CPM Project Initiation & Planning 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A project manager is asked to begin work before a project charter is approved. What is the BEST course of action?
- Begin work immediately to avoid schedule delays
- Request formal charter approval before committing resources (Correct answer)
- Proceed with planning but not execution
- Ask the team to start low-risk tasks only
Correct answer: Request formal charter approval before committing resources
The project charter formally authorizes the project, and work should not begin without this authorization to ensure proper governance.
Question 2: Which planning output defines the total scope of work required to complete the project?
- Project schedule
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) (Correct answer)
- Risk register
- Responsibility Assignment Matrix
Correct answer: Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
The WBS decomposes the total scope of project work into manageable components, serving as the foundation for all other planning.
Question 3: A stakeholder with HIGH power and LOW interest should be managed by:
- Managing closely with frequent updates
- Keeping satisfied with key information (Correct answer)
- Monitoring with minimal communication
- Engaging regularly as active participants
Correct answer: Keeping satisfied with key information
Stakeholders with high power and low interest should be kept satisfied to prevent them from becoming obstacles.
Question 4: What document describes how the project team will execute, monitor, control, and close the project?
- Project charter
- Project management plan (Correct answer)
- Scope statement
- Project brief
Correct answer: Project management plan
The project management plan is the comprehensive document that integrates all subsidiary plans and baselines for project execution.
Question 5: During initiation, a feasibility study concludes that the project is technically possible but ROI is uncertain. What should the project manager recommend?
- Cancel the project immediately
- Present findings to decision-makers for a go/no-go decision (Correct answer)
- Proceed with a reduced scope
- Conduct a risk analysis and begin anyway
Correct answer: Present findings to decision-makers for a go/no-go decision
Uncertain ROI is a business decision that must be escalated to senior stakeholders or sponsors, not resolved unilaterally by the PM.
Question 6: Which element of a project scope statement describes what the project will NOT deliver?
- Deliverables list
- Acceptance criteria
- Project exclusions (Correct answer)
- Constraints section
Correct answer: Project exclusions
Project exclusions explicitly state what is out of scope, helping prevent misunderstandings and scope creep.
Question 7: A project manager is creating a communications management plan. Which factor is MOST important to identify first?
- Communication technology available
- Stakeholder information needs (Correct answer)
- Frequency of status meetings
- Reporting templates to be used
Correct answer: Stakeholder information needs
Understanding what information stakeholders need drives all other communications planning decisions such as format, frequency, and channel.
CPM Project Initiation & Planning 2
A project manager is asked to begin work before a project charter is approved.
What is the BEST course of action?