PMP - Arun Kumar - Daily Practice Questions

A project involving seven partners is falling behind schedule. The steering committee decides that all conflict resolution attempts must be speed up and requests that the project manager remove the requirement for all parties to make concessions. What should the project manager do?

• Eliminate the withdraw/avoid technique.

• Eliminate the smooth/accommodate technique.

• Eliminate the force/direct technique.

• Eliminate the compromise/reconcile technique.

Answer explanation

The compromise/reconcile technique is a conflict resolution technique in which both parties give up something in order to reach an agreement. If one party is not required to make any concessions, then it is not possible for both parties to compromise.

The other answer choices are incorrect as they are not eliminated by the steering committee's decision. Withdraw/avoid: This technique involves withdrawing from the conflict or avoiding it altogether. The project manager can still allow the parties to use this technique, as long as they do not delay the project. Smooth/accommodate: This technique involves giving in to the other party's demands to avoid conflict. The project manager can still allow the parties to use this technique, as long as they do not delay the project. Force/direct: This technique involves using one's power or authority to get the other party to agree to one's demands. The project manager can still allow the parties to use this technique, as long as they do not delay the project.

This question and rationale were developed in reference to:

PMBOK Guide Seventh Edition (2022) PMI/PMI/ [4.2.7.1 CONFLICT MODEL]

A project is in the execution phase, and product testing is almost complete. A team member proposes that the testing can be fast-tracked by removing some of the tests. The team member believes this will help to finish the job earlier and give the project more float.

What should the project manager do?

• Request more information from the team member.

• Reject the team member's proposal.

• Discuss this proposal with the project team.

• Ask the quality manager to consider the proposal.

Answer explanation

Solution: B. Reject the team member's proposal

Removing certain tests is a risky move, and can't be done just to fast-track the project. The Project Manager should have considered all tests while assigning time for the testing phase. If the project is progressing as per the assigned time, no review of tests is needed, and the proposal should be rejected.

This question and rationale were developed in reference to:

Fundamentals of Technology Project Management, 2nd Ed (2015) Colleen Garton, Erika McCulloch/Mc Press/11/400

| PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition (2018) PMI/PMI/8/293

A manufacturing company receives customer complaints that a product is defective. A project sponsor has said that these complaints might be outliers.

What should the project manager use to investigate the cause and quantity of defects in this product?

• Flowcharts

• Affinity diagram

• Control chart

• Histogram

Answer explanation

Solution: D. Histogram

Histogram is correct because it can show the number of defects per deliverable, a ranking of the cause of defects, the number of times each process is noncompliant, or other representations of project or product defects.

Flowchart is not correct because it show a series of steps that lead to a defect.

Affinity diagram is not correct because it can organize potential causes of defects into groups showing areas that should be focused on the most.

Control chart is not correct because it is used to determine whether or not a process is stable or has predictable performance

A project to develop a new product is nearing its closing phase after 6 months of contributions from the project team and vendor. The project manager has confirmed that the project satisfied the strategic goal it was meant to achieve and received formal documented acceptance from the client and sponsor.

What should the project manager do next?

• Review all contracts with the project team and suppliers.

• Disband the project team and return resources to their functional location.

• Ensure customer care teams have the training to perform their role.

• Document lessons learned for future reference.

Answer explanation

Solution: A. Review all contracts with the project team and suppliers.

When the project manager has confirmed that the project satisfied the strategic goal it was meant to achieve and received formal documented acceptance from the client and sponsor, they should review all contracts with the project team and suppliers. They should make sure that all parties have satisfied their contractual obligations—that the suppliers have delivered all of the products or services required of them and that the organization has made all pertinent payments.

The other answer choices are incorrect. Ensuring customer care teams have the training to perform their role should occur during the project, well before closure. Documenting lessons learned can come after contracts have been reviewed. Disbanding the project team and returning resources to their functional location should be the very last step.

A firm is currently facing a cost overrun and needs liquidity to overcome the financial crisis. A critical project is underway and is expected to bring a reasonable monetary return for the firm, yet, the project is over budget. Senior management needs to assess the project's alignment with organizational objectives and requests that the project manager provide a report on the matter.

What should the project manager do to prepare a report for management?

• Examine and evaluate documents to gain insights and extract meaningful information.

• Compare actual results to planned ones by analyzing the differences between actual performance and budgeted values.

• Identify and analyze patterns, tendencies, or changes in data over a specific period of time.

• Assess the economic feasibility of the project, by comparing the costs with the benefits expected by senior management.

Answer explanation

Solution: B. Compare actual results to planned ones by analyzing the differences between actual performance and budgeted values.

The project manager should compare the actual results of the project to the planned ones by analyzing the differences between actual performance and budgeted values. Comparing actual results to planned ones allows the project manager to assess the project's financial performance and understand where it deviates from the budgeted values. Once the project manager has identified the specific areas where the project is over budget and the root causes of these overruns, they can develop recommendations for addressing these problems and getting the project back on track.

The other options are incorrect because they are not the most directly relevant actions to take when cost overruns and organizational alignment are the primary concerns.

Examining and evaluating documents lacks specificity in addressing the financial crisis and the need to assess the project's alignment with organizational objectives.

Identifying and analyzing patterns may help identify broader trends in the project's performance, but it is not the most directly relevant action.

Assessing the economic feasibility of the project focuses more on the overall economic viability of the project rather than the immediate concerns of cost overruns and organizational alignment.

A project manager works in a matrix organization. Following a reorganization, several key project resources are reassigned to another project. The project no longer has the resources needed to successfully deliver the project.

What should the project manager do?

• Refuse to release the newly reassigned resources.

• Review the communications management plan.

• Review resource allocation and utilization plans.

• Review resource needs with the functional manager.

Answer explanation

Solution: D. Review resource needs with the functional manager.

In a matrix environment, the project resources are typically shared between multiple projects. The project manager should review the project's resource needs with the functional manager because the resources report to their functional managers. The project manager should explain the impact of reassigning the resources and work with the functional manager to minimize the impact of the resource reassignment.

The other answer choices are incorrect.

Refusing to release the reassigned resources is not feasible and is beyond the project manager's authority. Reviewing the communications management plan is not relevant to the situation. Reviewing resource allocation and utilization plans does not address the current resource shortage.

A project manager is beginning a new financial software project in a very competitive environment. The regulations for compliance are clear, but the requirements are not clear. The customer stresses that they need results as soon as possible.

Which implementation approach should the project manager choose for this project?

• Repeating and refining project phases in multiple iterations.

• Progressing through a linear sequence of stages.

• Embracing change and focusing on delivering value.

• Focusing on delivering the project in multiple increments.

Answer explanation

Solution: D. Focusing on delivering the project in multiple increments.

Focusing on delivering the project in multiple increments is correct because it delivers value to the customer before the final project release. Incremental delivery ensures that the customer gets usable and valuable functionality early in the project. This aligns with the customer's desire for quick results and allows for their feedback to be incorporated. Since the requirements are unclear and the environment is competitive, getting feedback from the customer early will reduce rework, promote stakeholder involvement, and provide an early return on investment.

The other options are incorrect because they are not as well-suited for this project.

Repeating and refining project phases in multiple iterations is incorrect because, although this approach allows for early deployment of some functionalities of the project, clarifying requirements with the customer before developing any aspect of the project is more cost effective.

Progressing through a linear sequence of stages is incorrect because it assumes that all requirements can be defined upfront, which is not the case when requirements are unclear. It does not allow for early deployment and the customer will not have an opportunity to clarify requirements until after major development work is done.

Embracing change and focusing on delivering value is a valuable mindset but lacks a specific implementation approach tailored to the challenges of this project.

A project manager is using an agile delivery approach for a project. The team members and business stakeholders are unfamiliar with formal requirements prioritization methods and are inexperienced with agile delivery approaches. The project manager wants to ensure that the critical business requirements will be planned and delivered.

What prioritization technique should the project manager use?

• Get the opinion of all team members and business stakeholders.

• Use a mathematical model defined by the team members and stakeholders.

• Collect the needs of the team members and business stakeholders.

• Reach a common understanding with the team members and stakeholders.

Answer explanation

Solution: B. Use a mathematical model defined by the team members and stakeholders.

The project manager should use a mathematical model like weighted shortest job first (WSJF) is an objective approach for prioritization.

The other answer choices are incorrect. Getting opinions is too subjective; collecting the needs doesn't provide us with prioritization; establishing a common understanding is subjective and can be difficult to achieve.

An organization is under a business transformation. The project manager has been assigned to a project related to one of the new business lines.

What should the project manager and team do before defining the scope of the project?

• Lead a procurement meeting.

• Create a work breakdown structure (WBS).

• Adapt and tailor existing assets.

• Sign off on the business case.

Answer explanation

Solution C. Adapt and tailor existing assets.

The project team will need to tailor existing assets to meet the project’s needs. The team should take advantage of the organization’s existing assets, when appropriate, rather than procuring new ones. The most effective strategy, in general, is to use existing assets that are already in use within the organization. Procuring new assets isn't the best strategy, and building a WBS and signing off come after.

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?

• Start developing the project management plan based on a previous project template from the project management office (PMO).

• 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.

• Conduct benchmarking to determine the business viability of the initiative.

Answer explanation

Solution: C. Plan a working session focusing on the scope, vision, and mission of the initiative

For any project success its critical to initially define vision and mission of the overall initiative even before focusing on detailed planning.

 

Project management plan, determining business viability or impact analysis should be carried out once the initiative is defined properly.