CAPM Practice Question: Project Management Fundamentals and Core Concepts
You are a project manager in a functional organization managing a software upgrade project. The functional managers control resources and priorities. Your project requires a senior developer from the IT department for two weeks starting next Monday. The IT functional manager informs you that the developer is assigned to an urgent operational issue and cannot be released until further notice. The project has a fixed deadline in four weeks, and any delay will impact the next phase. You have already used your influence and escalated to senior management, but the functional manager insists on keeping the developer. What should you do next?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Negotiate with the functional manager for partial release of the developer or a qualified replacement
In a functional organization, the project manager has limited authority over resources. Since the functional manager controls the developer's assignments, negotiating for a partial release (e.g., part-time work) or a qualified replacement is the most realistic next step to minimize project delay. Updating the schedule (A) would be premature without exhausting negotiation. Escalating to the CEO (B) may bypass the functional manager and damage relationships, and ordering the developer to work (D) is beyond the PM's authority in this structure.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Update the project schedule to reflect the delay and inform stakeholders
Why it's wrong here
Prematurely accepting delay without exhausting options is not proactive.
- ✗
Escalate the issue to the CEO to override the functional manager
Why it's wrong here
Further escalation may damage relationships and is unlikely to succeed if senior management already refused.
- ✓
Negotiate with the functional manager for partial release of the developer or a qualified replacement
Why this is correct
Negotiation is the most effective approach given the project manager's limited authority.
- ✗
Direct the developer to work on the project despite the functional manager's order
Why it's wrong here
In a functional organization, the project manager lacks authority to countermand the functional manager.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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