PMP People — Leading Projects Practice Question
Your project is in execution phase, and a key vendor informs you that they will be unable to deliver a critical component on time due to a supply chain disruption. This risk was identified in the risk register and a contingency plan was developed. The project timeline is tight, and any delay will impact the critical path. What should you do FIRST?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is that candidates often jump to reactive solutions (like finding a new vendor or escalating) instead of following the established risk management process, which dictates that the first step is to execute the pre-planned contingency response.
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
✓
Implement the contingency plan as documented in the risk register and communicate with stakeholders
The risk was already identified and a contingency plan exists in the risk register. The first action should be to implement that plan, as it was pre-approved for this exact scenario. Communicating with stakeholders is also essential to manage expectations and coordinate next steps, especially since the delay impacts the critical path.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Immediately find an alternative vendor who can deliver on time
Why it's wrong here
Immediately finding an alternative vendor is a premature and reactive response that bypasses the established risk management process. This action introduces new, unanalyzed risks related to vendor vetting, contract negotiation, quality assurance, and integration without first evaluating the pre-planned contingency. A project manager's primary responsibility is to execute documented risk responses before resorting to ad-hoc solutions that could create further project instability.
- ✓
Implement the contingency plan as documented in the risk register and communicate with stakeholders
Why this is correct
Implementing the contingency plan as documented in the risk register is the correct and most appropriate action. A contingency plan is a pre-defined, pre-approved response for identified risks, ensuring a structured and controlled approach to managing the threat. This proactive step minimizes the impact on project objectives and demonstrates effective risk management, while timely communication keeps stakeholders informed of the situation and the planned resolution.
- ✗
Re-baseline the project schedule to accommodate the delay
Why it's wrong here
Re-baselining the project schedule prematurely, without first attempting the documented contingency plan, undermines project control and performance measurement. Re-baselining is a significant change control process, typically reserved for situations where the project's fundamental scope or objectives have shifted, or after all planned risk responses have failed. Implementing such a drastic change without following formal change control processes is inappropriate and can obscure true project performance.
- ✗
Alert the project sponsor about the delay and ask for additional time
Why it's wrong here
While communicating with the project sponsor is important, simply alerting them about the delay and asking for additional time without first taking action is insufficient. The project manager's responsibility is to proactively manage risks using established plans and resources, not merely to report problems and request extensions without attempting a solution. The PM should implement the contingency plan first, then communicate the situation, the actions taken, and any remaining implications to the sponsor.
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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.