PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
You are the project manager for a large construction project. An executive stakeholder has been bypassing you and directly giving instructions to the site supervisor to add extra features. The supervisor complied, and now the project is experiencing scope creep. The changes have not been formally approved. What should the project manager 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
✓
Schedule a meeting with the executive stakeholder to explain the impact of the unauthorized changes and request that all change requests go through the formal process.
The PM should address the root cause by communicating with the executive stakeholder and reinforcing the change control process. Option A is correct because it addresses the behavior directly and professionally, educating the stakeholder on the need for formal change requests to manage scope creep.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✓
Schedule a meeting with the executive stakeholder to explain the impact of the unauthorized changes and request that all change requests go through the formal process.
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate first action. It directly addresses the executive stakeholder, who is the source of the unauthorized changes, to educate them on the project's formal change control process and its importance. Explaining the impact on scope, schedule, and budget fosters understanding and reinforces project governance, aiming to prevent future unauthorized modifications and ensure all changes are properly evaluated and approved.
- ✗
Update the project management plan to include the new features and adjust the budget and schedule accordingly.
Why it's wrong here
Updating the project management plan to incorporate unauthorized changes without formal review and approval from the Change Control Board (CCB) is incorrect. This action bypasses established project governance, legitimizes non-compliant behavior, and sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the integrity of the change control process. It fails to address the root cause of the unauthorized modifications.
- ✗
Direct the site supervisor to stop all work and revert the changes.
Why it's wrong here
Directing the site supervisor to immediately stop work and revert changes is an overly aggressive and potentially disruptive response. This action could lead to significant rework costs, schedule delays, and unnecessary conflict with the executive stakeholder, without addressing the underlying issue of why the formal change process was bypassed. It fails to engage the stakeholder constructively.
- ✗
Issue a change order retroactively to document the changes.
Why it's wrong here
Issuing a change order retroactively to document unauthorized changes is inappropriate because it legitimizes actions taken outside the formal change control process. While documentation is crucial, doing so retroactively without first addressing the process breach and obtaining proper approvals effectively condones the bypass, failing to reinforce project governance or prevent similar future incidents.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Introduction to the PMP Exam and Project Management Basics
Key term
Change Control Process
A formal, structured procedure used to manage any changes to a project's scope, schedule, budget, or requirements, ensuring every modification is reviewed, approved, tested, and documented before implementation.
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Same concept, more angles
3 more ways 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. A key stakeholder on your project has been sending emails directly to team members, bypassing you as the project manager. This has caused confusion, as team members are receiving conflicting instructions. What should you do FIRST?
medium- ✓ A.Meet with the stakeholder to discuss the communication channels and reinforce the project's governance structure
- B.Escalate the issue to the project sponsor and request that the stakeholder be removed from the project
- C.Instruct the team to ignore any requests from the stakeholder that have not been approved by you
- D.Submit a change request to update the communications management plan
Why A: The project manager should address the issue directly with the stakeholder to clarify communication channels and reinforce the project's governance. Option B is incorrect because escalating to the sponsor should be a last resort after direct communication fails. Option C is incorrect because instructing the team to ignore the stakeholder could damage the relationship and escalate conflict. Option D is incorrect because updating the communications management plan may be needed later, but the first step is to resolve the issue through direct conversation.
Variation 2. Your project is in the execution phase. An executive stakeholder has been directly assigning tasks to team members without going through you. Several team members are confused about priorities. What should you do FIRST?
medium- A.Update the stakeholder engagement plan to reduce the stakeholder's influence
- B.Ignore the issue and try to align the team's priorities yourself
- C.Inform the sponsor about the stakeholder's behavior
- ✓ D.Speak with the stakeholder privately to explain the impact of bypassing the PM and reinforce the communication plan
Why D: The correct first step is to speak privately with the stakeholder to explain the impact of bypassing the project manager and reinforce the established communication plan. This aligns with the PMBOK Guide's principle of managing stakeholder engagement through direct, respectful communication to resolve issues at the lowest appropriate level before escalating. By addressing the root cause—the stakeholder's lack of awareness or disregard for the communication protocol—you can restore clarity on priorities without prematurely escalating or undermining the stakeholder's relationship.
Variation 3. You are the project manager for a large IT infrastructure upgrade. An executive stakeholder has been bypassing you and directly assigning tasks to team members. This has caused confusion and rework. What should you do FIRST?
hard- A.Update the stakeholder engagement plan and communicate the escalation path
- ✓ B.Schedule a meeting with the executive stakeholder to discuss the impact of bypassing the PM and reinforce the communication plan
- C.Instruct the team members to ignore any requests from the executive
- D.Escalate the issue to the project sponsor and request intervention
Why B: The first step in resolving unauthorized task assignments is to directly address the executive stakeholder, clarify the negative impact on the project (e.g., rework, resource contention), and reinforce the approved communication plan. This aligns with the PMI principle of managing stakeholder expectations through proactive communication, not escalation or confrontation.
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.