PMP Practice Questions #25
You are the Project Manager for a project aimed at automating the production planning process of a manufacturing company using software. A key stakeholder approaches you with concerns about the long-term business benefits of this automation. How should you best address the stakeholder’s query?
A) Reiterate the objective of the project using the Project Charter to ensure they understand what the project will deliver.
B) Review the Benefit Management Plan with the stakeholder, outlining how the benefits of automation will be realized and tracked over its lifecycle.
C) Review the Project Management Plan with the stakeholder, outlining the key milestones and metrics used to track the benefits during project execution.
D) Share the recent Project Performance Report and highlight the Outcome metrics tracked in the report.
Analysis
The question centres around a project manager’s responsibility to assure a key stakeholder about the long-term business benefits of a project focused on automating the production planning process. The stakeholder is concerned about the justification of the investment in terms of the benefits automation will bring over multiple years. The correct response should address the stakeholder’s concerns about the enduring benefits post-project completion.
Analysis of Options:
Option A: Reiterate the objective of the project using the Project Charter to ensure they understand what the project will deliver. This option, while helpful in providing clarity on the project’s objectives, falls short of addressing the stakeholder’s concerns about long-term benefits. The Project Charter primarily outlines the benefits the project is expected to deliver but doesn’t encompass details on tracking or realizing benefits over an extended period post-project. Therefore, it’s not the best option.
Option B: Review the Benefit Management Plan with the stakeholder, outlining how the benefits of automation will be realized and tracked over its lifecycle. This option directly addresses the stakeholder’s concern. The Benefit Management Plan is a document that details how the project’s benefits will be achieved and maintained over time. It involves identifying a benefit owner and establishing mechanisms for tracking benefits during and beyond the project’s duration. By aligning the project’s long-term value with the stakeholder’s concerns, this option stands out to clarify the stakeholder’s concerns.
Option C: Review the Project Management Plan with the stakeholder, outlining the key milestones and metrics used to track the benefits during project execution. Though this option might demonstrate the project’s alignment with its objectives and how benefits are tracked during project duration. it doesn’t provide information on the long-term benefits realization post-project completion. It only covers part of what the stakeholder is worried, focusing on the project duration rather than the entire lifecycle of the product or service being developed. Hence, it’s not the best choice.
Option D: Share the recent Project Performance Report and highlight the Outcome metrics tracked in the report. This option, akin to option C, limits itself to the project duration. While it shows the progress and immediate outcomes of the project, it fails to address the stakeholder’s concern about the long-term benefits and the justification of the investment over multiple years. It’s more of an execution-phase update and doesn’t cover the post-project timeframe.
Conclusion: The question tests the project manager’s role in assuring stakeholders about the long-term value and benefits. It also underlines the significance of the Benefit Management Plan in this discussion. Option B is the correct answer. Why? Because it speaks directly to the stakeholder’s worries. It outlines how the project’s benefits will be achieved and maintained over time. It involves identifying a benefit owner and establishing mechanisms for tracking benefits during and beyond the project’s duration
PMP Exam Content Outline Mapping
| Domain | Task |
|---|---|
| Business | Task 2: Evaluate and deliver project benefits and value |
| People | Task 9: Collaborate with stakeholders |
Topics Covered
- Benefits Management Plan
- Stakeholders Engagement
