PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
In a hybrid project, the team uses Scrum but the organization requires detailed phase-gate reviews. During the gate review, the steering committee asks for a Gantt chart showing all tasks until project completion. The Scrum team only maintains a product backlog and sprint backlogs. Which THREE actions should you take?
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
✓
Create a high-level milestone schedule for the remaining phases
In a hybrid project, the team uses Scrum but the organization requires phase-gate reviews. The steering committee requests a Gantt chart, but the Scrum team only maintains backlogs. To satisfy governance without disrupting the team's agile practices, you should create a high-level milestone schedule for the remaining phases (C), provide a release plan with expected feature delivery dates by sprint (D), and educate the steering committee on agile principles and the value of iterative delivery (E). Converting to pure waterfall (A) is unnecessary and would undermine the benefits of agile. Asking the team to create a detailed Gantt chart for all future sprints (B) is impractical because detailed planning is done sprint by sprint in Scrum.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Convert the project to a pure waterfall approach to meet governance requirements
Why it's wrong here
Converting to a pure waterfall approach would negate the benefits of the chosen hybrid methodology, which leverages agile for development flexibility. This drastic shift would require significant re-planning, re-baselining, and likely re-training, disrupting project momentum and potentially alienating the team. A hybrid approach is specifically designed to integrate agile practices within a more traditional governance framework, making a full conversion unnecessary and counterproductive.
- ✗
Ask the team to create a detailed Gantt chart for all future sprints
Why it's wrong here
Requesting a detailed Gantt chart for all future sprints directly contradicts the agile principle of embracing change and iterative planning. Agile sprints focus on short-term, adaptable plans, where detailed task-level Gantt charts would create a false sense of certainty and rigidity. This approach would impose significant overhead on the team, diverting effort from value delivery and hindering their ability to respond to emergent requirements.
- ✓
Create a high-level milestone schedule for the remaining phases
Why this is correct
Creating a high-level milestone schedule effectively bridges the gap between agile execution and traditional governance needs in a hybrid project. This schedule outlines key project delivery points and significant accomplishments without dictating granular task execution, allowing the scrum team to maintain flexibility within sprints. It provides the necessary strategic oversight for stakeholders while respecting the adaptive nature of agile development.
- ✓
Provide a release plan with expected feature delivery dates by sprint
Why this is correct
A release plan is an essential agile artifact that communicates the anticipated delivery of features over several sprints, providing a forward-looking timeline for stakeholders. This plan offers predictability by outlining which product increments are expected by specific dates or sprint cycles, addressing the need for a timeline without requiring detailed, fixed task schedules. It allows the steering committee to understand the project's progress and future value delivery in an agile-friendly format.
- ✓
Educate the steering committee on agile principles and the value of iterative delivery
Why this is correct
Educating the steering committee on agile principles and the value of iterative delivery is crucial for fostering understanding and managing expectations in a hybrid project. This proactive communication helps align stakeholders with the project's adaptive nature, explaining how value is delivered incrementally rather than through a single, large release. By understanding the benefits of flexibility and continuous feedback, the committee can better support the project's chosen methodology and its outcomes.
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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.