Topic 1: Exam Pool A
In the beginning of project execution, the project manager finds out that a key resource will be unavailable for two weeks which could cause a delay to the schedule What should the project manager do first?
A.
Assign the tasks to another resource, and ask the resource to work double shifts
B.
Update the schedule to reflect the project's changes in duration
C.
Ask human resources (HR) for a replacement, and update the nsk register
D.
Update the resource management plan and resource allocation chart accordingly
Update the resource management plan and resource allocation chart accordingly
According to the PMBOK Guide, the project manager should update the resource management plan and resource allocation chart to reflect any changes in the availability and assignment of resources. The resource management plan describes how the project resources will be acquired, allocated, managed, and released. The resource allocation chart shows the planned and actual allocation of resources over time. By updating these documents, the project manager can communicate the impact of the resource unavailability to the project team and stakeholders, and plan for alternative solutions to mitigate the schedule risk. References: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, page 318-319, section 9.1.3.1 Resource Management Plan; page 321, section 9.2.3.1 Resource Allocation Chart.
A project manager has been appointed to a multimillion-dollar project The project is considered to be high risk since no similar projects have been undertaken before and there is no historical data Some external stakeholders are reluctant to provide support
What approach should the project manager take?
A.
Examine the plans, processes, policies, and knowledge that are specific to the organization undertaking the project
B.
Establish dialogue with stakeholders on the project constraints, assumptions, and critical inputs
C.
Convince senior management to close the project since the project lacks sponsorship and is considered to be high risk.
D.
Host a project team meeting, then update the risk register and the project management plan
Establish dialogue with stakeholders on the project constraints, assumptions, and critical inputs
The project manager should establish dialogue with stakeholders on the project constraints, assumptions, and critical inputs, as this is a key activity of the Identify Stakeholders process1. By engaging with the stakeholders, the project manager can understand their needs, expectations, interests, and influence levels, as well as identify any potential issues or risks that may affect the project. This will help the project manager to develop an appropriate stakeholder engagement plan and communication strategy, as well as to manage the stakeholder expectations and relationships throughout the project life cycle. Examining the plans, processes, policies, and knowledge that are specific to the organization undertaking the project (option A) is part of the Develop Project Charter process2, which is performed before the Identify Stakeholders process. This activity may help the project manager to understand the organizational context and environment, but it does not address the specific concerns of the external stakeholders. Convincing senior management to close the project since the project lacks sponsorship and is considered to be high risk (option C) is not a viable option, as it contradicts the project manager’s role and responsibility to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and close the project. Moreover, it does not consider the potential benefits and value of the project, nor the possible ways to mitigate the risks and challenges. Hosting a project team meeting, then updating the risk register and the project management plan (option D) is an activity of the Monitor and Control Project Work process3, which is performed after the project has been planned and executed. This activity may help the project manager to track the project performance and implement corrective actions, but it does not address the specific concerns of the external stakeholders.
References:
1: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2017, p. 513.
2: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2017, p. 77.
3: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2017, p. 95.
A project manager is leading a project with several stakeholders in other functional areas of the company One of these stakeholders has just been promoted to lead another functional area, and remains a stakeholder for this project
What should the project manager have the project team update to ensure proper communications to stakeholders?
A.
Project management plan
C.
Stakeholder engagement plan
D.
Stakeholder register
E.
Communications management plan
Stakeholder engagement plan
The stakeholder register is a project document that identifies and classifies the project stakeholders, their roles, interests, expectations, and influence levels. It is an output of the Identify Stakeholders process, which is the first process in the Project Stakeholder Management knowledge area. The stakeholder register should be updated whenever there are changes in the project environment or stakeholder information, such as a promotion, a change of role, or a change of contact details. Updating the stakeholder register will help the project manager and the project team to communicate effectively and appropriately with the stakeholders, and to manage their expectations and engagement levels throughout the project life cycle.
The project management plan is a comprehensive document that describes how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. It integrates and consolidates the subsidiary plans and baselines from the different knowledge areas, such as scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, communications, risk, procurement, and stakeholder management. The project management plan is an output of the Develop Project Management Plan process, which is the second process in the Project Integration Management knowledge area. The project management plan should be updated only when there are changes in the project scope, objectives, deliverables, or approach, and when these changes are approved through the Perform Integrated Change Control process. Updating the project management plan for a stakeholder promotion is not necessary, unless it affects the project scope or other aspects of the project.
The stakeholder engagement plan is a subsidiary plan of the project management plan that describes the strategies and actions to increase the support and minimize the resistance of the stakeholders throughout the project. It is an output of the Plan Stakeholder Engagement process, which is the second process in the Project Stakeholder Management knowledge area. The stakeholder engagement plan should be updated when there are changes in the stakeholder engagement levels, needs, or expectations, and when these changes are approved through the Perform Integrated Change Control process. Updating the stakeholder engagement plan for a stakeholder promotion may be required, depending on how it affects the stakeholder’s interest, influence, or power over the project.
The communications management plan is a subsidiary plan of the project management plan that describes the communication methods, formats, frequency, and responsibilities for the project. It is an output of the Plan Communications Management process, which is the first process in the Project Communications Management knowledge area. The communications management plan should be updated when there are changes in the communication requirements, preferences, or channels of the project stakeholders, and when these changes are approved through the Perform Integrated Change Control process. Updating the communications management plan for a stakeholder promotion may be necessary, depending on how it affects the stakeholder’s communication needs or preferences.
Therefore, the correct answer is C. Stakeholder register, as it is the most relevant and appropriate document to update for a stakeholder promotion.
References:
PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, pages 513-515, 520-521, 538-539, 563-564, 717-718.
PMP Exam Content Outline, June 2019, pages 6-7, 10-11, 14-15, 18-19.
A project team has recently finished a sprint for developing two features for a fleet management system Although the team delivered the required features, they encountered several issues and conflicts during the sprint. Team members were upset about this experience and are now showing a lack of motivation due to what has occurred.
What can the project manager do to help increase the team's motivation and engagement with the project?
A.
Review sprint progress with the project team members
B.
Set up one-on-one meetings with the project team members
C.
Review sprint planning procedures with the project team members
D.
Perform a sprint retrospective with the project team members
Perform a sprint retrospective with the project team members
A sprint retrospective is a scrum event in which the team reflects on the past sprint and identifies areas for improvement and action items for the next sprint. A sprint retrospective helps the team to continuously improve, inspect and adapt, and grow as a team and as individuals. A sprint retrospective also provides a safe space for the team to communicate openly and honestly about the issues and conflicts they faced during the sprint, and to find ways to resolve them and prevent them from happening again. A sprint retrospective is not a performance evaluation or a blame game, but a constructive and collaborative way to increase the team’s motivation and engagement with the project.
References:
What is a Sprint Retrospective? | Scrum.org
The Sprint Retrospective - What It Is & Tips for Making the Most of Your Meeting
A project manager is m the middle of a project when one of the key project team members needs to take an unexpected and prolonged leave of absence The project is ahead of schedule and running under budget
Which two actions should the project manager take initially to resolve this problem? (Choose two)
A.
Check the risk register for a prepared response to a resource being suddenly unavailable.
B.
Check if the team member's activities are sufficiently documented to facilitate handover
C.
Check the project's responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) to determine which activities will be affected
D.
Reassign responsibilities across the remaining members using the available float for training.
E.
Obtain the project sponsors support to replace the team member on leave
Check the risk register for a prepared response to a resource being suddenly unavailable.
Check if the team member's activities are sufficiently documented to facilitate handover
Checking the risk register for a prepared response to a resource being suddenly unavailable is a proactive action that the project manager should take to deal with the situation. The risk register is a document that records the identified risks, their causes, impacts, probabilities, and responses. By consulting the risk register, the project manager can see if there is a contingency plan or a fallback plan for the loss of a key resource, and implement it accordingly. Checking if the team member’s activities are sufficiently documented to facilitate handover is another important action that the project manager should take to ensure the continuity and quality of the project work. The team member’s activities may include tasks, deliverables, dependencies, assumptions, constraints, and other information that are relevant to the project scope, schedule, and cost. By reviewing the documentation, the project manager can identify the gaps, risks, and issues that may arise from the absence of the team member, and take appropriate measures to address them.
References: (Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents)
A company is initiating a project to enhance one of its existing products. All of its products are developed internally What should the project manager do?
A.
Ensure the stakeholder engagement plan is accurate and properly documented.
B.
Review the lessons learned from the previous project
C.
Identify the risk of implementing the new solution and evaluate the impact on the project.
D.
Create a lessons learned document for the initiation phase
Review the lessons learned from the previous project
Lessons learned are the documented information that reflects both the positive and negative experiences of a project. They help project managers and teams to learn from their successes and failures, and to apply that knowledge to improve current and future projects. Reviewing the lessons learned from the previous project is a good practice for the project manager to do before initiating a new project, especially if the new project is similar or related to the previous one. By reviewing the lessons learned, the project manager can identify what worked well and what did not work well in the previous project, and use that information to plan, execute, monitor, and control the new project more effectively and efficiently. The project manager can also avoid repeating the same mistakes, leverage the best practices, and incorporate the feedback and recommendations from the previous project stakeholders. This is part of the Develop Project Charter process, which aims to define the new project and authorize the project manager. The other options are not the best choices because they are not the first thing that the project manager should do before initiating a new project. Ensuring the stakeholder engagement plan is accurate and properly documented (option A) is an important activity, but it is done later in the planning phase, after the project charter is approved and the key stakeholders are identified.
The stakeholder engagement plan is a component of the project management plan that describes how the project will communicate and interact with the stakeholders. Identifying the risk of implementing the new solution and evaluating the impact on the project (option C) is also an important activity, but it is done later in the planning phase, after the project scope, schedule, and cost are defined. The risk management plan is a component of the project management plan that describes how the project will identify, analyze, prioritize, respond, and monitor the project risks. Creating a lessons learned document for the initiation phase (option D) is a good practice, but it is done at the end of the initiation phase, not at the beginning. The lessons learned document is a project document that records the knowledge gained from the project activities and processes. It is updated throughout the project and finalized at the end of the project.
A project manager is in a learn meeting and the project team requires a decision to be made about a new suggested timeline due to an impact from a potential scope change What should the project manager do?
A.
Make the decision on behalf of the organization
B.
Review the stakeholder map along with the organizational chart and delegate the most senior person to make the decision
C.
Schedule a project decision meeting with all stakeholders to discuss the decision.
D.
Follow the stakeholder engagement plan
Follow the stakeholder engagement plan
Following the stakeholder engagement plan is the best option for the project manager in this situation. The stakeholder engagement plan is a document that describes how the project manager will communicate with, manage the expectations of, and involve the stakeholders in the project decisions. By following this plan, the project manager can ensure that the decision about the new timeline is made in a transparent, collaborative, and timely manner, and that the stakeholders are informed and satisfied with the outcome.
References: (Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents)
PMBOK Guide, Seventh Edition, Section 13.2.3, “Stakeholder Engagement Plan”
Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA) Guide, Section 5.3.2, “Stakeholder Engagement”
During the daily meetings with the team the project manager notices that a new team member is not making the expected progress on an assigned task What should the project manager do?
A.
Ask the new team member to follow the team ground rules.
B.
Ask an experienced team member to identify a replacement
C.
Ask the new team member to reassess their own capabilities
D.
Ask an experienced team member to coach the new team member
Ask an experienced team member to coach the new team member
The project manager should ask an experienced team member to coach the new team member, as this is a strategy for developing the skills and performance of the new team member. According to the PMI website, coaching is one of the interpersonal and team skills that a project manager should have. Coaching is a process of providing guidance, feedback, and support to help someone improve their abilities and achieve their goals. By asking an experienced team member to coach the new team member, the project manager can leverage the knowledge and expertise of the existing team, and foster a culture of learning and collaboration. The project manager can also monitor the progress and results of the coaching, and provide recognition and rewards to both the coach and the coachee.
The other options, asking the new team member to follow the team ground rules, asking an experienced team member to identify a replacement, or asking the new team member to reassess their own capabilities, are not the best ways to deal with a new team member who is not making the expected progress on an assigned task. Asking the new team member to follow the team ground rules may help the new team member to understand the expectations and norms of the team, but it does not address the specific issues or challenges that the new team member is facing. Asking an experienced team member to identify a replacement may be a drastic and demotivating measure, that may not be feasible or fair to the new team member. Asking the new team member to reassess their own capabilities may be a constructive feedback, but it does not provide any support or assistance to the new team member.
References: 1 Interpersonal and Team Skills - Project Management Institute 2 A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Chapter 9.4.2.4 3 Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide, Chapter 5.3.3
A project manager accepts a delivery at the project site but the items are of a poor quality The project manager gets the local vendor to fix the items but more deliveries from this vendor are expected
What should the project manager do going forward?
A.
Allocate extra time to inspect deliveries for quality assurance upon arrival at the site
B.
Review the contract requirements and ask for the applicable evidence for quality assurance
C.
Have the vendor issue the quality documentation prior to the next delivery.
D.
Call the vendor and have them verbally guarantee the quality of the next site delivery
Have the vendor issue the quality documentation prior to the next delivery.
According to the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, one of the key activities in the monitoring and controlling phase of a project is to control quality by verifying that the project deliverables conform to the quality standards and requirements. This involves inspecting and testing the deliverables, reviewing the quality documentation, and requesting corrective actions if needed. The other options are either inefficient, ineffective, or not aligned with the quality management principles. References: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, page 123-124, section 3.5.2.1.
A project manager is managing a complex research project with a high level of uncertainty A request is made to implement a mechanism to measure the quality of the deliverables.
Using a hybrid approach, what techniques can be used to achieve this goal?
A.
Daily Scrum and product owner quality assessments.
B.
Scrum master reviews and the quality Kanban method
C.
Paired work and the customer role method.
D.
Time-boxed iterations and standup review meetings
Paired work and the customer role method.
Paired work is a technique that involves two team members working together on the same task, sharing ideas, feedback, and quality checks. This can improve the quality of the deliverables by reducing errors, increasing creativity, and enhancing collaboration. The customer role method is a technique that assigns a team member to act as the customer or end-user of the deliverable, providing input, validation, and acceptance criteria. This can improve the quality of the deliverables by ensuring they meet the customer’s needs, expectations, and satisfaction. Both techniques are examples of hybrid approaches that combine elements of agile and traditional project management methods, allowing the project manager to adapt to the high level of uncertainty and complexity of the research project.
References: https://www.float.com/resources/hybrid-project-management/
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