PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A key vendor informs you that they will be unable to deliver a critical component on time due to a production issue. This component is on the critical path. What should the project manager do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse 'immediate escalation' (updating the risk register or informing the sponsor) with the correct first step of 'analyze and mitigate' — PMI expects the project manager to take proactive, analytical action before communicating upward or taking legal steps.
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
✓
Analyze the impact on the project schedule and explore mitigation options such as fast-tracking or alternate suppliers.
The immediate priority when a critical path component is delayed is to analyze the schedule impact and identify mitigation options (e.g., fast-tracking, crashing, or alternative suppliers) before escalating or taking contractual action. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's iterative risk response process, where the project manager must first assess the situation and determine feasible corrective actions to minimize schedule variance.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
File a claim against the vendor for breach of contract.
Why it's wrong here
Filing a claim for breach of contract is an adversarial and premature response that escalates the situation to a legal dispute without first attempting to collaboratively resolve the issue or understand its full project impact. Project management best practices prioritize problem-solving and mitigation through negotiation and alternative strategies before resorting to costly and time-consuming legal actions, which should be considered a last resort after exhausting other options.
- ✗
Update the risk register and inform the sponsor about the delay.
Why it's wrong here
While updating the risk register and informing the sponsor are essential communication and documentation activities, this option is insufficient as a complete response to a critical vendor failure. It describes monitoring and reporting the issue but fails to include the crucial steps of analyzing the actual impact on project objectives and proactively developing and implementing specific mitigation strategies to address the materialized risk. A project manager must do more than just report; they must also act.
- ✓
Analyze the impact on the project schedule and explore mitigation options such as fast-tracking or alternate suppliers.
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate response because it demonstrates a proactive and systematic approach to issue management. First, analyzing the impact quantifies the problem's severity on the project schedule and other objectives. Second, exploring mitigation options like fast-tracking or alternate suppliers directly addresses the problem by developing actionable solutions to minimize disruption and keep the project on track, aligning with effective risk response planning and execution.
- ✗
Immediately find a new vendor to deliver the component.
Why it's wrong here
Immediately finding a new vendor without prior analysis is a reactive and potentially inefficient approach. This action could lead to suboptimal choices, incur unnecessary costs, or even violate existing contractual obligations with the current vendor. A project manager must first assess the full impact of the delay and evaluate all available mitigation strategies before committing to a potentially costly and complex solution like replacing a key supplier, ensuring the chosen path is the most effective.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PMP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PMP exam.