PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
A new regulation impacting your construction project was announced. The compliance team says the project must incorporate additional safety inspections, which will require extra resources and extend the schedule. What should you do FIRST?
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
✓
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for decision
The first step is to escalate the new regulation to the project sponsor because it introduces a critical constraint that may affect the project's viability, scope, or business case. The sponsor has the authority to make high-level decisions about how to proceed, including whether to allocate additional resources or accept changes to the schedule. Submitting a change request (Option B) should come after the sponsor has provided direction. Options C and D are clearly wrong because they either bypass proper governance or ignore legal requirements.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for decision
Why this is correct
Escalating the issue to the project sponsor for decision is the correct initial action for significant external changes like new regulations. The sponsor, as the project's strategic owner and ultimate decision-maker regarding its viability and funding, needs to be informed immediately to assess the strategic impact and provide guidance on the project's future direction before any formal change requests are initiated or detailed impact analyses are performed.
- ✗
Submit a change request to the change control board to assess the impact and obtain approval
Why it's wrong here
This is not the first step because a change request should be submitted after the sponsor has been consulted and has provided guidance. The CCB typically approves changes that have been vetted at the sponsor level.
- ✗
Instruct the team to start implementing the additional inspections immediately
Why it's wrong here
Instructing the team to immediately implement additional inspections bypasses the formal Integrated Change Control process, a critical project management discipline. Such an action constitutes unauthorized scope creep and can lead to unapproved resource allocation, budget overruns, and schedule delays without proper impact assessment or stakeholder approval, undermining project governance and control.
- ✗
Ignore the regulation since it was not part of the original project scope
Why it's wrong here
Ignoring a new regulation, even if it wasn't part of the original scope, is a severe breach of project management responsibility. Projects must always comply with all applicable laws and regulations throughout their lifecycle. Non-compliance can result in significant legal penalties, fines, project suspension, reputational damage, and ultimately, project failure, making this an unacceptable risk posture.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way this is tested on PMP
These questions test the same concept from different angles. Work through them to make sure you can recognise it however the exam phrases it.
Variation 1. Your project is in the execution phase when a new government regulation is announced that could affect your project's compliance requirements. The regulation is not yet in effect but will be before project completion. What should you do FIRST?
hard- ✓ A.Analyze the regulation's impact on the project and initiate a change request if needed
- B.Inform the team to assume compliance and adjust their work accordingly
- C.Stop all project work until the regulation is clarified
- D.Continue the project as planned since the regulation is not yet in effect
Why A: The PMBOK Guide requires that when a new regulation is announced, the project manager must first analyze its impact on the project's compliance requirements. Since the regulation will be in effect before project completion, proactive assessment is needed to determine if a change request is necessary to align the project with future legal obligations. This follows the 'plan-do-check-act' cycle and ensures the project remains compliant without unnecessary disruption.
JA
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.