PMP Exam Dumps - Project Management Professional (2025 Version)

In an agile environment, integration is not a separate phase that happens at the end of the project, but rather a continuous activity that happens throughout the project. Integration involves combining the work of different teams or individuals into a coherent whole that meets the customer needs and expectations. Frequent and continuous integration of work allows the project team to obtain early feedback, identify and resolve issues, and learn from the results. This helps to improve the quality, performance, and value of the product, and to reduce the risk of rework, delays, and defects. Therefore, the project manager should have ensured frequent and continuous integration of work to avoid the integration issues and the decline in the product release progress. The other options are not as effective or appropriate as frequent and continuous integration. Forming a separate quality assurance team to test all items at the end of each sprint would create silos, delays, and dependencies, and would not foster collaboration and ownership among the teams. Performing a Scrum of Scrums on a regular basis to help the teams remove impediments would be a good practice, but it would not address the integration issues directly, and it would depend on the frequency and quality of the communication and coordination among the teams. Arranging an online session on the integration concept and suggesting tools to the teams would be helpful, but it would not ensure that the teams actually integrate their work frequently and continuously, and it would not provide feedback and learning opportunities. References: Agile Practice Guide, 1st edition, Chapter 3.4.2, 3.5.2, PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, Chapter 4.4.2, 4.6.2

 Feedback is the process of providing constructive and timely information to the project team members about their performance, behaviour, and contribution to the project. Feedback can help the project team to improve their skills, knowledge, and motivation, and to achieve the project goals and deliverables. According to the Project Management Professional (PMP) Reference Materials1, feedback can be given in various ways, such as:

Formal or informal: Formal feedback is planned and structured, and follows a specific format, criteria, and frequency. Informal feedback is spontaneous and flexible, and does not follow a predefined format or schedule.

Positive or negative: Positive feedback is praise or recognition for doing something well, and aims to reinforce and encourage the desired performance or behaviour. Negative feedback is criticism or correction for doing something poorly, and aims to address and improve the undesired performance or behaviour.

Individual or group: Individual feedback is given to one person at a time, and focuses on their specific performance or behaviour. Group feedback is given to a team or a group of people at the same time, and focuses on their collective performance or behaviour.

In this scenario, the team is working on a critical project deliverable and the project manager is concerned about meeting the deadline. There have been complaints from some stakeholders about some of the team members’ performance. The project manager wants to understand the situation and provide feedback to the team as soon as possible. Therefore, the best three actions that the project manager should take to address this situation are:

Define team ground rules: Team ground rules are the agreed-upon norms and expectations that guide the team’s work and interactions. They can help the team to establish a common vision, purpose, and values, and to define their roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities. They can also help the team to communicate effectively, collaborate efficiently, and resolve conflicts constructively. By defining team ground rules, the project manager can ensure that the team members are aware of and aligned with the project goals and deliverables, and that they respect and support each other’s performance and behaviour.

Perform a retrospective session: A retrospective session is a meeting that allows the team to reflect on their past performance and behaviour, and to identify what went well, what went wrong, and what can be improved. It can help the team to learn from their experiences, celebrate their achievements, and address their challenges. It can also help the team to generate ideas and action plans for future improvement and innovation. By performing a retrospective session, the project manager can provide formal and group feedback to the team, and involve them in the feedback process.

Implement daily team meetings: Daily team meetings are short and frequent meetings that allow the team to share their progress, issues, and plans for the day. They can help the team to stay on track, coordinate their tasks, and solve their problems. They can also help the team to communicate regularly, transparently, and collaboratively. By implementing daily team meetings, the project manager can provide informal and individual feedback to the team members, and monitor and support their performance and behaviour.

The other options are not the best choices, because:

Request a manager performance review: A manager performance review is a formal and individual feedback that is given by the team member’s direct manager, and focuses on their overall performance, behaviour, and career development. It is usually done annually or semi-annually, and follows a specific format and criteria. While a manager performance review can be useful and beneficial for the team member, it is not the responsibility of the project manager, unless they are also the team member’s direct manager. Moreover, it is not the most appropriate or timely feedback for the situation, as it does not address the specific project deliverable, deadline, or stakeholder complaints.

Conduct an annual review: An annual review is a formal and group feedback that is given by the project manager, and focuses on the team’s overall performance, behaviour, and achievements for the year. It is usually done at the end of the year or the project, and follows a specific format and criteria. While an annual review can be useful and beneficial for the team, it is not the most appropriate or timely feedback for the situation, as it does not address the specific project deliverable, deadline, or stakeholder complaints.

 Daily standup meetings are an essential practice of Scrum, which aim to facilitate communication, collaboration, and coordination among the project team members1. Daily standup meetings are short, time-boxed, and focused sessions where each team member answers three questions: what they did yesterday, what they will do today, and what impediments they face2. Daily standup meetings help the team to:

Align their work with the sprint goal and the definition of done

Identify and resolve any issues or dependencies that may affect the sprint progress

Share information, feedback, and ideas with each other

Foster a sense of accountability, transparency, and trust If daily standup meetings are not held or enforced, the team may experience communication gaps, which can lead to misunderstandings, conflicts, delays, or poor quality of work3. Therefore, the project manager or the Scrum master should ensure that daily standup meetings are conducted regularly, effectively, and efficiently, and that all team members participate actively and respectfully4. References:

Daily Stand-up Meeting - Scrum Inc

Daily Scrum - Scrum Guide

Scrum & the challenge of effective communication - Medium

7 ways the Scrum Master can improve Scrum Team Communication

Creating prototypes is a technique to elicit, analyze, and validate requirements by providing a working model of the expected product or service. Prototypes can help reduce ambiguity, resolve conflicts, and obtain feedback from the stakeholders and the development team. Prototypes can also facilitate communication and collaboration across different locations and cultures, and improve the quality and efficiency of the development process. By creating prototypes with the development team, the project manager can ensure that the client’s needs are understood and met, and that the rework and delays are minimized. References: (Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents)

PMBOK® Guide, 6th edition, Section 5.2.2.4, p. 154

PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)® Examination Content Outline, Domain II: Planning, Task 7, p. 9

Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide, Section 4.3.3, p. 93

The project manager should use a collaborative or problem-solving strategy to resolve this conflict in the meeting. This strategy involves finding a solution that fully satisfies the concerns of both parties and results in a win-win outcome. The project manager should ensure that both managers understand the requirements and the impact of their contradiction on the project scope, quality, and schedule. The project manager should also facilitate a constructive dialogue between the managers and help them identify and evaluate alternative solutions that can meet the project objectives and satisfy the stakeholders. The project manager should avoid imposing a decision or favoring one side over the other, as this may lead to resentment, resistance, or further conflict.

Option A is not a good choice, because it does not address the root cause of the conflict or seek a resolution. It may also create confusion, ambiguity, or inconsistency in the project deliverable, as well as increase the project risk and complexity.

Option B is not a good choice, because it does not involve the managers in finding a solution or consider their interests and needs. It may also create dissatisfaction, frustration, or hostility among the managers, as well as affect the project quality and stakeholder satisfaction.

Option D is not a good choice, because it does not foster a cooperative or integrative approach to resolving the conflict. It may also create a competitive or adversarial atmosphere in the meeting, as well as ignore the non-monetary or intangible factors that may influence the managers’ preferences and expectations.

 The project manager should communicate directly with the director and inform them of the communications management plan, which defines how the project information will be exchanged among stakeholders, including the client. By doing so, the project manager can clarify the roles and responsibilities of the project team and the director, and ensure that the project scope is managed according to the agreed process. This will also help to avoid confusion, conflicts, and unauthorized changes in the project. References: (Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials source and documents)

PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, section 10.1.3.1, page 366

PMP Exam Prep, 10th edition, Rita Mulcahy, page 357

PMP Practice Questions #49 - iZenBridge1

The correct answers are A and C. According to the PMBOK® Guide, the five whys and the Ishikawa diagrams are examples of data analysis techniques that can be used to identify the root causes of problems or issues1. The project manager can use these tools to determine why stakeholder engagement is not having the planned effect and address the underlying factors. The communications management plan is a document that describes how project communications will be planned, managed, and controlled2, but it does not help to analyze the reasons for stakeholder engagement issues. The issue log is a project document that records and monitors the issues that arise during a project3, but it does not help to find the root causes of those issues. Open-space meetings are a type of interpersonal and team skills that can be used to facilitate stakeholder engagement and collaboration, but they do not help to diagnose the problem of stakeholder engagement. References: 1: PMBOK® Guide, page 698; 2: PMBOK® Guide, page 377; 3: PMBOK® Guide, page 123; : PMBOK® Guide, page 704

 According to the PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, one of the principles of project management is to collaborate with stakeholders. This means that the project manager should maintain effective communication and engagement with the project stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, especially during changes and transitions. When the customer’s project manager changes during the final stage of a project, the project manager should review the latest project status report and update the stakeholders, including the new customer’s project manager, on the project progress, deliverables, issues, risks, and closure activities. This will help to ensure a smooth handover, alignment of expectations, and timely completion of the project closure process. The project manager should also seek feedback and confirmation from the stakeholders on the project outcomes and satisfaction. References: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, page 9, Principle 2: Collaborate with Stakeholders; page 31, Section 2.3.1, Project Stakeholders; page 41, Section 2.5.2.1, Project Status Report.