PMP Practice Test

Reviewed the communications management plan before inviting an external client representative to the meeting

Explanation

The communications management plan is a component of the project management plan that describes how project communications will be planned, structured, implemented, and monitored for effectiveness. It also defines the communication requirements, methods, and channels for different stakeholders, as well as the confidentiality and security levels of the information to be shared. The project manager should have reviewed the communications management plan before inviting an external client representative to the meeting, to ensure that the information presented was appropriate and authorized for external disclosure. The project manager should also have obtained the approval of the project sponsor and the CEO before sharing any sensitive or confidential information with the external client representative. By not reviewing the communications management plan, the project manager may have violated the communication policies and protocols of the organization, and potentially compromised the project’s budget, scope, quality, or schedule. This could have caused the CEO to end the meeting abruptly, to avoid further disclosure of information that could harm the project or the organization. The other options are not the best choices because they do not address the root cause of the situation, which is the lack of review of the communications management plan. Reviewing the cost management plan with internal participants and CEO prior to inviting an external client representative to the meeting (option B) may be a good practice, but it does not ensure that the information shared with the external client representative is appropriate and authorized. Performing a root cause analysis with the external client representative and documenting the findings in the lessons learned register (option C) may be useful after the situation has occurred, but it does not prevent the situation from happening in the first place. Sending the presentation slides to internal participants first and then to the external client representative prior to the meeting (option D) may also be a good practice, but it does not guarantee that the information in the slides is suitable and approved for external communication.

References:

Project Management Professional (PMP) Reference Materials:
A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), Sixth Edition, Chapter 10: Project Communications Management, pp. 361-411
Project Communication Management According to the PMBOK

Professional in Business Analysis (PBA) Reference Materials:
Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide, Chapter 4: Planning Business Analysis Work, pp. 59-60
Effective Project Communication Plan Template: TeamGantt

Rolling wave planning

Explanation:

Rolling wave planning is a project planning technique that allows the project manager to plan and execute the project in short iterations, based on the available information and the level of detail required12. Rolling wave planning is suitable for projects that have a high degree of uncertainty, complexity, or change, such as a component development project13. Rolling wave planning can help the project manager to accelerate the deliverable by enabling the following benefits123:

• It reduces the risk of rework and waste by allowing the project manager to adjust the plan as more information becomes available or as the requirements change.
• It increases the flexibility and responsiveness of the project team by allowing them to focus on the most important and urgent tasks in each iteration, rather than following a rigid and detailed plan.
• It improves the quality and customer satisfaction of the deliverable by allowing the project manager to incorporate feedback and lessons learned from each iteration into the next one, and by delivering incremental value to the customer.
• It enhances the collaboration and communication among the project team and stakeholders by involving them in the planning and execution of each iteration, and by providing frequent and transparent updates on the project progress and status.

The other options are not the best techniques to accelerate the deliverable in this scenario. Impact mapping (A) is a strategic planning technique that helps the project manager to align the project deliverables with the organizational goals and the customer needs, by identifying the actors, impacts, and deliverables involved45. However, impact mapping does not address the issue of how to plan and execute the project in a fast and adaptive way, especially when the project has failed to comply with a product functionality. Collective code ownership © is a software development practice that encourages the entire team to share the responsibility and the authority to modify any code file as necessary, to improve the quality, the performance, and the functionality of the software product67. However, collective code ownership does not address the issue of how to plan and execute the project in a fast and adaptive way, especially when the project has a predominantly predictive approach. Scrum of Scrums (D) is a scaling technique that helps multiple Scrum teams to coordinate and collaborate on complex and interdependent projects, by having representatives from each team meet regularly to report on their progress, their impediments, and their dependencies89. However, Scrum of Scrums does not address the issue of how to plan and execute the project in a fast and adaptive way, especially when the project has a predominantly predictive approach.

References:
https://www.teamgantt.com/waterfall-agile-guide/hybrid-approach https://www.float.com/resources/hybrid-project-management/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolling-wave_planning

Issue log

Change log

Explanation:
According to the PMBOK® Guide, the issue log is a project document that records and tracks the issues that arise during a project and how they are resolved1. The change log is a project document that records all the changes that occur during a project, including their status, description, and impact2. The project manager should update these two documents as soon as possible to reflect the invoices with errors and the actions taken to correct them. The risk register is a project document that identifies and analyzes the project risks and their responses3, but it does not record the issues that have already occurred. The stakeholder register is a project document that identifies and classifies the project stakeholders and their requirements4, but it does not record the issues or changes that affect them. The backlog register is not a standard project document, but it may be used in agile projects to list the product features or user stories that need to be delivered, but it does not record the issues or changes that affect the product quality. 

References:

1. PMBOK® Guide, page 123;
2. PMBOK® Guide, page 122;
3. PMBOK® Guide, page 436;
4. PMBOK® Guide, page 513; : Agile Practice Guide, page 77

Submit a change request to increase the budget and buy new equipment

Explanation:

• According to the PMBOK Guide, a change request is a formal proposal to modify any document, deliverable, or baseline of a project. Change requests can be initiated by any stakeholder, including the project team, and should be processed through the perform integrated change control process.
• In this scenario, the project team has identified a potential risk that could affect the quality and schedule of the next iteration of the project. The team has also proposed a solution to mitigate the risk by buying new equipment. This solution would require an increase in the project budget, which is a baseline that needs to be approved by the project sponsor or customer.
• Therefore, the project manager should submit a change request to increase the budget and buy new equipment, and follow the change control procedures to obtain the necessary approval and authorization. This would ensure that the project scope, schedule, and quality are not compromised, and that the project stakeholders are aware of and agree with the proposed change.

The other options are not appropriate because:

• Checking the project budget to verify if there is enough contingency reserve (option A) is not sufficient to address the issue. Contingency reserves are funds set aside to cover known risks that may or may not occur during the project. Even if there is enough contingency reserve, the project manager still needs to submit a change request to use it and update the project baseline.
• Reviewing the cost management plan to determine how to address this issue (option B) is also not sufficient to address the issue. The cost management plan is a component of the project management plan that describes how the project costs will be planned, estimated, budgeted, managed, and controlled. It does not provide specific guidance on how to deal with changes that affect the project budget. The project manager still needs to follow the change control procedures and submit a change request.
• Telling the team members that more equipment is not part of the project’s scope (option C) is not a constructive or collaborative way to deal with the issue. The project manager should not ignore or dismiss the team’s input and recommendations, especially if they are based on valid and relevant information. The project manager should respect the team’s expertise and experience, and work with them to find the best solution for the project.

References:
[PMBOK Guide] - A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc., 2021.

Continually survey the quality of the deliverable

Explanation:
This answer is based on the PMI Guide to Business Analysis, which is one of the reference materials for the PMI-PBA exam1. According to the guide, quality is the degree to which a set of inherent characteristics fulfill requirements2. Quality requirements are the criteria that define the acceptable level of performance, reliability, usability, and other attributes of the project deliverables2. In a hybrid approach, which combines predictive and adaptive methods, the project manager should continually survey the quality of the deliverable to ensure that it meets the quality requirements and the stakeholder expectations2. This can be done by using various quality management tools and techniques, such as inspections, audits, reviews, testing, feedback, and metrics2. Continual quality surveillance helps the project manager to identify and correct any defects, errors, or deviations from the quality standards, and to prevent or mitigate any risks related to quality2. The other options are not correct because they are either part of the planning phase or not sufficient to ensure full compliance of quality requirements during the execution phase.

References:
PMI Guide to Business Analysis
Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials