PMI-ACP Practice Questions #62
Management is hesitant to allocate resources for establishing a Community of Practice (CoP) within your organization, citing concerns about cost and effort. As a leader committed to driving organizational growth and efficiency, you aim to convince them by emphasizing the strategic value of CoPs.
Which statement best highlights the value of a Community of Practice to address management’s concerns?
A. CoPs enhance employee engagement by fostering a sense of belonging, reduce project risks through shared lessons learned, and ensure consistent application of best practices across teams.
B. CoPs require time investment only from scrum masters, take time to show results, rely solely on voluntary participation, and all activities occur outside office hours.
C. CoPs focus on training individuals, reduce the need for formal training programs, help standardize processes, and streamline audit procedures.
D. CoPs encourage informal collaboration to solve real-time challenges, with the primary objective of driving continuous innovation.
Analysis
The question revolves around convincing management about the strategic value of a Community of Practice (CoP) to overcome concerns related to cost and effort. A CoP is a structured group focused on knowledge sharing, best practices, and continuous improvement. The ideal response should highlight:
- Employee engagement – fostering collaboration and learning.
- Risk reduction – leveraging shared knowledge to prevent common mistakes.
- Best practice dissemination – ensuring consistency across teams.
The best option should align with these objectives without introducing misconceptions about CoPs.
Analysis of Options:
A: CoPs enhance employee engagement by fostering a sense of belonging, reduce project risks through shared lessons learned, and ensure consistent application of best practices across teams.
✅ This correctly represents CoPs. It highlights key benefits:
- Employee engagement (sense of belonging).
- Risk reduction (shared lessons learned).
- Knowledge sharing across teams (best practices).
⚠ The phrase “ensure consistent application” is slightly strong, as CoPs facilitate but do not enforce best practices. However, given the choices, this best represents CoPs.
B: CoPs require time investment only from Scrum Masters, take time to show results, rely solely on voluntary participation, and all activities occur outside office hours.
❌ Incorrect and misleading.
- CoPs are open to various roles, not just Scrum Masters.
- They are not exclusively voluntary; organizations may formally support them.
- They occur during office hours as part of knowledge-sharing efforts.
This misrepresents how CoPs function, making it an easy elimination.
C: CoPs focus on training individuals, reduce the need for formal training programs, help standardize processes, and streamline audit procedures.
❌ Partially correct, but misleading.
- CoPs do not replace formal training programs—they complement them.
- Standardization and audit procedures may benefit from CoPs, but they are not primary objectives.
- The focus of CoPs is collaboration and knowledge sharing, not just training.
Thus, this misrepresents the core value of CoPs.
D: CoPs encourage informal collaboration to solve real-time challenges, with the primary objective of driving continuous innovation.
❌ Misleading.
- CoPs do encourage collaboration, but they are not solely informal.
- Continuous innovation is not their primary focus—it’s a byproduct.
- Some CoPs focus on innovation, but others prioritize knowledge sharing, process improvement, and problem-solving.
Conclusion
The best answer is Option A, as it correctly represents CoPs as a collaborative, knowledge-sharing structure that enhances engagement, reduces risks, and spreads best practices. While the wording could be slightly refined, it is the most accurate choice among the given options.
PMI – ACP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
| Leadership | Promote Knowledge Sharing |
Topics Covered:
- Employee Engagement: CoPs foster a sense of belonging by encouraging collaboration and learning, improving team morale.
- Risk Reduction: By sharing lessons learned, CoPs help reduce project risks and prevent common mistakes.
- Best Practice Dissemination: CoPs support the consistent application of best practices across teams, improving quality and efficiency.
- Knowledge Sharing: CoPs encourage the sharing of knowledge, ensuring that team members continuously learn and improve.
- Continuous Improvement: CoPs drive growth and efficiency by enabling ongoing innovation, process improvement, and problem-solving.
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