PMP Practice Questions #77
You are managing a large-scale construction project and using a Gantt Chart for scheduling and tracking progress. Recently, you’ve identified potential delays in some tasks on the critical path. These delays could significantly impact the project’s overall timeline if not properly managed. As the project manager, what is the most appropriate immediate action to take in response to the risk of delay on the critical path?
A. Document the risk of delay in the risk register and perform a thorough assessment to understand its implications and potential mitigation strategies.
B. Adjust the distribution of resources across tasks to address the delays without changing the project scope.
C. Rearrange the project schedule to perform some activities in parallel that were initially planned in sequence.
D. Allocate additional resources to the delayed tasks to accelerate their completion.
Analysis:
In managing a large-scale construction project with a Gantt Chart, potential delays on the critical path have been identified. These delays, if not managed effectively, could significantly impact the project’s overall timeline.
Analysis of Options:
Option A: Document the risk of delay in the risk register and perform a thorough assessment to understand its implications and potential mitigation strategies. This option emphasizes a methodical approach to risk management, starting with the documentation of the delay risk in the risk register. It involves an acknowledgment of the potential delay, followed by a detailed analysis to understand its implications and explore viable mitigation strategies. This process ensures a comprehensive understanding of the risk and prepares the project manager to take informed actions to manage it effectively, aligning with best practices in project risk management.
Option B: Adjust the distribution of resources across tasks to address the delays without changing the project scope. This option proposes addressing delays by adjusting the distribution of resources across tasks while keeping the project’s scope unchanged. It represents a direct action response, focusing on immediate task-level adjustments. However, this approach may overlook the broader risk implications and does not follow the structured sequence of acknowledging the risk, analyzing its full impact, and then acting. Such a direct approach might miss critical factors influencing the delay, potentially leading to incomplete solutions.
Option C: Rearrange the project schedule to perform some activities in parallel that were initially planned in sequence. Proposing to rearrange the schedule to perform some activities in parallel that were initially planned in sequence could be a way to fast-track the project. However, this approach might introduce new risks and complications.
Option D: Allocate additional resources to the delayed tasks to accelerate their completion. This involves allocating more resources to delayed tasks to accelerate their completion. This strategy, known as crashing, might address immediate delays but could impact the project’s budget and other resources.
Conclusion: Option A stands out as the most appropriate immediate action. It encapsulates the essential steps in risk management: documenting the risk, performing a thorough assessment, and exploring mitigation strategies. This comprehensive approach ensures that any decision made is well-informed and considers the broader project context. Other options, while potentially useful as subsequent actions, do not encapsulate the initial critical step of risk assessment and documentation.
PMP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
|---|---|
| Process | Task 3: Assess and manage risks |
| Process | Task 6 Plan and manage schedule |
Topics Covered
- Risk Identification and Assessment
- Schedule Compression (Crashing and Fast Tracking)
- Scheduling Tools (Gantt Chart)
- Resource Levelling
