Pass PMP Exam Guide

According to the PMBOK® Guide Seventh Edition, one of the agile practices that can be used in a predictive environment is incremental delivery. This means that the project delivers value to the customer or end user in small increments throughout the project life cycle, rather than waiting until the end of the project to deliver the final product. Incremental delivery allows the project to respond to changing requirements, reduce risks, and increase customer satisfaction. To support incremental delivery, the project manager should also perform frequent backlog refinement, which is the process of reviewing, prioritizing, and updating the list of features or requirements that the project team will work on. Backlog refinement helps the project manager and the team to align their work with the customer’s needs and expectations, and to adjust the scope and schedule accordingly. References:

• PMBOK® Guide Seventh Edition, page 29
• Agile Practice Guide, page 13

 According to the PMBOK Guide, the project manager should follow the change management process to handle any change request, regardless of the source or nature of the change. The change management process involves identifying, analyzing, documenting, presenting, deciding, communicating, and implementing the change request. The first step in this process is to validate the proposed change’s impact on the project, which means assessing how the change would affect the project scope, schedule, cost, quality, risk, and other aspects. This would help the project manager to determine the feasibility, desirability, and priority of the change request, and to prepare a recommendation for the change control board (CCB). The project manager should not check the budget, accept, or refuse the change request without validating its impact first, as these actions would bypass the change management process and could lead to negative consequences for the project. References:

• PMBOK Guide’s Change Management Process For PMP Exam
• Change Management Process for Project
• Managing Change in Organizations: A Practice Guide

According to the PMBOK Guide, the project manager should use a collaborative or problem-solving approach to handle conflicts, as it results in a win-win situation and enhances the project performance1. The project manager should also communicate with the team members and involve them in the decision-making process, as it fosters trust and commitment2. Therefore, the best option is to meet the team member and try to plan a course of action together. Option A is incorrect because guiding the team member on how to resolve the conflict may not address the root cause of the conflict or the impact on the project schedule. Option B is incorrect because analyzing the project schedule and looking for alternatives may not consider the team member’s perspective or input. Option C is incorrect because performing crashing and/or fast tracking of the schedule may not resolve the conflict or may introduce new risks or issues to the project. References: 1: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, section 9.5.2.1, p. 363 2: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, section 9.4.2.3, p. 356

According to the PMBOK Guide, scope management in agile projects is different from scope management in predictive life cycle projects. In agile projects, the scope is not fixed or detailed at the beginning of the project, but rather it is progressively elaborated and refined throughout the project. Agile projects use an adaptive and iterative approach to deliver value to the customer in short and frequent increments, called sprints or iterations. Agile projects use techniques such as user stories, product backlog, story mapping, story points, and minimum viable product (MVP) to define, prioritize, estimate, and validate the scope. Therefore, the project manager should spend a short amount of time defining the scope and building prototypes to refine the requirements, rather than creating a detailed scope baseline or a rigid plan. By doing so, the project manager can:

• Involve the customer and the team in defining and clarifying the scope
• Incorporate feedback and changes quickly and easily
• Deliver the most valuable features and functionalities first
• Reduce waste and rework
• Increase customer satisfaction and trust

The other options are not the best choices, because:

• Creating a scope baseline and putting the rest as backlog activities would limit the flexibility and responsiveness of the project, and would not allow the scope to evolve based on customer needs and feedback.
• Estimating the work the team can complete and defining story sizes to keep the project under control would be part of the scope management process, but not the only or the best way to manage and control the scope. The project manager should also prioritize, validate, and adjust the scope as the project progresses.
• Developing a plan to complete more work in less time would not be realistic or sustainable, and would compromise the quality and value of the project. The project manager should focus on delivering the right work, not more work. References:
• Scope Management | PMI
• Agile Scope Management: Refactor Your PMP - LeadingAgile
• Considerations for Agile/Adaptive Projects | PMP - GreyCampus