Decision Making & Problem Solving Flashcards
7 cards from real CMP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Decision Making & Problem Solving flashcards as text
A capture manager notices that every solution the team proposes keeps returning to the same technical approach. This pattern MOST likely indicates:
Answer: Functional fixedness is limiting creative problem solving
Functional fixedness causes teams to default to familiar solutions, preventing consideration of innovative alternatives.
Which action BEST prevents decision fatigue during an intensive proposal development period?
Answer: Batching low-stakes decisions and reserving peak mental energy for high-stakes ones
Batching routine decisions and scheduling high-stakes decisions during peak energy periods preserves cognitive resources for critical choices.
A capture team learns mid-pursuit that a new regulation may disqualify one of their key subcontractors. The FIRST step in structured problem solving is to:
Answer: Define the problem precisely, including scope and impact
Structured problem solving always begins with a precise problem definition to avoid wasting resources solving the wrong problem.
In the context of capture management, a 'forcing function' decision is BEST described as:
Answer: A deadline imposed by the customer that requires a commitment before full information is available
A forcing function is an external constraint—such as a bid/no-bid deadline—that compels a decision before the team has complete information.
Which problem-solving approach is MOST effective when the capture team has high uncertainty about the customer's evaluation priorities?
Answer: Sensitivity analysis across multiple evaluation weightings
Sensitivity analysis tests how the win strategy would change under different evaluation weighting scenarios, reducing risk from uncertainty.
A capture manager is considering three teaming arrangements, each with different risk profiles. Using expected value analysis, the manager should select the option with the:
Answer: Highest probability-weighted outcome across all scenarios
Expected value analysis multiplies each outcome's value by its probability and sums them, selecting the option with the highest weighted average.
Which capture scenario BEST illustrates the 'escalation of commitment' bias?
Answer: Adding more resources to a pursuit that has already missed two gate criteria because of prior investment
Escalation of commitment (sunk-cost fallacy) occurs when prior investment drives continued resource allocation despite clear signals to exit.