TOPIC: Free PMP® Exam Sample Question

You are managing a project to build a house for a private client. A few weeks before the project's planned completion date, the client calls and asks to add an outdoor sauna to the property. You analyze the project schedule and determine that this change would be fairly easy to implement without having an impact on the completion date.

What should you do first?

A. Begin construction since the project completion date is not violated
B. Review the requested change against all project constraints
C. Have the sponsor verify if the change violates construction regulations
D. Consult with the change control board on how to handle the change

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HINT: You need to make sure you have everything you need to properly handle a change and understand its impacts on the project.

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Answer and Explanation:
The correct answer is B.

A project manager is responsible for overseeing the development of the product of the project. This includes managing changes that arise during execution by balancing competing constraints with the resources available.

In the scenario presented, the project manager is faced with managing a change introduced late in the project life cycle. While it appears that an outdoor sauna will not be difficult to implement and that no negative schedule impacts are anticipated, the change request must still be examined in greater detail using the Perform Integrated Change Control process to assess the impact of the change on other project constraints, such as the the project schedule, costs, quality, resources, risks, etc., and communicate the impact of the change to the client.

What if the cost of adding the sauna will exceed the budget the client had in mind for the project? What if the project does not have enough resources to implement the change? These and other questions should be asked when a change request is properly evaluated.

Therefore, of the choices provided, reviewing the requested change against all project constraints is the best answer to the question asked.

Details for each option:

A. Incorrect. Implementing the change right away does not take into consideration other project constraints such as project costs, quality, risk, etc. By only analyzing a change against the project schedule, the project manager may not have a definitive assessment of what other aspects of the project could be affected by adding scope late in execution. A better answer would have been to begin construction only after a comprehensive evaluation and approval of the change request had been made. However, that option is not listed.

B. Correct. Before a change can be implemented, it must first undergo the Perform Integrated Change Control process in which all change requests are evaluated for their potential impacts on a project. This includes an analysis of any impacts to the project schedule, costs, quality, resources, risks, and other factors.

C. Incorrect. While it is important to understand if the change request could potentially violate construction regulations, this information should be available as part of the enterprise environmental factors that serve as an input to many project management processes. Asking the sponsor to provide this information would be an unwise use of the sponsor's time. Additionally, there is no guarantee the sponsor knows the answer.

D. Incorrect. Consulting with the change control board on how to handle the change is unnecessary, as these procedures are typically available in the project's change management plan. This plan outlines the entire Perform Integrated Change Control process established for the project, including the procedures on how to manage the changes.

Reference: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK^® Guide) – Sixth Edition, Project Management Institute Inc., 2017, Page(s) 113-116

This is a comprehensive explanation of how to properly handle changes in a project. The post correctly emphasizes the importance of analyzing all aspects of a project when considering a change. It's not just about whether the project completion date is unaffected, but also about considering factors such as costs, quality, resources, risks, and more. A great reminder for project managers to always thoroughly assess potential impacts before proceeding with any changes.