Minimizing Impact When a Critical Team Member Resigns
Your project is in the execution phase when a key risk event from the risk register occurs: a critical team member resigns unexpectedly. You need to minimize the impact on the project. Which THREE actions should you take?
Quick Answer
The answer is to reassign the departing member’s tasks to other team members and adjust the schedule, as this directly executes the pre-planned risk response already documented in the risk register. This is correct because the PMBOK Guide emphasizes that when a key team member resigns unexpectedly, the most efficient way to minimize impact is to implement the approved risk response strategy designed during risk planning, rather than improvising a new solution under pressure. On the PMP exam, this tests your understanding of the “Implement Risk Responses” process within the Execution phase, where a common trap is to jump into hiring or escalation instead of first checking the risk register for a ready-made response. A useful memory tip is “Register First, React Second”—always look to your pre-planned response before taking ad hoc actions when a critical team member resigns.
⚠ Common exam trap
Many exam-takers confuse a reactive, ad-hoc response (like immediately hiring a replacement) with the proper, planned risk response, failing to recognize that the risk register already contains the approved action to 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
✓
Implement the planned risk response from the risk register
Option B is correct because when a risk event that was already identified in the risk register actually occurs, the project manager should execute the pre-planned risk response (e.g., a contingency plan) rather than improvising, which minimizes impact and leverages prior analysis. Option C is correct because capturing the departing member's tacit knowledge through structured knowledge transfer (documentation, shadowing, handover sessions) preserves critical project information and reduces disruption before access is lost. Option D is correct because reassigning the work to available team members and adjusting the schedule is a practical corrective action that keeps the project moving while accounting for reduced capacity. Option A is not appropriate as an immediate action because requesting a project extension from the sponsor is a last resort and does not itself minimize impact; the team should first apply the planned response and re-plan. Option E is not appropriate because immediately hiring a like-for-like replacement is typically slow, costly, and not guaranteed, and it ignores the more immediate need to execute the risk response and transfer knowledge.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Inform the sponsor and ask for a project extension
Why it's wrong here
Requesting an extension does not minimise impact; it merely shifts the schedule baseline and delays delivery without recovering lost capacity. Sponsors approve baseline changes through integrated change control, which is a fallback when mitigation fails. The scenario demands immediate actions addressing the resource gap, such as reallocating staff or re-sequencing work.
- ✓
Implement the planned risk response from the risk register
Why this is correct
Executing the documented risk response applies the pre-agreed mitigation for the 'key team member resigns' risk, minimising disruption. This satisfies the stem's requirement to minimise impact, since the response was planned during risk management and can be enacted immediately rather than devised reactively.
- ✓
Arrange for knowledge transfer from the departing member before they leave
Why this is correct
Capturing the departing member's tacit knowledge before they leave preserves critical project information and reduces disruption to the two-week deliverable. This satisfies the stem's minimise-impact constraint by transferring context to remaining team members, preventing rework and knowledge loss after departure.
- ✓
Reassign the departing member's tasks to other team members and adjust the schedule
Why this is correct
Reassigning the departing member's tasks and adjusting the schedule redistributes workload to absorb the capacity loss. This satisfies the stem's minimise-impact constraint by keeping the critical deliverable on track, though the schedule adjustment must be reflected through integrated change control.
- ✗
Immediately hire a replacement with the same skills
Why it's wrong here
Hiring may take time; immediate actions should focus on mitigation.
Go deeper
Related to this question
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Same concept, more angles
2 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 risk event that was identified and included in the risk register has occurred. The impact on the project schedule is moderate. What should the project manager do first?
medium- A.Ignore the event since the impact is only moderate
- ✓ B.Implement the agreed-upon risk response from the risk register
- C.Escalate the issue to the project sponsor for guidance
- D.Develop a new risk response immediately
Why B: When a risk event that was identified and included in the risk register occurs, the project manager should first implement the agreed-upon risk response that was already planned and documented. This is because the risk response plan was developed during risk planning and approved by stakeholders, making it the immediate and correct action to take. Implementing the pre-agreed response ensures a timely, consistent, and controlled reaction to the risk, minimizing disruption to the project schedule.
Variation 2. A risk event that was identified in the risk register has occurred. The risk response plan involves implementing a contingency plan. Which TWO actions should you take?
easy- A.Submit a change request to initiate the contingency plan
- B.Develop a new risk response plan from scratch
- ✓ C.Update the risk register with the actual outcome and actions taken
- D.Wait to see if the risk impact materializes further before acting
- ✓ E.Implement the contingency plan as defined in the risk register
Why C: When a risk event occurs, the risk register must be updated to document the actual outcome, the effectiveness of the response, and any lessons learned. This ensures the project's risk history is accurate and supports future risk analysis. Option E is correct because the contingency plan was already defined in the risk register as the agreed-upon response; implementing it directly is the proper execution of the risk response plan without needing a new change request.
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.