In a global project, the project manager has to plan and manage communication between the team members and stakeholders in order to ensure the project will remain on track and achieve its goals. What should the project manager do?

1. A. Conduct an integration meeting among all stakeholders.
2. B. Consider cultural differences among stakeholders.
3. C. Understand how political aspects can affect the project.
4. D. Schedule communication training for management-level stakeholders.

Correct Answer: B
According to the PMBOK Guide, the project manager should consider cultural differences among stakeholders when planning and managing communication in a global project. Cultural differences can affect the communication preferences, styles, expectations, and behaviors of the stakeholders, and may lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, or misalignment of goals. The project manager should be aware of the cultural dimensions, such as power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism versus collectivism, masculinity versus femininity, and long-term versus short-term orientation, and how they influence the communication process. The project manager should also use appropriate communication methods, formats, languages, and etiquette to respect and accommodate the cultural diversity of the stakeholders. By considering cultural differences, the project manager can enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of the project communication, and foster trust, collaboration, and stakeholder satisfaction. References: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, pages 29, 376, 377, 378, 379.

A project manager for an IT company starts a project with members distributed across five different countries and four different time zones. In the first meetings with the sponsor and some stakeholders, theproject manager notices that people do not join the meetings on time, have internet connection issues, or experience language barriers during some conversations.
What should the project manager do to improve communication among the team?

1. A. Setup a team communications management plan for the company and team members to follow immediately.
2. B. Explain the benefits of common working hours to aid better communication among the project team.
3. C. Share a contact log document for all the team members to make communication easier.
4. D. Arrange for some initial face-to-face team meetings for the project team to meet each other.

Correct Answer: A
Another possible answer to this question is D. Arranging for some initial face-
to-face team meetings for the project team to meet each other can also help improve communication among the team. Face-to-face meetings can help build trust, rapport, and cohesion among team members, as well as foster a shared understanding of the project goals, roles, and responsibilities23. Face-to-face meetings can also help overcome language and cultural barriers, by allowing team members to observe non-verbal cues, clarify misunderstandings, and learn from each other23.
The other two options, B and C, may not be the best answers to this question. Explaining the benefits of common working hours to aid better communication among the project team may not be feasible or effective, as it may impose unrealistic or unfair expectations on some team members, who may have to work outside their normal hours or sacrifice their personal or family time23. Sharing a contact log document for all the team members to make communication easier may not be sufficient or helpful, as it may not address the underlying issues of communication, such as the quality, frequency, or content of the communication12.
Therefore, based on the web search results, the most likely answer to the question is either A or D, but you will have to verify the answer yourself using the official sources. References: 1: A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition 2: Managing distributed project teams - Project Management Institute 3: Cross culture project management - Project Management Institute

A local company is developing a new product and, for the first time, using a remote team for the programming tasks of features. The design for the product comes from the local team. During the third sprint review, the product owner has concerns about the project's outcomes. The remote development team is complaining that they do not clearly understand the requirements conveyed in the daily standup meetings. How should the project manager address this situation?

1. A. Review lessons learned from previous projects and organizational process assets (OPAs).
2. B. Evaluate and reassign the developing tasks to a local vendor who has worked on previous projects.
3. C. Determine the communication needs, environment, and tools to get the message across.
4. D. Document the risk in the risk management plan and use contingency reserves to hire a local vendor.

Correct Answer: C
= The project manager should address this situation by determining the communication needs, environment, and tools to get the message across. This is because the root cause of the problem is the lack of effective communication between the local and remote teams. The project manager should identify the stakeholders, their information needs, the communication methods, the frequency, the format, and the feedback mechanisms to ensure that the requirements are clearly understood and agreed upon by both teams. The project manager should also consider the cultural, linguistic, and technological differences that may affect the communication process and use appropriate tools and techniques to overcome them.
✑ Option A is not a good action, as reviewing lessons learned from previous projects and OPAs may not provide relevant or useful information for the current situation. The project manager should focus on the current communication issues and not rely on past experiences that may not be applicable or effective.
✑ Option B is not a good action, as evaluating and reassigning the developing tasks to a local vendor who has worked on previous projects may not be feasible or desirable. It may also create additional costs, risks, and delays for the project. The project manager should try to resolve the communication issues with the existing remote team and not change the project scope or resources without proper justification and approval.
✑ Option D is not a good action, as documenting the risk in the risk management plan and using contingency reserves to hire a local vendor is a reactive and costly approach. The project manager should try to prevent or mitigate the risk of communication failure and not wait until it becomes an issue that requires corrective action. The project manager should also not use the contingency reserves for planned changes that are not related to unforeseen events or risks. References:
✑ [PMBOK Guide], 6th edition, page 368, section 10.1
✑ [Agile Practice Guide], page 27, section 2.4.1
✑ [PMP Exam Content Outline], page 10, task 5 under domain 2

A supplier informs the project manager that producing the quantity of a key component for the project will require an additional month. Theproject manager has to meet animportant milestone in a week.
What should the project manager do next?

1. A. Ask the vendor if the minimally sufficient materials can be produced in time to meet the deadline.
2. B. Perform market research to find out if there are other vendors that can produce similar kinds of materials.
3. C. Submit a change request to the change control board (CCB) asking to extend the deadline in order to reflect the late delivery.
4. D. Involve the legal department, as the vendor is breaching the contract by not delivering the full amount in time.

Correct Answer: C
= According to the PMBOK Guide, a change request is a formal proposal to modify any document, deliverable, or baseline. A change request can be initiated by any stakeholder involved with the project, and it must be reviewed and approved by the CCB. The CCB is a formally chartered group responsible for reviewing, evaluating, approving, delaying, or rejecting changes to the project, and for recording and communicating such decisions. In this scenario, the project manager should submit a change request to the CCB as soon as possible, as the delay in the delivery of the key component will affect the project schedule and scope. The project manager should also update the project management plan and other relevant documents to reflect the impact of the change. Asking the vendor for the minimally sufficient materials, performing market research for other vendors, or involving the legal department are not the best options, as they may not resolve the issue in time, incur additional costs, or escalate the conflict with the
vendor. References: = PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, pages 112-114, 123-124, 140-141.

The client will not agree to closure, claiming that the project team has not performed the code inspections mandated in the development contract. The project team has performed the code inspections, however the records are not complete. What should the project manager do?

1. A. Hold a meeting with the project team, project sponsor, and the client to agree to the further work required to close the project and add to lessons learned.
2. B. Close the project and hand over the deliverables to the client.
3. C. Hold a lessons learned workshop with the project team and project sponsor to avoid contractual compliance issues arising in future projects.
4. D. Seek expert legal advice on the interpretation of the clauses in the contract.

Correct Answer: A
= According to the PMBOK Guide, project closure is the process of finalizing all activities across all of the project management process groups to formally complete the project or phase. Project closure involves verifying that the project deliverables meet the acceptance criteria, obtaining formal acceptance from the customer or sponsor, transferring the ownership and responsibility of the deliverables, updating the organizational process assets, archiving the project documents, releasing the project resources, and conducting a lessons learned session. In this scenario, the project manager should hold a meeting with the project team, project sponsor, and the client to agree to the further work required to close the project and add to lessons learned, as this can help to resolve the dispute over the code inspections, ensure the satisfaction and acceptance ofthe client, document the project performance and outcomes, and identify the best practices and improvement opportunities for future projects. Closing the project and handing over the deliverables to the client, holding a lessons learned workshop without the client, or seeking expert legal advice are not the best options, as they may not address the client’s concerns, damage the relationship with the client, or escalate the conflict unnecessarily. References: = PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, pages 284-285, 290-291.