First Action When a Key Team Member Resigns Unexpectedly
During a project, a key team member resigns unexpectedly. The project manager needs to fill the role quickly. What is the first action the project manager should take?
Quick Answer
The answer is to review the project management plan to determine resource requirements and update the staffing plan. This is correct because the project management plan contains the approved resource management plan, which defines the specific roles, responsibilities, and skill sets needed for each position, ensuring any replacement aligns with the project’s budget and scope rather than being an ad-hoc decision. On the PMP exam, this scenario tests your understanding of the Resource Management knowledge area and the principle that planning documents always guide corrective actions before execution. A common trap is jumping straight to recruiting or reassigning a team member, which violates the process-driven approach the exam rewards. Remember the memory tip: “Plan before you fill” — always consult the plan first to confirm what the role actually requires before taking any staffing action.
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates may jump to immediate recruitment or reassignment actions (options B, C, or D) without first consulting the project management plan, which is the mandatory first step per PMI’s process-driven approach to resource management.
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
✓
Review the project management plan to determine resource requirements and update the staffing plan.
The project manager must first refer to the project management plan to identify the documented resource requirements, roles, and responsibilities for the vacant position. This ensures that any replacement aligns with the approved staffing management plan and avoids ad-hoc decisions that could violate budget or skill specifications. Updating the staffing plan is the foundational step before initiating any recruitment or reassignment actions.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Review the project management plan to determine resource requirements and update the staffing plan.
Why this is correct
Reviewing the plan first identifies the documented role requirements, reporting lines and skill set before any recruitment or reassignment occurs. This satisfies the stem's need to fill the vacancy quickly by grounding the replacement decision in approved resource baselines rather than ad hoc action.
- ✗
Contact the former employee to negotiate a return.
Why it's wrong here
Negotiating a return presumes the resignation is reversible, but the stem gives no indication of that; the first action is to review the resource management plan and assess options. Re-engagement suits a scenario where the employee left on good terms and the role is critical and hard to replace.
- ✗
Ask the sponsor to reassign someone from another project.
Why it's wrong here
Escalating to the sponsor skips the project manager's own responsibility to first assess the vacancy's impact and check internal or functional-manager options. Sponsor reassignment is warranted only after internal sourcing fails and the schedule or budget truly cannot absorb the gap.
- ✗
Immediately post a job opening for the same role.
Why it's wrong here
Posting externally ignores the PMBOK sequence: the project manager must first assess the impact and consult resource management plans, then check internal availability before recruiting. External advertising is correct only when internal sourcing and negotiation have been exhausted and the role genuinely requires new hires.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Team Building and Psychological Safety
Key term
Training and Development
Training and Development is the process of enhancing team members' skills, knowledge, and competencies to improve project performance and achieve career growth.
Key term
Project Management Plan
A formal, approved document that defines how a project is executed, monitored, controlled, and closed, serving as the single source of truth for the project team.
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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. During a project transition, a key team member resigns unexpectedly. The project manager needs to ensure knowledge transfer and minimize impact. Which THREE actions should the project manager take? (Choose three.)
medium- ✓ A.Redistribute the departing member's tasks among the team based on capacity and skills, and update the work breakdown structure
- ✓ B.Arrange for the departing member to document key processes and create a handover document
- C.Ask the remaining team members to absorb the departing member's tasks
- D.Immediately hire a replacement with similar skills
- ✓ E.Conduct an exit interview with the departing team member to document knowledge
Why A: Option A is correct because redistributing the departing member's tasks according to team capacity and skills ensures work continues efficiently, and updating the work breakdown structure keeps the project plan accurate and reflects the new task ownership. Option B is correct because having the departing member document key processes and create a handover document captures critical tacit knowledge before they leave, directly supporting knowledge transfer and reducing project disruption. Option E is correct because an exit interview documents the departing member's knowledge, insights, and lessons learned, which helps preserve institutional knowledge and informs future project decisions. Option C is not appropriate because simply asking remaining members to absorb tasks without assessing capacity or skills risks overload and quality issues. Option D is not appropriate because immediately hiring a replacement is not always feasible and does not by itself ensure knowledge transfer or minimize short-term impact.
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.