications, as well as to set up conference calls.
• The incident communication plan dashboard and reports can be use to keep track of events and outcomes.

19. What do you mean by “Application Services”?

An application service is a collection of network apps and hosts that are put up to provide a service to a company. Application services might be internal, such as an organization’s email system, or external, such as a company’s website. An application service is a collection of network apps and hosts that are put up to provide a service to a company. Application services might be internal, such as an organization’s email system, or external, such as a company’s website.

20. What is the Process of Service Mapping?

Service Mapping detects application services and populates them with the application and host CIs that are detect. If Service Mapping is enable, an application service can include both manually added CIs and CIs found by Service Mapping. It also develops and updates application services in the CMDB by talking with individual CIs and finding links between them, as well as storing information about identified CIs and relationships.

21. What are the advantages of filling in knowledge gaps?

The following are some of the advantages of knowledge gaps:

• Self-service customers receive more realevant information for research, troubleshooting, and how-to queries, resulting in improved self-service efficacy.
• Increase the number of instances or incidents that are resolve: Having relevant information on hand will help you avoid future problems.
• Improved case resolution: Agents will be able to locate more relevant knowledge articles to help them address cases, occurrences, and difficulties.

22. What exactly is a MID Server?

The Management, Instrumentation, and Discovery (MID) Server is a Java application that runs on a server in your local network as a Windows service or UNIX daemon. The MID Server connects a ServiceNow instance to external applications, data sources, and services, allowing data to flow between them.

23. In the Completion Indidcator, what are the categories for each circle?

• An empty circle indicates that the task has not yet begun.
• A circle with a lock indicates that the feature is not active. You can observe but not do the setup tasks.
• The percentage of tasks that have been complete is shown by the partial blue border.
• Activity tasks were skip, as indicate by the circle with curve arrow.

24. What exactly do you mean when you say “business capability”?

Business capability refers to an organization’s ability to successfully do business and achieve its objectives. The business capability mapping is use to create a CI link between a business capability and its associated business applications.

25. What is the Demand Management Application?

The Demand Management app includes tools for recording, centralising, and evaluating strategic and operational needs. It also gives you a central spot to manage all of your demand data.

26. What kinds of things can you do with PPM?

• Determine the total cost requirements for all portfolio demands and initiatives.
• Determine resource needs and keep track of costs for demands and projects.
• Track actual amounts spent compared to an approved budget

27. What are the benefits of using Rate Models?

For estimating planned and actual resource costs for a project or demand, you utilise a rate model to create date-effective, criteria-driven hourly rates. You can establish different rates of a certain resource, group, or job during different periods by using a rate model.

28. What are Rtae Lines and How Do I Use Them?

A rate model is made up of several rate lines. For a certain date range, a rate line is a unique combination of different criteria values that specifies the hourly rate for a resource, group, or job. If the dates do not overlap, you can build numerous rate lines for the same set of criteria with different rates for separate date spans.

29. What can Investment Funding Features be use for?

The Investment Funding features can be use to perform the following:

• Make investments for companies.
• Allocate funds to an investment in order to achieve a company need or a strategic goal.
• To fulfil company objectives, seek cash from one or more financial sources.

30. What are the benefits of separating the investment and the investment entity?

The following are some of the benefits of keeping the investment and investment entity separate:

• The money is separate from your work activity.
• Until the investment goals are satisfied, you can finance the same organisation for different periods.

Final Words: CIS-Project Portfolio Management Interview Questions

In conclusion, project portfolio management is an essential component of any organization’s success. Effective management of a portfolio of projects requires a combination of skills, knowledge, and experience, as well as a strong focus on aligning the portfolio with the organization’s strategic objectives. Through careful planning, execution, and monitoring, project portfolio managers can ensure that their organizations are delivering projects that drive value and growth.

During the interview process for a CIS-Project Portfolio Management role, candidates may be asked a range of questions, from basic to advanced. It’s important to be prepared to discuss your experience and expertise in areas such as risk management, vendor management, project prioritization, and stakeholder communication. By demonstrating your knowledge and skills in these areas, you can position yourself as a strong candidate for the role.

Remember, the key to success in project portfolio management is to stay organized, stay focused on the big picture, and remain flexible and adaptable in the face of change. With the right skills and mindset, you can help drive success for your organization through effective project portfolio management.