PMP Practice Test

Mitigate the risk by developing alternative plans to make the solution ready and available without full integration capabilities

Explanation:
According to the PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, risk mitigation is one of the strategies for responding to positive or negative risks. It involves reducing the probability or impact of a risk to an acceptable level. In this case, the project manager should mitigate the risk of the partner’s system being unavailable by developing alternative plans to deliver the solution without relying on the full integration. This will help the project achieve its objectives and satisfy the customer’s needs. The other options are not the best choices because they either do not address the risk, transfer the risk to the partner, or accept the risk without taking any action.

References:
PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, page 4361
Free PMP Practice Exam Questions - 120 Sample Test Questions, Question 692

Review the requirements traceability matrix with the concerned stakeholder.

Explanation:

According to the Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Guide, a requirements traceability matrix is a table that links requirements to their origin and tracks them throughout the project life cycle. A requirements traceability matrix helps to ensure that all requirements are addressed by the project deliverables, and that any changes to the requirements are reflected in the project scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risk. In this scenario, the project manager should review the requirements traceability matrix with the concerned stakeholder to verify if the requirement in question is indeed missing or not. This would help to clarify the source, scope, and status of the requirement, and to identify any gaps, inconsistencies, or conflicts between the requirements and the deliverables. This would also help to avoid any misunderstandings, miscommunications, or assumptions that could lead to stakeholder dissatisfaction or project failure. Checking the approved list of requirements, working with the stakeholder to improve the acceptance criteria, or discussing additional requirements are actions that should be taken after the review of the requirements traceability matrix, not before. These actions do not address the root cause of the situation, which is the possible discrepancy between the requirements and the deliverables. 

References: (Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents)

• Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Guide, Chapter 4, Section 4.3.1.3
• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition, Chapter 5, Section 5.2.2.3
• The Standard for Project Management – Seventh Edition, Chapter 3, Section 3.2.2.3

Hold a meeting with the project team project sponsor and the client to agree to the further work required to close the project and add to lessons learned

Explanation:
According to the PMBOK Guide, project closure is the process of finalizing all activities across all of the project management process groups to formally complete the project or phase1. Project closure involves verifying that all the project deliverables have been completed and accepted by the customer or sponsor, confirming that all the contractual obligations have been met, documenting the project performance and lessons learned, releasing the project resources, and archiving the project records2.

In this question, the project manager is faced with a problem that the client will not agree to closure, claiming that the project team has not performed the code inspections mandated in the development contract. The project team has performed the code inspections, however the records are not complete. This indicates that there is a discrepancy between the contractual requirements and the project documentation, which can lead to disputes, claims, or litigation. The project manager should approach this problem by holding a meeting with the project team, project sponsor, and the client to agree to the further work required to close the project and add to lessons learned. This way, the project manager can facilitate a constructive dialogue among the key stakeholders, clarify the expectations and obligations of each party, negotiate a mutually acceptable solution, and document the agreed actions and outcomes. This will also help to maintain the relationship with the client, ensure customer satisfaction, and capture the lessons learned for future projects.

The other options are not the best actions to take to solve this problem. Seeking expert legal advice on the interpretation of the clauses in the contract is a possible option, but it should be done after trying to resolve the issue amicably with the client and the sponsor. Seeking legal advice may also escalate the conflict and damage the trust and goodwill with the client. Closing the project and handing over the deliverables to the client is not advisable, as it may violate the contract terms and expose the project to legal risks. Holding a lessons learned workshop with the project team and project sponsor to avoid contractual compliance issues arising in future projects is a good practice, but it does not address the current issue with the client and the project closure.

References:

1. PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, p. 123
2. PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, p. 125

Coach the product owner on how to create a product backlog

Explanation:
The project manager should coach the product owner on how to create a product backlog, as this is a key artifact in Scrum and Kanban methodologies. The product backlog is a prioritized list of features, user stories, or requirements that the product owner wants to deliver in the project. The product backlog is dynamic and evolving, and it reflects the value and vision of the product. The product owner is responsible for creating, maintaining, and refining the product backlog, as well as communicating it to the development team and the stakeholders1. The project manager can assist the product owner by providing guidance, feedback, and tools on how to create a product backlog that is clear, concise, and aligned with the project goals and scope. The project manager can also help the product owner to use agile techniques, such as user story mapping, story splitting, and backlog grooming, to break down the functionalities into manageable and testable chunks, and to prioritize them based on value, risk, and dependencies2.

The other options, encouraging the team to subdivide the project tasks, creating a work breakdown structure (WBS), or discussing the product owner’s responsibilities within the project team, are not the best ways to assist the product owner. Encouraging the team to subdivide the project tasks may help the team to plan and execute the work, but it does not address the product owner’s confusion on how to start delivering the functionalities. Creating a WBS may help the project manager to define and organize the project deliverables, but it is not a suitable artifact for agile methodologies, as it is static and rigid, and does not reflect the changing needs and expectations of the customers and stakeholders3. Discussing the product owner’s responsibilities within the project team may help the product owner to understand their role and expectations, but it does not provide practical guidance on how to create a product backlog.

References: 1 A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Chapter 5.4.2.2 2 Agile Practice Guide, Chapter 3.2.2 3 What is a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)? - Project Management Institute

Breakdown the situation to identify the root causes for the disagreement and then work with each stakeholder and participating entity on their exact roles and responsibilities

Explanation

The correct answer is D. According to the PMBOK® Guide, the project manager should manage stakeholder expectations and engagement by applying appropriate tools and techniques, such as stakeholder analysis, communication management, conflict resolution, and negotiation1. The project manager should also use the project charter as a reference document to clarify the project objectives, scope, and deliverables2. By breaking down the situation and identifying the root causes for the disagreement, the project manager can address the underlying issues and concerns of each stakeholder and align them with the project vision and goals. The project manager can then work with each stakeholder and participating entity on their exact roles and responsibilities, and ensure that they are committed and supportive of the project. References: 1: PMBOK® Guide, page 513-514; 2: PMBOK® Guide, page 77-78