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PMP Practice Question: Business Environment: strategy and project benefits
Arrange the steps for developing a project team.
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
✓
Identify needs, then acquire team members, then build the team, then set ground rules, then train
The correct sequence for developing a project team starts with identifying the required skills and resources, then acquiring team members who meet those needs, developing the team's interpersonal and technical skills (building), setting ground rules to guide behavior, and finally providing specific training to close any remaining gaps. This order ensures that team members are in place before development activities begin, and that rules are established to support a productive environment before training is delivered.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Identify needs, then acquire team members, then build the team, then set ground rules, then train
Why this is correct
This sequence accurately reflects the logical progression for effective team development. First, defining the necessary roles, skills, and resources (Identify Needs) provides a clear foundation. Subsequently, selecting and onboarding individuals who possess these competencies (Acquire Team Members) populates the team. Once assembled, the focus shifts to enhancing their collective skills and fostering collaboration (Build the Team). Next, establishing clear behavioral expectations and operational guidelines (Set Ground Rules) ensures harmonious interaction. Finally, providing targeted skill enhancement or knowledge transfer (Train) addresses identified gaps and improves performance.
- ✗
Acquire team members, then identify needs, then build the team, then set ground rules, then train
Why it's wrong here
This sequence is fundamentally flawed because acquiring team members prematurely, before identifying specific needs, leads to inefficient resource allocation and potential skill gaps. Without a clear understanding of required roles, competencies, and project demands, the selection process becomes arbitrary, making it impossible to effectively staff the project with the right individuals. Identifying needs must precede acquisition to ensure strategic team formation and alignment with project objectives.
- ✗
Identify needs, then build the team, then acquire team members, then set ground rules, then train
Why it's wrong here
This order is illogical because "building the team," which encompasses activities like skill development, fostering cohesion, and enhancing collective performance, cannot occur before the actual team members have been acquired. You must first have the individuals in place to develop their capabilities and foster their collective effectiveness. Attempting to build a team before its members are even onboarded is a reversal of logical project management steps, rendering the 'build' phase impossible.
- ✗
Identify needs, then acquire team members, then set ground rules, then build the team, then train
Why it's wrong here
This sequence incorrectly places "set ground rules" before "build the team." While ground rules are crucial for team functioning, they are most effectively established once the team has been acquired and initial team-building activities have commenced, allowing members to contribute to their formation. "Building the team" focuses on developing individual and collective capabilities and relationships, which typically precedes the formalization of operational guidelines and behavioral norms for optimal buy-in and relevance.
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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.