This PMP practice question tests your understanding of people — leading projects. Read the scenario carefully and evaluate each option against the stated constraints before committing to an answer. After answering, compare your reasoning against the explanation and wrong-answer breakdown below. Once you have made your selection, read the full explanation to reinforce the concept and understand why each distractor is designed to mislead on exam day.
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?
Clue words in this question
Noticing these words before you look at the options changes how you read each choice.
Clue: "first"
Why it matters: Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
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
Option B is correct because the contingency plan already exists for this identified risk. The PM should implement it and communicate the situation to stakeholders. Option A is incorrect because simply alerting without taking action is insufficient. Option C is incorrect because switching vendors without following the contingency plan may introduce new risks and costs. Option D is incorrect because re-baselining the schedule without approval is not appropriate; contingency plans are meant to be used.
Key principle: NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
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
Switching vendors without following the contingency plan ignores the planned response and may create new risks.
✓
Implement the contingency plan as documented in the risk register and communicate with stakeholders
Why this is correct
The contingency plan exists for this exact scenario; implementing it is the correct proactive step.
Clue confirmation
The clue word "first" in the question point toward this answer.
Related concept
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
✗
Re-baseline the project schedule to accommodate the delay
Why it's wrong here
Re-baselining without following the contingency plan and without change control is not appropriate.
✗
Alert the project sponsor about the delay and ask for additional time
Why it's wrong here
Alerting is good but the contingency plan should be implemented first; the PM should take action, not just report.
Common exam traps
Common exam trap: NAT rules depend on direction and matching traffic
NAT is not only about the public address. The inside/outside interface roles and the ACL or rule that matches traffic are just as important.
Detailed technical explanation
How to think about this question
NAT questions usually test address translation, overload/PAT behaviour, static mappings and whether the right traffic is being translated. Read the interface direction and address terms carefully.
KKey Concepts to Remember
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
PAT allows many inside hosts to share one public address using ports.
Inside local and inside global describe the private and translated addresses.
NAT ACLs identify traffic for translation, not always security filtering.
TExam Day Tips
→Identify inside and outside interfaces first.
→Check whether the scenario needs static NAT, dynamic NAT or PAT.
→Do not confuse NAT matching ACLs with normal packet-filtering intent.
Key takeaway
NAT direction and interface roles matter as much as the IP address mapping. Inside/outside designation controls which traffic is translated.
Real-world example
How this comes up in practice
A small business has 20 workstations on the 192.168.1.0/24 network and one public IP from its ISP. The router uses PAT (NAT overload) so all 20 devices share one public address using different source ports. NAT questions test whether you understand the four address terms and which direction each translation applies.
Related glossary terms
Concepts from this question explained
These glossary pages explain the core terms tested in this PMP question in full detail.
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PMP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
People — Leading Projects — This question tests People — Leading Projects — Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address..
What is the correct answer to this question?
The correct answer is: Implement the contingency plan as documented in the risk register and communicate with stakeholders — Option B is correct because the contingency plan already exists for this identified risk. The PM should implement it and communicate the situation to stakeholders. Option A is incorrect because simply alerting without taking action is insufficient. Option C is incorrect because switching vendors without following the contingency plan may introduce new risks and costs. Option D is incorrect because re-baselining the schedule without approval is not appropriate; contingency plans are meant to be used.
What should I do if I get this PMP question wrong?
Review the four NAT address types (inside local, inside global, outside local, outside global), PAT port overload, and static vs dynamic NAT use cases. Then practise related PMP NAT questions on configuration and troubleshooting.
Are there clue words in this question I should notice?
Yes — watch for: "first". Order matters here. You are being tested on which action comes before the others — not which action is generally useful.
What is the key concept behind this question?
Static NAT maps one inside address to one outside address.
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