PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
You are managing a large-scale project with multiple vendors. One vendor is consistently late in delivering critical components, jeopardizing the project schedule. The vendor blames the delays on your team's incomplete specifications. What should you do first?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to a 'fix the specs' or 'punish the vendor' solution without first validating the root cause, confusing a symptom (late delivery) with the underlying problem (which could be on either side or both).
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
✓
Conduct a root cause analysis with the vendor and your team to identify underlying issues and develop a corrective action plan
As a project manager, your first step should be to investigate the root cause of the conflict before taking corrective action. Conducting a root cause analysis with both the vendor and your team aligns with the PMI's 'Manage Stakeholder Engagement' and 'Manage Team' processes, ensuring you address the underlying issue (incomplete specifications vs. vendor performance) rather than symptoms. This collaborative approach preserves the relationship and prevents recurrence, which is critical for a large-scale project with multiple vendors.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Conduct a root cause analysis with the vendor and your team to identify underlying issues and develop a corrective action plan
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate first step in managing vendor performance issues. A collaborative Root Cause Analysis (RCA) systematically identifies the true underlying causes of delays, rather than just addressing symptoms. Involving both the project team and the vendor fosters shared understanding, accountability, and commitment to developing effective corrective and preventive actions, aligning with PMI's emphasis on proactive problem-solving and stakeholder collaboration.
- ✗
Request that your team rework the specifications to be more detailed and clear
Why it's wrong here
This action prematurely assumes that unclear specifications are the sole cause of the delays without proper investigation. Without a Root Cause Analysis, resources might be misdirected to rework documents that are not the actual problem, potentially overlooking other critical factors such as vendor resource constraints, technical challenges, or external dependencies. This approach addresses a potential symptom rather than the verified root cause, leading to inefficient problem-solving.
- ✗
Replace the vendor with a new one that can meet the deadlines
Why it's wrong here
Replacing a vendor is a drastic and costly measure that should only be considered after all collaborative problem-solving efforts have failed and the root cause is clearly identified as the vendor's inability or unwillingness to perform. This action incurs significant expenses for contract termination, new procurement, and onboarding, while also introducing further project delays due to the learning curve of a new supplier. Without understanding the root cause, the same issues could recur with a new vendor.
- ✗
Formally notify the vendor of the delays and threaten legal action if performance does not improve
Why it's wrong here
Threatening legal action is an adversarial approach that severely damages the crucial working relationship with the vendor and should be a last resort, typically after contractual obligations have been clearly breached and all attempts at collaborative resolution have failed. This action escalates the situation prematurely, potentially leading to costly litigation and further project delays, rather than fostering a cooperative environment to identify and resolve the underlying performance issues. It undermines trust and collaboration essential for project success.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
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.
Key term
Project Team Management
Project Team Management is the process of leading, coordinating, and supporting a group of people to complete project tasks and achieve project objectives.
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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.