PMP #4

A project manager is working on a software development project. Two customers are repeatedly submitting new feature requests. The completed scope definition for the product's next version release has already been provided to stakeholders. What should the project manager do next?

Assess the scope management plan and iterate it through the scope definition process.

At the beginning of a project, you are meeting with key stakeholders to discuss the appropriate project methodology to include in a project implementation plan. In reviewing the business case and business needs document is apparent to you that this is a complex environment where the end product is not fully known and user feedback will be very valuable. Also, you believe changes will be relatively easy and waste will not be very costly. The stakeholders are comfortable and experienced with predictive or plan-driven project methodologies and seem reluctant to go with any new project management trends just because everyone else is doing it. What might you recommend to these key stakeholders?

Based on your assessment of the project nature and goals, an agile methodology is best and you will manage their reluctance by tracking their concerns on the risk register

As you start to build your project team, you are attempting to use Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a motivational guide. What is the first area of focus you should address?

Food, water, rest, and other physiological needs

A project aims to automate 30 percent of product testing. The project sponsor advises the project manager to assign senior test engineers to identify the tests that can be automated. One of the test engineers fears that the test department manager may be uncooperative because they feel that the project will lead to downsizing in their department. What should the project manager do to help the test engineer?

Have a meeting with the test department manager to review the statement of work (SOW).

Align the terms below with the appropriate definition for impediments, obstacles, and blockers:

Impediment => Situations, conditions, and actions that slow down or hinder progress Obstacle => Barriers that should be able to be moved, avoided, or overcome with some effort or strategy, Blocker => Events or conditions that cause stoppages in the work or any further advancement

Your fencing company has just landed a large contract with a state parks system to install 200 miles of new fencing and upgrade/repair another 150 miles of existing fencing. In your initial meeting with the state representatives, they tell you about the priority of numerous areas that need fencing to control wildlife, provide for public safety, and prevent damage to critical habitat. There are other areas where the fencing is more for crowd control and aesthetics which are not as immediate of a need. What should you suggest as a way to meet their fencing needs?

Incremental delivery to provide completed sections of the fencing in critical areas as early as possible

A project manager is having difficulty obtaining consistent input from stakeholders and needs their input to identify strategic and operational assumptions and constraints. How can the project manager improve stakeholder input?

Make use of effective facilitation techniques

A project manager for a construction firm meets with stakeholders. All stakeholders agree on a 20 month lifecycle for a project. After work has begun, the project manager learns that stakeholders would like project completion within no more than 12 weeks. What should be the first step in the project manager's response?

Meet with key stakeholders to discuss ways to reduce some project requirements.

As a result of multiple regulatory changes, a governmental agency is added as a key stakeholder on a complex project. The project manager wants to develop an understanding of this new stakeholder and identify any new high-level risks that may result from the change. What should the project manager do?

Meet with the new stakeholders.

A company's products will be affected by a new law that might be passed in the next four months. A new product launch is starting, and should be completed within three months. If the proposed law is passed, the new product will not meet the new requirements.How should the project manager address to this potential problem?

Option A Discuss risks with the sponsor and key stakeholders. Using the results of the discussion, update the assumption log and project charter.

You are running a daily standup meeting with your new project team. Over the last few days, the project work has included key features that the remainder of the work will be built upon. This has caused long conversations for team members to clarify specific areas they are working on. The last two standup meetings have lasted almost two hours in length. How should a project manager deal with this situation?

Remind the team that the standup meeting is designed to last a specific length of time and is not where they should be discussing these clarifying items.

A project needs a specialized resource. A resource that fits the needs of the project is identified, and can work onsite, but lives in another country. The visa process was expected to take weeks but is now taking months. What should the project manager do?

Request that the resource work virtually.

George is a new project manager and he's just received information on several team members who have been preassigned to accomplish several important work packages. As he meets the new team he becomes aware that two of them have a personal conflict outside of work where one of them has been dating the other's estranged spouse and there are legal proceedings involving child custody and visitation. George decides to deal head-on with this situation, so he should...

Speak with senior management to request that one of them be reassigned away from your project and replaced with a suitable team member

As part of effective leadership, project managers help team members grow and keep them motivated throughout each project. What is one step that supports this effective leadership?

Stand up for the team's beliefs and be assertive.

You are the project manager of a project in it's second year of the planned three years. During a daily meeting with your team, one of them mentions that they are investigating a new GPS technology to replace the old one planned earlier in the project. A week later they approach you with a change request to include the new technology and get rid of the older one. Your review of the situation shows that the new technology will save the project a large sum of money. Your situation is brought about by what type of external environmental factor?

Technical opportunity

A deliverable does not meet the agreed-upon quality specifications and is rejected by the customer. After investigation, the project team finds that there is a fault with the vendor-provided parts, and this fault caused the issue. The vendor says that they cannot correct the situation. What should be reviewed before deciding on next steps?

The procurement management plan and contract agreements

You are the project manager for a software development project. A contractor who has been providing IT support for your project just declared bankruptcy and will no longer be associated with the project. Your procurement office has identified a new contractor to take over the work left undone by the old vendor and will be sending you a new contract to review soon. What should you do first in this case?

Updating the stakeholder register with the new stakeholders from the vendor's firm

While initiating a project that will impact seven different long-term client companies, you realize the client companies have different ideas of what project success should look like. To get them all on the same page you invite them to a meeting to gain agreement before moving forward. What questions should you focus on clarifying with this group?

What are the constraints, assumptions, and risks associated with this project?

Your organization has just promoted three internal resources into project manager roles due to the workload on current project managers. Due to their lack of experience, your PMO has asked that you take the lead in onboarding, coaching, and mentoring these new project managers. During a training session you are reviewing project documents that are required by your PMO for each project. You are explaining the purpose and use of each document. One of the new project managers asks when you need to create the lessons learned register. She says that her previous project managers just created those at the end of the project as they were finalizing the project and gaining final closure approval. What is the best response to this question?

While many project managers wait until the end of the project to capture lessons learned, the lessons learned register should be created at the beginning of the project and used to capture lessons learned throughout the project

During a challenging shareholder meeting, the customer indicates that they will reject an iteration's deliverable. What should the project manager do?

Work with stakeholders to create a shared approach that will address the issues of concern.