Topic 1: Exam Pool A
A large project is affecting the neighborhood in which it is located The neighbors are not satisfied with the project and their resistance to the project may affect the project deadline
What two actions should the project manager take'? (Choose two)
A.
Send letters to the neighbors and ask them kindly not to disturb the project.
B.
Set up a meeting with neighborhood representatives to win their cooperation
C.
Analyze the situation and find out what is causing the neighborhood's negative attitude.
D.
Ask the customer to extend the project deadline to allow time for conflict resolution
E.
Ask the mayor of the city to use their authority to stop neighborhood resistance
Set up a meeting with neighborhood representatives to win their cooperation
Analyze the situation and find out what is causing the neighborhood's negative attitude.
The project manager should take two actions to deal with the situation of the neighbors not being satisfied with the project and resisting it. One action is to set up a meeting with neighborhood representatives to win their cooperation. This action can help the project manager to communicate with the neighbors, listen to their concerns and complaints, and explain the benefits and value of the project. The project manager can also use this opportunity to negotiate with the neighbors, offer them some incentives or compensation, and seek their support and feedback for the project. By engaging with the neighbors, the project manager can build trust and rapport with them, and reduce the potential for conflict and disruption12.
Another action is to analyze the situation and find out what is causing the neighborhood’s negative attitude. This action can help the project manager to identify the root causes of the problem, such as lack of information, misunderstanding, fear of change, or dissatisfaction with the project’s impact. The project manager can use tools such as stakeholder analysis, SWOT analysis, or force field analysis to assess the situation and the factors influencing it. By understanding the problem, the project manager can devise appropriate solutions and strategies to address it34. References: = 12 Project Management Challenges and How To Solve Them, Challenge 11: Stakeholder resistance; 8 Steps for Better Issue Management, Step 5: Communicate with the team; PMBOK® Guide, Sixth Edition, pages 513-515, 395-396; 4 Phases of the Project Management Lifecycle Explained, Phase 2: Planning.
A Scrum team has committed to delivering a specific capability in their first release Multiple operational issues have prevented the developer from delivering key capabilities. The technical lead has also given notice that they are resigning from the company.
What should the project manager have the Scrum team do to recover from these issues?
A.
Review constraints in the ongoing sprint planning and evaluate options for the release plan
B.
Stop the sprint and replan and prioritize the backlog to reduce resource levels
C.
Consult the resource management plan for an appropriate response
D.
Continue with existing sprint plans to ensure some of the scope will be delivered
Review constraints in the ongoing sprint planning and evaluate options for the release plan
This option reflects the agile mindset of inspecting and adapting to the current situation, and finding the best way to deliver value to the customer. The other options are either too rigid (B and C) or too risky (D) for an agile project.
However, this is only a suggestion based on one source of reference. You may find other sources that support a different answer, or have a different interpretation of the question. Therefore, you should always check the validity and reliability of the information you find online, and compare it with your own knowledge and experience.
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References: 1: Oliver Lehmann 175 questions - PM PrepCast Forum 2: (PDF) 175 PMP Sample Questions | khurram shahzad - Academia.edu 3: PMBOK Guide 5th Edition : Agile Practice Guide
A new team member is added to a self-organizing team. The new team member is reluctant to speak and take part in team discussions or decisions.
Which two actions should the team take to engage this new team member? (Choose two)
A.
Revisit the team's discussion on team behaviors and norms
B.
Report to the project manager about the new team member’s behavior
C.
Coach the new team member to improve engagement with the team.
D.
Force the new team member to participate in activities that are considered easy
E.
Facilitate an open discussion on all ideas and perspectives
Revisit the team's discussion on team behaviors and norms
Coach the new team member to improve engagement with the team.
A self-organizing team is a team that has the authority and autonomy to decide how to perform their work, without being directed or controlled by external factors. A self-organizing team is able to adapt, collaborate, and innovate, and deliver value to the customer and the organization. According to the Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials1, self-organizing teams are based on trust, collaboration, and empowerment of individuals.
In this scenario, a new team member is added to a self-organizing team, but the new team member is reluctant to speak and take part in team discussions or decisions. This could indicate that the new team member is not comfortable, confident, or familiar with the team culture, dynamics, or expectations. This could affect the team performance, cohesion, and satisfaction.
Therefore, the best two actions that the team should take to engage this new team member are:
Revisit the team’s discussion on team behaviors and norms: This action can help the new team member to understand the team values, principles, and rules that guide the team’s work and interactions. It can also help the team to clarify and align their expectations, roles, and responsibilities, and to address any issues or conflicts that may arise. By revisiting the team behaviors and norms, the team can create a shared vision and a sense of belonging for the new team member, and foster trust and respect among the team members.
Coach the new team member to improve engagement with the team: This action can help the new team member to develop the skills, knowledge, and confidence to participate and contribute to the team’s work and decisions. It can also help the new team member to receive feedback, support, and guidance from the team, and to learn from their experiences and best practices. By coaching the new team member, the team can empower and motivate the new team member, and enhance their performance and satisfaction.
The other options are not the best choices, because:
Report to the project manager about the new team member’s behavior: This action can undermine the autonomy and self-organization of the team, and create a dependency and a hierarchy that may conflict with the team culture and values. It can also damage the trust and relationship between the team and the new team member, and make the new team member feel isolated, judged, or rejected. Instead of reporting to the project manager, the team should try to resolve the issue internally, and involve the project manager only if necessary or requested.
Force the new team member to participate in activities that are considered easy: This action can demotivate and discourage the new team member, and make them feel undervalued, underestimated, or patronized. It can also prevent the new team member from developing their full potential and skills, and from delivering value to the team and the customer. Instead of forcing the new team member, the team should encourage and support the new team member, and assign them tasks that are challenging, meaningful, and aligned with their interests and abilities.
Facilitate an open discussion on all ideas and perspectives: This action can be helpful and beneficial for the team in general, but it may not be enough or appropriate for the new team member, who may not feel ready or willing to share their ideas and perspectives with the team. It may also put pressure or stress on the new team member, and make them feel overwhelmed or intimidated by the team’s expectations or opinions. Instead of facilitating an open discussion, the team should create a safe and supportive environment for the new team member, and respect their pace and preferences.
References:
Self-Organizing Teams: A Complete Guide.
A research and development department is planning to develop a product that will introduce a new line of business for the organization What should the project manager do to increase the project's chances of success?
A.
Plan a working session focusing on the scope, vision, and mission of the initiative
B.
Start developing the project management plan based on a previous project template from the project management office (PMO).
C.
Conduct benchmarking to determine the business viability of the initiative
D.
Conduct an impact analysis of the new initiative to determine how the project should be rolled out
Plan a working session focusing on the scope, vision, and mission of the initiative
The project manager should plan a working session focusing on the scope, vision, and mission of the initiative, as this is the best way to increase the project’s chances of success. By involving the research and development department and other relevant stakeholders in defining the project objectives, scope, and deliverables, the project manager can ensure that the product development aligns with the organization’s strategic goals and meets the customer’s needs and expectations. This will also help the project manager to establish a clear and shared understanding of the project’s purpose, value, and benefits, and foster a collaborative and innovative environment.
The project manager is experiencing delays with two critical tasks that are to be executed by two different teams The project manager realizes that the functional managers of these two teams have an unsolved conflict and they are not communicating properly.
What should the project manager do?
A.
Arrange a meeting with the managers and try to reach an agreement.
B.
Communicate with the project sponsor regarding the need to resolve the conflict between the managers.
C.
Evaluate the impact of the delay on the project and look for alternatives to create a remediation plan
D.
Meet with both teams and their managers and try to figure out the root cause of the conflict
Arrange a meeting with the managers and try to reach an agreement.
The project manager should arrange a meeting with the functional managers of the two teams and try to reach an agreement that will resolve the conflict and enable the teams to complete their tasks. This is the best option because it addresses the issue directly, involves the parties who have the authority and responsibility to make decisions, and seeks a collaborative and constructive solution. The project manager should act as a facilitator and mediator in the meeting, and help the functional managers to identify the sources of the conflict, the interests and needs of each party, and the possible options for agreement. The project manager should also ensure that the meeting is conducted in a respectful and professional manner, and that the outcome is documented and communicated to the relevant stakeholders.
References:
People in Projects, Chapter 13, Section 5: Project Manager/Functional Manager Conflict
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), Chapter 13, Section 4.2.3: Conflict Management
7 Big Project Management Conflicts & Ways to Solve Them All, Section 2: Conflicting Interests of Stakeholders
A project manager just started managing agile projects The project manager realizes that due to the lack of a clear definition of project objectives and definition of done (DoD) their colleague's projects have had many difficulties Sponsors keep asking for more features and the projects have yet to be completed
What should the project manager do to avoid these issues?
A.
Arrange meetings to ensure every necessary task to complete the project is included in the project management plan
B.
Convince the project sponsor to incorporate quality experts so the product can be tested and accepted as completed.
C.
Convince the product owner to approach the team and look for options to find a solution to the problem
D.
Schedule meetings with key stakeholders to build the agile project charter and set clear expectations for the project
Schedule meetings with key stakeholders to build the agile project charter and set clear expectations for the project
Explanation:
According to the PMBOK Guide, the project manager should initiate the project by developing the project charter with the key stakeholders. The project charter should define the project objectives, scope, deliverables, success criteria, and high-level risks. The project charter should also establish the project vision, value proposition, and definition of done (DoD) for the agile project. The project charter should provide clarity and alignment among the project stakeholders and enable the agile team to deliver value to the customer in short iterations. Therefore, the project manager should schedule meetings with key stakeholders to build the agile project charter and set clear expectations for the project. References: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, pages 18, 37, 75-76, 286-287.
A multinational company has a plan to expand their business into a new country where they currently have no presence A project manager is assigned to initiate this project.
After reviewing the business case, what should be considered first when developing an appropriate implementation strategy?
A.
Acquire project resources from the new country to mitigate the risk of uncertainty
B.
Evaluate the environmental and regulatory factors and identify high-level risks and assumption
C.
Identify and monitor the risks closely since the company does not have lessons learned for this country.
D.
Ensure that project sponsors are in agreement on the project deliverables and timeline during the project.
Evaluate the environmental and regulatory factors and identify high-level risks and assumption
An implementation strategy is a document that describes the necessary steps for the execution of a project1. An implementation strategy enables the project manager to manage the changes required with minimum disruption to the organization and its various stakeholders, also addressing the concerns of stakeholders outside the project team2. Before developing an implementation strategy, the project manager should review the business case and consider the environmental and regulatory factors that may affect the project in the new country, such as political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental aspects3. The project manager should also identify the high-level risks and assumptions that may impact the project scope, schedule, cost, quality, and resources4. These factors will help the project manager to define the project objectives, deliverables, scope, and requirements, as well as to select the appropriate project management methodology, tools, and techniques for the project.
Evaluating the environmental and regulatory factors and identifying high-level risks and assumptions should be considered first when developing an implementation strategy, as they provide the foundation for the project planning and execution. Acquiring project resources from the new country, monitoring the risks closely, and ensuring the project sponsors’ agreement are important activities, but they should be done after the initial assessment of the project environment and context.
References:
1: What Is an Implementation Plan? (Template & Example Included)
(https://www.projectmanager.com/blog/implementation-plan)
2: Implementation Planning - the Critical Step | PMI
(https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/implementation-planning-critical-step-5118)
3: Budget Proposal Templates: 5 Steps to Secure Funding [2023] • Asana
(https://asana.com/resources/project-integration-management)
4: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, page 395: PROJECT MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION - PMAlliance,Inc
(https://pm-alliance.com/project-management-implementation/)
A software project using an agile approach is facing quality issues with every release, generating many production problems. What should the project manager do to fix the problem and improve the quality?
A.
Seek extra funding approval with the sponsor to replace junior team members for more experienced ones
B.
Create a reward system granting incentives to the team members who are able to catch more defects
C.
Hire an external company to add an additional layer of testing, making sure that the final product is well inspected before releasing.
D.
Use the retrospective meeting to better understand the root cause of the quality problems and put together a plan with the team to address the problems.
Use the retrospective meeting to better understand the root cause of the quality problems and put together a plan with the team to address the problems.
The retrospective meeting is a key practice in agile methodology that allows the team to inspect and adapt their processes and performance after each iteration. The retrospective meeting helps the team to identify what went well, what went wrong, and what can be improved in the next iteration. By using the retrospective meeting, the project manager can facilitate a collaborative and constructive discussion with the team to find out the root cause of the quality issues and devise a plan to fix them. The plan may include actions such as implementing better engineering practices, enhancing communication and collaboration, increasing testing coverage, or applying feedback from customers and stakeholders. The retrospective meeting also helps the team to learn from their mistakes, celebrate their successes, and foster a culture of continuous improvement123. References: = PMBOK® Guide, Sixth Edition, pages 28-29, 50-51; Agile Practice Guide, pages 33-34, 62-63; How to Run an Agile Retrospective Meeting with Examples.
A project just kicked off and management’s expectation is to ensure that the deliverable of the first iteration helps the marketing team present the product prototype to potential customers. What should the project manager do?
A.
Increase the details of the work breakdown structure (WBS) to minimize errors and delays.
B.
Split the backlog into phases to ensure that the key features are delivered first
C.
Ask the sponsor to prioritize some functionalities of the product.
D.
Identify the minimum functionality required for the product
Identify the minimum functionality required for the product
Explanation
A minimum viable product (MVP) is a version of a product that has enough features to satisfy early customers and provide feedback for future development12. An MVP is a common strategy in agile project management, where the project team delivers working functionality in short iterations or sprints, and continuously improves the product based on customer feedback and changing requirements34.
Identifying the minimum functionality required for the product can help the project manager meet the management’s expectation of delivering a product prototype that can be presented to potential customers in the first iteration. By focusing on the core features that provide the most value to the customers, the project manager can reduce the scope, cost, and time of the project, and increase the quality and satisfaction of the product5 .
Identifying the minimum functionality required for the product also involves collaborating with the project sponsor, the marketing team, and the customers to understand their needs, preferences, and expectations. The project manager should use various techniques, such as interviews, surveys, focus groups, prototyping, and testing, to gather and validate the requirements and feedback of the stakeholders .
Identifying the minimum functionality required for the product is not the same as splitting the backlog into phases, increasing the details of the WBS, or asking the sponsor to prioritize some functionalities. These are all possible actions that the project manager can take after identifying the MVP, but they are not the first step in ensuring that the deliverable of the first iteration helps the marketing team present the product prototype to potential customers.
References:
1: What is a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)?
2: Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and Design - Balancing Risk to Gain Reward
3: Agile Project Management - Project Management Institute
4: What is Agile Project Management? | APM
5: The Benefits of Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) : [How to Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): A Step-by-Step Guide] : [Project Requirements Management - A Guide to Best Practices] : [How to Collect Customer Feedback for Your MVP]
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.
Update project documents to include adaptive tools and artifacts and plan the first iterative session
B.
Contact the project sponsor and request new team members who are familiar with adaptive projects
C.
Confirm team capabilities before introducing adaptive tools and artifacts to the project
D.
Freeze the design stage and look for an external resource to run iterative design at extra cost
Update project documents to include adaptive tools and artifacts and plan the first iterative session
According to the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, one of the key activities of the project manager is to tailor the project delivery approach based on the project characteristics, context, and environment. This means that the project manager should select the appropriate tools, techniques, methods, and artifacts that best suit the project needs and objectives. If the project manager realizes that the project will benefit from using adaptive tools, such as agile or hybrid methods, then the project manager should update the project documents accordingly and plan the first iterative session. This will enable the project team to deliver value incrementally and iteratively, and to respond to changes and feedback more effectively. Option A is the best answer for this question.
Option B is not the best answer because contacting the project sponsor and requesting new team members who are familiar with adaptive projects is not the first thing that the project manager should do. It is a possible action that the project manager may take if the current team lacks the skills or experience to work with adaptive tools, but it is not a necessary or immediate action. Moreover, requesting new team members may not always be feasible or desirable, as it may increase the project costs and risks, and may disrupt the team dynamics and performance.
Option C is not the best answer because confirming team capabilities before introducing adaptive tools and artifacts to the project is not the first thing that the project manager should do. It is a good practice to assess the team’s readiness and ability to work with adaptive tools, but it is not a prerequisite or a determinant for tailoring the project delivery approach. The project manager should base the decision on the project characteristics, context, and environment, not on the team capabilities. Moreover, confirming team capabilities may not always be accurate or reliable, as the team may have different levels of familiarity and confidence with adaptive tools.
Option D is not the best answer because freezing the design stage and looking for an external resource to run iterative design at extra cost is not the first thing that the project manager should do. It is a possible action that the project manager may take if the project is too complex or uncertain to be handled by the internal team, but it is not a recommended or proactive action. Freezing the design stage may delay the project delivery and may not reflect the current or future state of the project requirements or stakeholder needs. Looking for an external resource may increase the project costs and risks, and may reduce the project control and quality. PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, pages 9-10, 15-16, 25-26, 35-36, 49-50.
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