A district health office is planning a new vaccination campaign. The planner wants a network diagram in which activity durations are uncertain and expressed as optimistic, most likely and pessimistic time estimates, allowing calculation of probability of completion by a target date. Which project management tool fits this requirement?
- A Critical Path Method (CPM)
- B Gantt chart
- C Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) ✓
- D Zero-based budgeting
Correct answer: C. Programme Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)
Explanation
PERT is event oriented and uses probabilistic time estimates, taking an expected duration from optimistic, most likely and pessimistic estimates, which permits probability calculations for completion time. CPM is activity oriented, uses single deterministic time estimates, and suits repetitive projects with well known durations. A Gantt chart shows activities against a calendar but has no probabilistic time model, and zero-based budgeting is a budgeting method rather than a scheduling network.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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