PMP Process — Managing Technical Aspects Practice Question
Your project uses a hybrid methodology. An executive stakeholder emails the development team directly requesting a new feature without going through the product owner. The team starts working on it. What should you 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
✓
Tell the team to stop work on the feature and meet with the stakeholder to explain the proper process
The first action is to stop the unauthorized work by telling the team to pause. Then, you must meet with the stakeholder to explain the proper process and ensure all requests go through the product owner. This protects the team from scope creep and maintains the defined workflow. Option D alone without stopping work may not prevent further unauthorized work.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Ask the product owner to include the feature in the backlog
Why it's wrong here
This action is premature and bypasses the necessary steps of addressing the unauthorized work and the process breach. Incorporating the feature into the backlog without first halting its development and discussing the process with the stakeholder implicitly legitimizes the unauthorized request. It fails to address the immediate governance issue and could set a dangerous precedent for future unapproved work.
- ✓
Tell the team to stop work on the feature and meet with the stakeholder to explain the proper process
Why this is correct
This is the most appropriate first action as it immediately mitigates the risk of further scope creep and resource misallocation by halting unauthorized work. Following this, engaging directly with the executive stakeholder demonstrates proactive leadership, reinforces the project's established change control procedures, and educates them on the correct channels for future requests, thereby safeguarding project integrity and scope.
- ✗
Reprimand the team for working on unauthorized work
Why it's wrong here
Reprimanding the team is an inappropriate and counterproductive response. The team likely acted under the perceived authority of an executive stakeholder, and blaming them damages morale and trust without addressing the root cause of the process breach. A project manager's role is to protect the team and reinforce proper procedures, not to assign blame for actions taken under potentially confusing circumstances.
- ✗
Inform the stakeholder that all requests must go through the product owner
Why it's wrong here
While educating the stakeholder on the proper process is essential, simply informing them without first stopping the ongoing unauthorized work is insufficient and risky. This approach allows the feature development to continue, potentially consuming valuable resources and further escalating scope creep. The immediate priority is to halt the deviation from the project plan before engaging in process reinforcement.
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Same concept, more angles
1 more way 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. Your project is executing a major software upgrade. A key stakeholder requests a significant scope change that would require additional funding and extend the timeline. Which TWO actions should you take first?
medium- A.Add the change to the product backlog without formal approval
- B.Instruct the team to begin work on the change immediately
- ✓ C.Submit a change request to the change control board
- D.Politely decline the request because the project is already underway
- ✓ E.Analyze the impact on scope, schedule, cost, and quality
Why C: When a significant change request is received, the project manager's first responsibility is to analyze its potential impact on all project baselines (scope, schedule, cost, and quality). This analysis (E) provides the necessary information to properly document the change. Once the impact is understood and documented, a formal change request (C) must be submitted to the Change Control Board (CCB) for review and approval. This structured approach ensures that changes are thoroughly evaluated, authorized, and controlled, preventing scope creep and maintaining project integrity.
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.