PMP Test - Yellow
A project manager is working on a deployment project to replace some equipment that will soon become obsolete. A review of the schedule and cost has revealed that a 5-month delay is likely. How should the project manager address risks from the delay? A.Analyze the business impact in order to reprioritize the deliverables. B.Request to negotiate with the vendors for a longer support period. C.Ask to order new equipment immediately so there will be no support issue. D.Acknowledge these constraints and take them into account when planning.
A. Analyze the business impact in order to reprioritize the deliverables The correct answer is to analyze the business impact in order to reprioritize the deliverables.In order to address the risks related to the delay, they must first be analyzed. An analysis must be done to determine the impact of the risks in order to plan appropriate responses. The project manager must evaluate the importance of each risk in order to categorize and prioritize individual risks for further attention. The other answer choices are incorrect because they are reactionary and do not fully address risks from the delay. They also do not address the impact that the risks may have on the project, the organization, or previously identified risks.
An organization makes an acquisition of a similar product halfway through the development cycle of a potential product. This might create an overlap in the product portfolio. What should the project manager do next? A.Assess the feasibility and viability of the project with the product owner. B.Continue to develop the product for the benefit of the organization. C.Discuss the potential impact of the acquisition with team members. D.Halt the project until a clear path emerges for the product roadmap.
A. Assess the feasibility and viability of the project with the product owner. The project manager should assess the impact of the new acquisition and determine the next steps with the product owner. This would ensure that expectations are aligned. The other answer choices are incorrect. Continuing with the product development or halting the work is not reasonable, since the action may result in a waste of effort or time if the organization's intentions are not aligned. Discussing the potential impact is valid, but is not the next step. The discussion should be with the product owner first. The team members may join the discussion later for the impact analysis.
A stakeholder complains that a product component is not easy to use. What should be the immediate next step for the project manager? A.Check if the component meets the design and performance specifications. B.Collaborate with the stakeholder to confirm the acceptance criteria for the product. C.Ask a user experience expert to meet with the stakeholder and explain the component design. D.Raise a change request according to the stakeholder's requirement concerns.
A. Check if the component meets the design and performance specifications. The immediate next step for the project manager is to check if the component meets the design and performance specifications. It is important that the project manager discovers the root cause of the problem before moving forward. This will help the project manager determine if the issue is with the component or a user experience issue. The other answer options should not be the next immediate step. Without knowing the root cause of the issue, the project manager can not confidently discern how to address it.Clarifying the product acceptance criteria or asking a user experience expert to explain the component design to the stakeholder may not resolve the issue depending on the findings during the initial investigation. Raising a change request may be necessary if the component does not meet the design and performance specifications, but is a premature action at this point.
During sprint planning, an agile team and product owner identified that the team should be able to finish five user stories. However, during the sprint, the team worked on more than five stories but did not complete any stories at all. What should the project manager do? A.Clarify priorities with the team. B.Create smaller stories in the future. C.Review the definition of done (DoD). D.Update the product release plan.
A. Clarify priorities with the team. In this situation, the project manager should clarify priorities with the team. Prioritizing stories is important because it helps the team focus on delivering the most valuable features first. The team expected to have the capacity to complete five user stories, but they took on extra stories and failed to complete any stories at all. There is always some risk that user stories may fail to be completed within a sprint, but this situation indicates a misalignment between the team's understanding of priorities and the true priorities for the sprint. The other options are incorrect. Creating smaller stories and updating the release plan may be necessary, but doing so without clarifying priorities does not address nor resolve the root cause of the issue. Reviewing the DoD does not address the core issue. The DoD is a checklist of all the criteria required to be met so that a deliverable can be considered ready for customer use. The main issue is the selection and prioritization of user stories rather than a problem with the criteria for completing them.
An external stakeholder has a significant impact on the project, as they have the ability to approve or reject changes to the project scope, timeline, and budget. What approach should the project manager take with this stakeholder? A.Communicate with the stakeholder according to the stakeholder engagement and communications management plans. B.Request feedback from the stakeholder so that the project meets the stakeholder's expectations and can be delivered as planned. C.Add the stakeholder to the risk register and quantify the level of impact that the stakeholder could have on the project goals. D.Inform the stakeholder of the key project benefits and keep them updated on the project's progress and milestone achievements.
A. Communicate with the stakeholder according to the stakeholder engagement and communications management plans. Managing stakeholder engagement helps to ensure that stakeholders clearly understand the project goals, objectives, benefits, and risks for the project, as well as how their contribution will enhance project success. Effective stakeholder engagement will help to ensure that the stakeholder is kept informed of the project's progress, has the opportunity to provide feedback, and is able to raise concerns. The other options are incorrect because they are not as effective or comprehensive.
During the design phase, a project manager realizes that the project will benefit from using adaptive tools. The effectiveness of this approach has been proven in past projects inside the organization. What should the project manager do first? A.Confirm team capabilities before introducing adaptive tools and artifacts to the project. B.Contact the project sponsor and request new team members who are familiar with adaptive projects. C.Freeze the design stage and look for an external resource to run iterative design at extra cost. D.Update project documents to include adaptive tools and artifacts and plan the first iterative session.
A. Confirm team capabilities before introducing adaptive tools and artifacts to the project The project manager should first confirm team capabilities before introducing adaptive tools and artifacts to the project. The other answer choices are incorrect because they are not the first steps. Without knowing if the team has capabilities to deal with adaptive tools, the project manager may compromise some aspects of the project without the need to do so. Also, it is part of the project manager responsibilities to guarantee that the team has the necessary training to perform their roles in the project.
A project manager is leading a new implementation project with a global project team. As team members are in different geographical locations and time zones, the project manager has to decide on the most effective team engagement strategy. What is the first action the project manager should take? A.Develop a communications management plan. B.Set up daily conference calls to track work. C.Ask all team members to utilize an online task board. D.Ask team members to align their work schedules.
A. Develop a communications management plan. As the team members are in different geographical locations and time zones, it is very important that the project manager develops an effective engagement strategy first. As a result, a review of team communication requirements is needed. This is done in the communication management plan. The other answer choices are incorrect. Setting up daily conference calls or asking the team members to align their work schedules may not be possible as the team is geographically distributed. Online task boards may provide updates on the tasks, but primarily, there is always a need for engaging with stakeholders to keep the communication happening between team members.
During initial project planning, a project manager was informed that a team member had been exclusively allocated to the project. Halfway through the project, the team member was assigned to another project. What should the project manager do? A.Discuss the impacts on project delivery with the functional manager and develop an appropriate course of action. B.Register this as a risk in the risk register and implement the appropriate response. C.Ensure that team members are cross-trained on all project tasks to increase the potential value of the project outcome. D.Escalate this issue to the project sponsor to develop an appropriate course of action.
A. Discuss the impacts on project delivery with the functional manager and develop an appropriate course of action. The impact of resource reallocation/reassignment should first be discussed with the functional manager. The project manager should meet with the functional manager to discuss the reasoning behind reassigning the team member to another project, the impacts associated with the change, and potential solutions. There is no way of knowing why the team member was transferred or how to proceed. It is possible that the functional manager mistakenly thought that the team member was no longer necessary, or it could be a response to a larger issue. Without a meeting to discuss this, there is no clear way to address the issue.The other options are incorrect because they are not the most immediate or effective actions.Adding this issue to the risk register is not an appropriate action at this point and does not resolve the issue.It may not be possible or necessary to ensure that all team members are cross-trained to work on all project tasks.Escalating the issue to the project sponsor may not be necessary, so the project manager should first gain a better understanding of the issue before taking action.
An organizational transformation project has two workstreams running in parallel between corporate headquarters and an overseas office. Before kick-off, the project manager is scheduled to meet the overseas office leader. What should the focus of the meeting be? A.Informing the overseas office leader of the project's strategic value, key deliverables, and their expected involvement. B.Reaching an agreement on the choice of procurement strategies to be employed by the overseas office. C.Assisting the overseas office leader in communicating with the corporate headquarters staff about the project. D.Identifying and assigning a subject matter expert (SME) to represent the project at the overseas office.
A. Informing the overseas office leader of the project's strategic value, key deliverables, and their expected involvement. Since the meeting is scheduled before the project kickoff, it is important to set expectations with all parties involved by informing the overseas office leader about the project's strategic value, key deliverables, and expected involvement. This will help to ensure that the overseas office leader is fully informed and prepared to contribute and that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
A project manager is required to obtain approval for project requirements before proceeding to the delivery stage. During the project's execution, the project manager realizes that the initial estimates were unrealistic and the project will take much longer to complete. The project manager will have to obtain approval for more realistic project requirements. What should the project manager do to mitigate the problem and keep the project on track while waiting for approval? A.Reprioritize project deliverables to enable phased delivery in increments. B.Divide the project team into distinct units focusing on different components. C.Survey the project team to see if anyone can work overtime to meet the deadline. D.Update the schedule baseline so that it is based on realistic estimates.
A. Reprioritize project deliverables to enable phased delivery in increments. Breaking down and reprioritizing project deliverables allows the project to continue progressing while waiting for approval on more realistic requirements. Reprioritizing project deliverables allows the project manager to identify critical components and deliver tangible results, even if the overall timeline needs adjustment. This allows the team to focus on delivering high-priority features first, then gradually adding components or features based on updated, more realistic estimates. The other options are less suitable for ensuring successful project delivery. Dividing the team into separate units may not help to keep the project on track and may have an adverse effect and could complicate communication, coordination, knowledge transfer, and dependencies that could hamper productivity. Relying on team members working overtime is not a sustainable solution and may lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and potential quality issues. Updating the schedule based on more realistic estimates focuses on planning but doesn't provide a strategy for mitigating the impact of unrealistic initial estimates while keeping the project on track. The project manager will have to obtain approval for more realistic project requirements before updating the schedule.
A company has decided to utilize a diverse international team that will work virtually. This will be the first time that the team is working together. The project manager is creating a communication plan for the project. What should the project manager do in order to build an effective project communications management plan? A.Study the impact of cultural differences on communication. B.Implement a one-way email push communication method. C.Create a cloud-based resource folder for the project team. D.Appoint a skilled communications manager for the project.
A. Study the impact of cultural differences on communication. Cultural awareness is the first step in understanding the differences between individuals, groups, and organizations and adapting the project's communication strategy in the context of these differences. The project manager needs to understand the differences between the diverse cultures and communication styles of the team to avoid miscommunications and enhance effective communication. Stakeholders located in remote locations may have different time zones, speak different languages, and have different cultural norms. The other answer choices are incorrect because they do not address the potential root cause of communication issues. A push communication method is one-way and inhibits the ability to immediately gauge reaction and assess understanding. A cloud-based resource may be helpful but does not consider the impact that culture may have on communication. Appointing a skilled communications manager may not be feasible and the project manager would still have to understand the impact of cultural differences on communication.
A project has a budgeted cost of $120,000. According to the schedule, 15% of the project should have been completed after one month. After a month, only 12% of the project has actually been completed. What is the scheduled performance index (SPI)? A.0.6 B.0.8 C.0.9 D.1.25
B. 0.8 The planned value is: $120,000 * 15% = $18,000. The earned value is: $120,000 * 12% = $14,400.The SPI is equal to the earned value divided by the planned value: SPI = EV / PV = $14,400 / $18,000 = 0.8.This means that for every estimated hour of work, the project team is only completing 0.8 hours or 48 minutes.Since the SPI is less than 1 then the project is running behind schedule. If the ratio has a value higher than 1 this indicates the project is progressing well against the schedule. If the SPI is 1, then the project is progressing exactly as planned.
A customer reviewed a product and requested additional features that were not in the requirements documentation. The work-in-progress (WIP) limits have already been optimized for the teams working on different work components. How should the project manager begin to resolve the customer requirements? A.Build the product according to the previously agreed customer requirements. B.Discuss the feasibility and impact of the new features with the product owner. C.Breakdown work on additional features with existing component teams. D.Release increments of the additional features for customer validation.
B. Discuss the feasibility and impact of the new features with the product owner. The product owner is responsible for maximizing the product's value and is accountable for the end product. The project manager should discuss the feasibility and the impact of the new features with the product owner and work with them to manage expectations around adding scope, the implications to the budget, and the availability of project team members. As a result, new work can be thoroughly assessed, prioritized, and added to the product backlog as necessary. The other answer choices are incorrect. Building according to the previously agreed upon customer requirements ignores the customer's request and does not align with agile practices. The project manager should not begin breaking work down or releasing increments of the additional features for customer validation without discussing the changes with the project sponsor.
A project team has complete access to all project-related data, including visual data and information like the Gantt chart, prioritization matrix, story map, and other inputs. However, a project team member repeatedly requests more granular details on a work package than the Gantt chart indicates. The Gantt chart is confirmed to be comprehensive and current, and the other project team members feel that the current Gantt chart is sufficiently detailed. What should a project manager do to address this situation? A.Create a new communication channel with granular updates. B.Ensure that the team member understands the granular information retrieval process. C.Remind the project team member that the Gantt chart was the agreed format. D.Continue to ignore the project team members' requests.
B. Ensure that the team member understands the granular information retrieval process. Visual data and information are artifacts that organize and present data and information in a visual format, such as charts, graphs, matrices, and diagrams. Visualizing data makes it easier to absorb data and turn it into information. Visualization artifacts are often produced after data have been collected and analyzed. A Gantt chart is a bar chart that provides schedule information where activities are listed on the vertical axis, dates are shown on the horizontal axis, and activity durations are shown as horizontal bars placed according to start and finish dates. The project manager should ensure that the team member understands how to retrieve the granular update from the data as the member can self-serve. The team member should be empowered to get the level of information that they are authorized to get. The other answer choices are incorrect. Since it is only the specific project team member who wishes for more granular updates, creating a whole new communication channel for an individual may be a waste of resources. Ignoring the requests or reminding them that the team had agreed on the current reporting format of the Gantt chart would not address the situation. It may worsen the conflict with the team member who has an expectation gap not met.
A construction company is implementing a new strategic project with a fixed budget. While monitoring the project, it was discovered that the overall project cost was increasing. The project manager learns that this is because the team is using more materials than detailed in the original scope. The cause of this discrepancy is that two of the team members are new to the organization and have not been reporting the acquisition of new materials. What should the project manager have done to prevent this situation? A.Documented the risk of a materials cost deviation in the project's risk matrix. B.Provided training on the material acquisition process and reporting requirements. C.Created a contingency reserve to cover cost overages associated with materials. D.Avoided the inclusion of new engineers on a strategic project with a fixed budget.
B. Provided training on the material acquisition process and reporting requirements. To prevent the team from using more materials than detailed in the original scope, the project manager should have provided training on the material acquisition process and reporting requirements. This would ensure that all team members understand the process for acquiring new materials and help prevent discrepancies or issues with the project's budget. In this situation, the problem is that the new team members are not reporting material acquisitions, indicating that they lack sufficient awareness and understanding of the proper procedures. The other answer choices are incorrect. Documenting the risk of a materials cost deviation and creating a contingency reserve are good ideas in general, but do not prevent this situation from occurring. Avoiding the inclusion of new engineers is not a practical solution, as new team members can bring valuable skills and perspectives to the project.
A project manager is concerned about delivering the planned business value because the product owner is not engaged. What should the project manager do to address the concern? A.Review and update the communications management plan. B.Review and update the stakeholder engagement plan. C.Review and update the resource management plan. D.Review and update the risk management plan.
B. Review and update the stakeholder engagement plan. The amount and effectiveness of stakeholder engagement should be monitored throughout the project. A disengaged product owner can cause negative impacts and diminish the probability of achieving intended outcomes. The project manager should review the stakeholder engagement plan and assess whether the current engagement strategy is effective or if it needs to be adjusted. Once the project manager has reviewed the stakeholder engagement plan, they can determine the root cause of the issue and make adjustments to increase engagement. The other options are incorrect. The communications management, resource management, and risk management plans are not as effective in addressing the issue of disengagement.
A project manager is working on a project to modernize a bank's information technology (IT) infrastructure. The project manager recently received approval of the project's change management plan from the project sponsor. The project sponsor now requests that the project manager implement a new piece of technology in the solution. What should the project manager do next? A.Add the new technology as a risk in the risk register. B.Submit a change request to the change control board (CCB). C.Update the schedule and cost baselines with the new technology. D.Request the project sponsor to procure the new technology.
B. Submit a change request to the change control board (CCB) When there's a proposed change to a project, such as implementing a new piece of technology, the change should be formally documented, evaluated, and approved or rejected through a change control process. The project manager should submit a change request to the CCB, which will then decide whether to approve or reject the change based on its impact on project objectives. The other options are incorrect because they do not align with the standard project management practice of addressing scope changes through a formal change control process. Adding the new technology to the risk register is incorrect because it is not the immediate action to take when the project sponsor requests to implement a new piece of technology. Before updating any baselines, the proposed change should go through the change control process. The project manager would only update the appropriate project management plan components if the change is approved. Taking steps to procure the new technology should not be the immediate next step. The change request needs to be submitted and approved before any action is taken toward implementing the new technology.
During the testing phase of a technical project, the project manager discovers some issues with the final product and subsequently learns that after negotiations, important product features were excluded from the contract's scope in an effort to minimize costs for the client. What should the project manager do to resolve the issue? A.Escalate the issue to the sponsor to make a decision to redefine the scope and solve the problem. B.Work with the client to negotiate and ensure the inclusion of the missing crucial features in the project. C.Continue with the project as planned and register the contract scope issue in the issue log. D.Review the lessons learned to find a solution for contract negotiation and scope issues.
B. Work with the client to negotiate and ensure the inclusion of the missing crucial features in the project. In this case, the project manager has discovered a deficiency in the scope and needs to remedy it, which includes informing the client and negotiating a strategy for the client to deliver the product with the important features. Negotiating with the client to include the missing features is a proactive and collaborative approach to resolving the problem. The other answer choices are incorrect. Escalating the issue to the sponsor is not the best course of action at this stage, as the project manager should take a more proactive approach before escalating the issue. Adding the issue to the issue log and reviewing the lessons learned will not solve the problem. Continuing with the project as planned will likely lead to dissatisfied customers and additional costs down the road.
A project manager has a new project. The work breakdown structure (WBS) and sequence of activities have been defined, but the team has difficulty estimating the duration of each activity. Which approach should the project manager take to ensure the estimates are reliable? A.Ask each team member to estimate the duration of each activity. B.Consider the project schedule constraints and estimate the activities accordingly. C.Access performance records of similar, past projects and use them as a reference. D.Consult other project managers for the duration estimate of each activity.
C. Access performance records of similar, past projects and use them as a reference Making all your members estimate each activity will not be effective unless all your members are expert. It will not be a reliable approach to do bottom-up estimation as well. The best approach is to check with the PMO records of past similar projects and use them as reference.
A new program manager checks the status of a project. The forecast shows the project is slightly behind schedule. However, in reporting, the project manager stated that the project is on track. The program manager asks the project manager to explain the discrepancy. The project manager explains that the forecast discrepancy is due to a new estimation technique. What should the project manager have done to avoid this discrepancy? A.Asked the program manager to use the old forecasting technique B.Educated the program manager on the new forecasting technique C.Aligned the project artifacts with the new estimation technique and provided them to the program manager D.Ensured that the program manager has the necessary knowledge to understand estimation techniques
C. Aligned the project artifacts with the new estimation technique and provided them to the program manager In this case, the project manager used a new forecasting technique but did not update the basis of forecasting. Thus the discrepancy between the project manager's and the new program manager's understanding of the forecast. The project manager should have aligned the project artifacts with the new estimation technique and provided them to the program manager. This would have ensured that the program manager had access to the updated project artifacts reflecting the new estimation technique. This would have provided accurate and consistent information for the program manager to assess the project's status. The other answer choices are incorrect. Reverting to the old forecasting technique, educating the program manager on the new forecasting technique, and ensuring the program manager's knowledge may not address the discrepancy caused by the use of a new estimation technique.
In the most recent sprint review meeting, the client announced that they need to implement two of the five modules committed for the project in a few weeks. What should the project manager do? A.Conduct a brainstorming meeting. B.Employ the nominal group technique. C.Conduct a release plan meeting. D.Use prototypes to refine the design.
C. Conduct a release plan meeting. Release planning meetings identify a high-level plan for releasing or transitioning a product, deliverable, or increment of value. The project manager should conduct a release plan meeting to discuss the upcoming release and create a plan for delivering it. This would allow them to re-prioritize the work to deliver the two modules first. Conducting a brainstorming meeting, employing the nominal group technique, or using prototypes, can be valuable tools in different contexts but do not directly address the client's immediate request to reprioritize and plan for the delivery of specific modules within a short timeframe.
A project team realizes that the product's architecture will not support the growing number of users. What should the project manager do? A.Assign a team member to execute performance testing and ensure the product's performance is acceptable. B.Hire external experts to assess the product architecture and come up with a resolution plan. C.Engage with the product owner on the new development and prioritize the solution on the product backlog. D.Negotiate with the stakeholders to slow down product development until a viable solution is available.
C. Engage with the product owner on the new development and prioritize the solution on the product backlog. The first step for the project manager will be to share this vital information with the product owner, so that business stakeholders may be invited to share their thoughts and value considerations made, then the product backlog can be reprioritized to reflect this. This sequence allows for company, team, and business stakeholder concerns to be adequately addressed. The other answer choices are incorrect. Performance testing happens concurrently during development or at the end of the iteration/release and will not solve the identified gap but only highlight it down the road. Hiring external experts may be premature and may not be approved/available in the budget. Negotiating with the stakeholders to slow down product development until a viable solution is available may not be the best option for the company.
A new project has a team divided between onsite and offshore locations. The project manager observed a rising conflict between the two parts of the team during project initiation. What should the project manager do first? A.Communicate the project scope to all team members. B.Organize a face-to-face meeting during project kick-off. C.Identify this conflict in the risk register log. D.Record this conflict in the project issue log.
C. Identify this conflict in the risk register log. The best way for a project manager to address a rising conflict between onsite and offshore team members is to identify this conflict in the risk register log. This will help the project manager to track the conflict and to develop mitigation strategies. The other answer choices are also important, but they are not as effective in addressing the underlying conflict. By identifying the conflict in the risk register log, the project manager can develop a plan to mitigate the risk and ensure that the project is successful.
During the course of a project, the team has to address unexpected issues that may impact the schedule and budget. Many of the issues require immediate resolution before other interdependent issues can be addressed. The communication management plan indicates that the client and key internal stakeholders only require monthly reports. How should the project manager communicate the impact of these issues? A.Update the project issue log to ensure the communication issues are captured internally. B.Maintain monthly client and internal stakeholder reports as indicated in the communications management plan. C.Increase communication with the client and stakeholders as necessary to manage the issues and their impact. D.Revise the communications management plan and request approval of the revised plan.
C. Increase communication with the client and stakeholders as necessary to manage the issues and their impact. Issues impacting cost and schedule should be communicated as soon as they are identified, regardless of the stipulations of the communications plan. The project manager must adjust communications to ensure that the appropriate parties are appraised of the situation and can address the issues as soon as possible. This is especially important in this situation because many of the issues require immediate resolution before other interdependent issues can be addressed. The other options are incorrect. Recording the issue with the communications plan internally is not helpful because it does not resolve the issue. Further, if the information is recorded internally, the client will not be appraised of the situation. Maintaining only monthly communications with the client and internal stakeholders does not address the situation appropriately because the issues need to be resolved immediately. The client and stakeholders should be notified as soon as possible to ensure timely resolution of the issues. Revising the communications management plan and awaiting approval is incorrect because these issues require immediate attention, so timely communication should be the primary objective. While the communications management plan may ultimately require revision, it may not. Once the issues are resolved, the client and stakeholders may prefer to resume the monthly reporting.
During the execution phase of a project, the project manager is reassigned to another project. A new project manager takes over and quickly realizes that the project is facing issues with the quality and scheduling of some deliverables. Which of the following should the new project manager do first? A.Update the project plan to reflect the new schedule and quality requirements. B.Review the project schedule and focus on delivering the project on time and within budget. C.Meet with the project team to assess the situation and develop a plan to address the issues. D.Evaluate the project team's skills and ask the project sponsor for additional resources.
C. Meet with the project team to assess the situation and develop a plan to address the issues. The project team is responsible for the execution of the project and has the most knowledge about the issues that are being faced. By meeting with the team, the new project manager can gain a better understanding of the issues and work with the team to develop a plan to address them. The project manager should not make any decisions without a clear understanding of the problems. The other options should only be considered after the new project manager has assessed the situation and developed a plan to address the root cause of the issues. Updating the project plan or requesting additional resources may not be necessary. Reviewing the project schedule and focusing on delivering the project on time and within budget does not directly address the issues with the quality and scheduling of some deliverables.
During the planning phase of a project, the project manager is having trouble identifying stakeholders. Without input from the correct stakeholders, getting user feedback will be challenging. What should the project manager do? A.Review the stakeholder engagement plan. B.Inform the project sponsors. C.Refer to the project charter to identify stakeholders. D.Review the project scope document.
C. Refer to the project charter to identify stakeholders.During the planning phase of a project, the project manager should refer to the project charter to identify stakeholders. The project charter typically includes information about the project's purpose, objectives, and stakeholders. By reviewing the project charter, the project manager can identify the stakeholders who are critical to the success of the project and ensure that they are included in the stakeholder engagement plan.Reviewing the stakeholder engagement plan, informing the project sponsors, and reviewing the project scope document may also be helpful, but referring to the project charter is the most direct and effective way to identify stakeholders.The stakeholder engagement plan is typically not created until stakeholders are identified and analyzed. Informing project sponsors is not a comprehensive or efficient approach. Reviewing the scope document may not be as comprehensive as the project charter and is typically not used to identify stakeholders.
A newly hired project manager is assigned to a school construction project. The school serves students from surrounding neighborhoods and must be completely energy efficient. The project manager must provide a final report. How can the project manager determine whether the planned business value was delivered? A.Inspect the approved technical specifications to confirm that they match the final product deliverables. B.Consult with the team and confirm that the customer was satisfied with the construction of the school. C.Review the project charter and business case to determine if the deliverables achieved the intended benefits. D.Demonstrate that the school construction project was delivered on schedule and within budget.
C. Review the project charter and business case to determine if the deliverables achieved the intended benefits. Prior to the final closeout, the project charter and the business case should be reviewed to determine if the deliverables achieved the intended benefits and value. The project charter and business case outline the goals and objectives of the project, including the intended benefits. By reviewing these documents, the project manager can determine if the deliverables achieved the intended benefits and therefore if the planned business value was delivered.The other answer options are not as effective. Inspecting the technical specifications only confirms that the final product matches the approved specifications, but it does not necessarily ensure that the intended benefits are achieved. Consulting with the team and confirming customer satisfaction only provides subjective feedback and does not necessarily measure the project's success in delivering business value. Demonstrating that the project was delivered on schedule and within budget does not necessarily demonstrate that the intended benefits were achieved.
The project manager needs to survey the necessary parties to reach a consensus and build a common vision for the project. To achieve better results, who should be engaged in the development of a common vision strategy? A.The client and the delivery team B.The delivery team and the project sponsor C.The project team and the stakeholders D.The project owner and the client
C. The project team and the stakeholders The project manager should engage the project team and the stakeholders when developing a common vision strategy because the team members must carry out the tasks that impact the stakeholders. The project manager must balance the conflicting and competing goals of the project stakeholders in order to achieve consensus. In this context, consensus means that the relevant stakeholders support the project decisions and actions taken by the team members. Also, involving stakeholders during initiation creates a shared understanding of success criteria. It also increases the likelihood of accepting the deliverables of the project.
While reviewing progress in the middle of an iteration, the scrum master points out a major risk due to a user story dependency. What should the project manager do next? A.Update the product backlog. B.Update the project charter. C.Update the risk register. D.Update the issue log.
C. Update the risk register. The project manager should update the risk register next, upon learning about the major risk. The other answer choices are incorrect. Updating the product backlog is not the best option because it does not address the immediate risk. Updating the project charter is not the best option because the project charter is a high-level document that does not typically include details about risks. Updating the issue log should not be done before the project manager has updated the risk register.
A project manager has been assigned to a new, multimillion-dollar project that is similar to a project the company executed three years ago. What should the project manager do to create a reliable cost estimate? A.Identify the critical parameters and generate an estimate based on the variation of the parameters. B.Take the original estimate and multiply it by a factor determined by the company's standard for every year. C.Use the actual cost of the previous project as a reference and compute an estimated cost for each task and roll up. D.Use a commodity exchange for material cost and labor rates for the cost variation and compute a new estimate.
C. Use the actual cost of the previous project as a reference and compute an estimated cost for each task and roll up. Using the actual cost of the previous project as a reference is the best choice as a bottom-up estimating method and is the most reliable. Bottom-up estimating is generally more accurate because it starts at the bottom with the detailed costs of all specific components of each work activity and progressively forms the sum of all costs used in estimating the overall project budget. Bottom-up estimating would be the logical step after a project deliverable has been broken into its smallest components or work activities and detailed information has been gathered regarding the requirements of each work activity. Further, as there is historical data available the reliability increases multi-fold. The other options are incorrect because they are less accurate than bottom-up estimating. Generating an estimate based on the variation of the parameters or using a commodity exchange for cost variations are parametric estimating methods and even though they can be relatively better compared to analogous estimating, they do not provide reliable estimates. Taking the original estimate and multiplying it by a factor determined by the company's standard for every year will be inaccurate if similar projects are not truly comparable to the new project or if the costs of similar projects have changed significantly over time.
A new project manager joins an organization that has never had formal project management processes. Some team members refuse to participate in basic tasks such as taking ownership of action items at meetings. What should the project manager do? A.Set up a private meeting with the specific team members to discuss the benefits of project management. B.Create an internal document outlining the benefits of project management for all team members. C.Explore the benefits of project management with executives of the organization. D.Host a meeting with the team focused on collaborative problem-solving to develop an approach to accomplishing project tasks.
D. Host a meeting with the team focused on collaborative problem-solving to develop an approach to accomplishing project tasks The project manager should use collaborative problem-solving to allow for input from all team members without involving executive mandates, which allows for more buy-in from the team to accomplish the tasks. The other answer choices are incorrect. Setting up a meeting with individual project team members does not provide the opportunity for team buy-in; creating an internal document does not ensure buy-in from team members or create a team culture that the team is part of the problem-solving process; exploring the benefits of project management process with executives is a top-down approach and is not the first approach a project manager would take to achieve buy-in.
A project manager conducted an analysis with relevant stakeholders to validate project alignment with organizational strategy and expected business value. Several key stakeholders missed the analysis session and their input was not included in the analysis. What is the main consequence of stakeholders missing the analysis session? A.Formal approval of project change requests is delayed. B.Stakeholder dissatisfaction with key project deliverables. C.Conflict in subsequent phases of the project may result. D.Inconsistent input on benefits from key stakeholders.
D. Inconsistent input on benefits from key stakeholders. Project teams and stakeholders establish measures of progress and success, and performance is compared to plans. Quality management processes and practices help produce deliverables and outcomes that meet project objectives and align with the expectations, uses, and acceptance criteria expressed by the organization and relevant stakeholders. If all stakeholders are not present there will be inconsistent input on benefits. It may result in ambiguity and a misalignment between the project goals and the expectations of key stakeholders. The other options are incorrect because they are not the main consequence. There may not be a change request that needs approval, conflict may not arise, and stakeholders may not become dissatisfied. These options may be additional impacts, but the main impact would be inconsistent input on benefits from key stakeholders.
During project execution, a project manager is informed that some resources will soon be removed from the project. What should the project manager do to address this situation? A.Schedule a meeting to keep the stakeholders informed. B.Inform the stakeholders at the next scheduled review meeting. C.Update the risk register with this risk to project resources. D.Request resource leveling.
D. Request resource leveling. Resource leveling is the process of adjusting the project schedule to ensure that resources are available when needed and that resource utilization is optimized. When resources are removed from a project, resource leveling can help the project manager identify alternative resources or adjust the project schedule to minimize the impact on the project. By requesting resource leveling, the project manager can proactively address the situation and ensure that the project stays on track and aligned with the organization's goals. The other answer choices are not as relevant or effective. Scheduling a meeting or waiting until the next scheduled review meeting to inform stakeholders may not be necessary and could delay the project or cause confusion. Updating the risk register may be premature without more information and does not directly address the issue of resource availability.
A project manager has received quotes from two vendors for the same parts. Vendor A has informed the project manager that they fulfilled a similar order two months ago at a price that was 2% under the original planned cost. Vendor B has a history of on-time delivery but has announced a price increase. How should the project manager evaluate this situation? A.Review the agreements and procurement documentation for Vendor B to force them to keep the original pricing. B.Evaluate the contract clauses to reduce the orders from Vendor B, and buy them from Vendor A to improve project indicators. C.Use the metrics from Vendor A to request better pricing from Vendor B, keeping both providers as a risk mitigation strategy. D.Review the work performance information of both vendors against their contracts to find the preferred supplier.
D. Review the work performance information of both vendors against their contracts to find the preferred supplier To evaluate the situation, the project manager should review the work performance information of both vendors against their contracts to find the preferred supplier. If the project manager decides to go for an alternative source, they must first review the vendors' past performance. The project manager should not make a decision based solely on price. They should consider a variety of factors. By reviewing the work performance information of both vendors, the project manager can gain a better understanding of their strengths and weaknesses. The other answer choices are incorrect. It is unlikely that the project manager will be able to force Vendor B to keep the original pricing. Vendor B is within their rights to increase their prices. Reducing the orders from Vendor B may not be possible, depending on the terms of the contract. Additionally, this may damage the relationship with Vendor B. Lastly, Vendor B may not be willing to match Vendor A's pricing. Additionally, relying on a single vendor can be risky.
