PMP Practice Questions #49
You are the project manager of a project that involves developing a shopping mall and a website to fill the mall with tenants. You’ve decided to outsource the website development part to a vendor. Given the absence of a defined scope of the site, you are opting for an agile approach which gives you the ability to respond to changing requirements in a faster manner. However, your procurement team is not comfortable with this idea, as they feel having defined deliverables for the outsourced work is useful. What should you do next?
A) Override the procurement team’s concerns and proceed with the agile approach since you believe it’s the best method for the project.
B) Take time to define the detailed scope of the website based on current assumptions and make a contract based on that with the provision of change requests.
C) Since outsourcing with an agile approach is complex, cancel the outsourcing decision and decide to develop the website in-house.
D) Collaborate with the procurement team to explain how iterative deliverables and continuous feedback will be managed in the agile approach.
Analysis
This question focuses on a scenario where a project manager overseeing a shopping mall and website development project has decided to outsource the website development using an agile approach but faces resistance from the procurement team. The key issue is how to reconcile the agile approach with the procurement team’s preference for defined deliverables.
Analysis of Options:
Option A – Override the procurement team’s concerns and proceed with the agile approach since you believe it’s the best method for the project. This choice involves imposing the agile approach despite the procurement team’s reservations. It reflects a unilateral decision-making style, disregarding the team’s input. This could lead to conflict and a lack of buy-in from key stakeholders, potentially undermining the project’s success.
Option B – Take time to define the detailed scope of the website based on current assumptions and make a contract based on that with the provision of change requests. This option involves taking time to define a detailed scope based on current assumptions, allowing for change requests in the contract. It represents a compromise between the agile approach and the procurement team’s need for defined deliverables. This hybrid approach, however, might dilute the benefits of a purely agile approach and could lead to complexities in managing changes.
Option C – Since outsourcing with an agile approach is complex, cancel the outsourcing decision and decide to develop the website in-house. Canceling the outsourcing plan addresses procurement’s discomfort with the agile approach but may place additional strain on internal resources. This approach might overlook the benefits of external expertise and could lead to challenges in managing the project within the team’s capabilities and capacity.
Option D – Collaborate with the procurement team to explain how iterative deliverables and continuous feedback will be managed in the agile approach. This option involves working together with the procurement team to clarify how an agile approach can manage iterative deliverables and continuous feedback. It focuses on building understanding and consensus, aligning the team on the benefits and processes of agile methodology. This collaborative approach could lead to a more effective solution that accommodates both the flexibility of agile and the procurement team’s need for clarity.
Conclusion: Option D offers the most comprehensive and collaborative approach. It addresses the procurement team’s concerns through education and engagement, aiming to build a shared understanding of the agile methodology’s benefits. This approach fosters stakeholder alignment and support, which is critical for the successful implementation of an agile approach in a traditionally structured environment.
PMP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
|---|---|
| People | Task 8: Negotiate project agreements |
| People | Task 9: Collaborate with stakeholders |
| Process | Task 13: Determine appropriate project methodology/methods and practices |
Topics Covered
- Agile Contract
- Stakeholder Collaboration
