WGU E061 Strategic Project Management
and Decision Making OA Master Study
Guide | Comprehensive Notes, Decision-
Making Frameworks, Formulas & Scenario
Review | 2026 Updated.
WGU describes E061 – Strategic Project Management and Decision Making as developing
three closely connected capabilities: aligning projects and project approaches with organizational
strategy, making informed analytical decisions while working within constraints, and evaluating
complex project situations to identify efficient and effective courses of action. WGU’s B.S.
Project Management program is also designed around PMI-aligned project management
knowledge. (Western Governors University)
Alignment note: WGU does not publicly publish the complete internal E061 OA question bank
or detailed assessment blueprint. Therefore, the guide below is aligned to WGU’s published
E061 competencies and the strategic project-management concepts those competencies require
rather than claiming to reproduce actual OA questions.
1. The Big Idea of E061
E061 is less about asking:
“How do I create a schedule?”
and more about asking:
“Given the organization's strategy, constraints, risks, stakeholders, and available alternatives,
what should the project manager recommend?”
Think of the course as the transition from managing a project operationally to managing
projects strategically.
A project can technically meet its:
scope,
, schedule,
budget,
and quality requirements
and still be a poor strategic investment.
For example, suppose a company successfully completes a $3 million software project on time
and on budget. Six months later, the company's strategy changes and the software no longer
supports its target market. From a traditional execution perspective, the project succeeded. From
a strategic project management perspective, its value is questionable.
PMI similarly emphasizes that successful project management must connect project outcomes
with organizational strategy and business value rather than treating schedule and budget
performance as the only measures of success. (Project Management Institute)
2. Tactical Project Management vs. Strategic
Project Management
This distinction is fundamental.
Tactical Project Management Strategic Project Management
“Are we doing the project correctly?” “Are we doing the correct project?”
Focuses on execution Focuses on organizational value
Scope Strategic objectives
Schedule Business timing
Cost Investment value
Deliverables Outcomes and benefits
Team productivity Organizational capability
Issue resolution Long-term implications
Project success Business success
A tactical PM might ask:
How can we finish the project two weeks earlier?
A strategic PM asks:
Would spending another $80,000 to finish two weeks earlier create enough business value
to justify the cost?
,That second type of reasoning is central to E061.
3. Organizational Strategy
What is strategy?
Organizational strategy describes how an organization intends to achieve its long-term mission,
goals, and competitive objectives.
Typical strategic objectives include:
increasing market share,
reducing operating costs,
improving customer experience,
entering a new market,
improving regulatory compliance,
increasing innovation,
increasing profitability,
improving operational efficiency,
improving sustainability,
reducing organizational risk.
Projects are mechanisms through which strategy is implemented.
Strategic hierarchy
Think:
Mission → Vision → Strategy → Strategic Objectives → Portfolio → Programs → Projects
→ Deliverables → Outcomes → Benefits → Value
Example:
Mission: Provide accessible healthcare.
↓
Strategic objective: Increase access to rural patients by 30%.
↓
Program: Digital healthcare expansion.
, ↓
Project: Implement telemedicine platform.
↓
Output: Working telemedicine system.
↓
Outcome: Patients can attend appointments remotely.
↓
Benefit: More rural patients receive treatment.
↓
Value: Greater access, revenue, and mission achievement.
4. Strategic Alignment
Strategic alignment means ensuring that project investments, decisions, resources, and
outcomes support organizational objectives.
PMI describes project portfolio management as an important bridge between organizational
strategy and project execution. Projects should be selected and prioritized according to their
contribution to strategic objectives rather than simply because someone wants them completed.
(Project Management Institute)
Questions to ask when evaluating strategic alignment
Ask:
1. Which strategic objective does this project support?
2. What measurable business benefit should result?
3. Is the project still valuable under current market conditions?
4. Does it compete with more strategically important projects?
5. Are the required resources justified by the expected benefit?
6. Do key stakeholders support the initiative?
7. Does it fit organizational risk tolerance?
8. Does it create capabilities the organization needs?
9. Is the timing strategically appropriate?
and Decision Making OA Master Study
Guide | Comprehensive Notes, Decision-
Making Frameworks, Formulas & Scenario
Review | 2026 Updated.
WGU describes E061 – Strategic Project Management and Decision Making as developing
three closely connected capabilities: aligning projects and project approaches with organizational
strategy, making informed analytical decisions while working within constraints, and evaluating
complex project situations to identify efficient and effective courses of action. WGU’s B.S.
Project Management program is also designed around PMI-aligned project management
knowledge. (Western Governors University)
Alignment note: WGU does not publicly publish the complete internal E061 OA question bank
or detailed assessment blueprint. Therefore, the guide below is aligned to WGU’s published
E061 competencies and the strategic project-management concepts those competencies require
rather than claiming to reproduce actual OA questions.
1. The Big Idea of E061
E061 is less about asking:
“How do I create a schedule?”
and more about asking:
“Given the organization's strategy, constraints, risks, stakeholders, and available alternatives,
what should the project manager recommend?”
Think of the course as the transition from managing a project operationally to managing
projects strategically.
A project can technically meet its:
scope,
, schedule,
budget,
and quality requirements
and still be a poor strategic investment.
For example, suppose a company successfully completes a $3 million software project on time
and on budget. Six months later, the company's strategy changes and the software no longer
supports its target market. From a traditional execution perspective, the project succeeded. From
a strategic project management perspective, its value is questionable.
PMI similarly emphasizes that successful project management must connect project outcomes
with organizational strategy and business value rather than treating schedule and budget
performance as the only measures of success. (Project Management Institute)
2. Tactical Project Management vs. Strategic
Project Management
This distinction is fundamental.
Tactical Project Management Strategic Project Management
“Are we doing the project correctly?” “Are we doing the correct project?”
Focuses on execution Focuses on organizational value
Scope Strategic objectives
Schedule Business timing
Cost Investment value
Deliverables Outcomes and benefits
Team productivity Organizational capability
Issue resolution Long-term implications
Project success Business success
A tactical PM might ask:
How can we finish the project two weeks earlier?
A strategic PM asks:
Would spending another $80,000 to finish two weeks earlier create enough business value
to justify the cost?
,That second type of reasoning is central to E061.
3. Organizational Strategy
What is strategy?
Organizational strategy describes how an organization intends to achieve its long-term mission,
goals, and competitive objectives.
Typical strategic objectives include:
increasing market share,
reducing operating costs,
improving customer experience,
entering a new market,
improving regulatory compliance,
increasing innovation,
increasing profitability,
improving operational efficiency,
improving sustainability,
reducing organizational risk.
Projects are mechanisms through which strategy is implemented.
Strategic hierarchy
Think:
Mission → Vision → Strategy → Strategic Objectives → Portfolio → Programs → Projects
→ Deliverables → Outcomes → Benefits → Value
Example:
Mission: Provide accessible healthcare.
↓
Strategic objective: Increase access to rural patients by 30%.
↓
Program: Digital healthcare expansion.
, ↓
Project: Implement telemedicine platform.
↓
Output: Working telemedicine system.
↓
Outcome: Patients can attend appointments remotely.
↓
Benefit: More rural patients receive treatment.
↓
Value: Greater access, revenue, and mission achievement.
4. Strategic Alignment
Strategic alignment means ensuring that project investments, decisions, resources, and
outcomes support organizational objectives.
PMI describes project portfolio management as an important bridge between organizational
strategy and project execution. Projects should be selected and prioritized according to their
contribution to strategic objectives rather than simply because someone wants them completed.
(Project Management Institute)
Questions to ask when evaluating strategic alignment
Ask:
1. Which strategic objective does this project support?
2. What measurable business benefit should result?
3. Is the project still valuable under current market conditions?
4. Does it compete with more strategically important projects?
5. Are the required resources justified by the expected benefit?
6. Do key stakeholders support the initiative?
7. Does it fit organizational risk tolerance?
8. Does it create capabilities the organization needs?
9. Is the timing strategically appropriate?
