PGM Strategic Planning and Alignment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A program manager is tasked with aligning a multi-year digital transformation program to a newly revised corporate strategy. What should be done FIRST?
- Reassign team members to match the new strategy
- Conduct a gap analysis between current program objectives and the revised strategy (Correct answer)
- Pause all active workstreams until leadership provides clarity
- Update the program charter immediately without stakeholder input
Correct answer: Conduct a gap analysis between current program objectives and the revised strategy
A gap analysis identifies misalignments between existing program objectives and the new strategy before any corrective actions are taken.
Question 2: Which strategic planning framework is BEST suited for assessing both internal capabilities and external market conditions?
- Balanced Scorecard
- SWOT Analysis (Correct answer)
- MoSCoW Prioritization
- Critical Path Method
Correct answer: SWOT Analysis
SWOT analysis evaluates internal Strengths and Weaknesses alongside external Opportunities and Threats, making it ideal for dual-environment assessment.
Question 3: A program's strategic roadmap shows a deliverable due in Q3, but a dependency project will not complete until Q4. What is the correct course of action?
- Proceed with Q3 delivery and document the incomplete dependency
- Escalate to the sponsor and revise the roadmap to reflect the realistic timeline (Correct answer)
- Cancel the deliverable until the dependency resolves
- Reassign the dependency to the program team to control it
Correct answer: Escalate to the sponsor and revise the roadmap to reflect the realistic timeline
Escalating to the sponsor and revising the roadmap ensures stakeholders have accurate expectations and the strategic plan remains realistic.
Question 4: When cascading organizational strategy into program objectives, a program manager should ensure that each objective is:
- Broadly stated to allow flexibility during execution
- Directly traceable to at least one strategic goal (Correct answer)
- Approved exclusively by the project managers
- Defined after all resource constraints are known
Correct answer: Directly traceable to at least one strategic goal
Traceability between program objectives and organizational strategic goals is fundamental to maintaining strategic alignment.
Question 5: A stakeholder requests adding a major new feature that is not aligned with the program's strategic objectives. The program manager should:
- Accept the request to maintain stakeholder satisfaction
- Reject the request without explanation to protect the scope
- Evaluate the request through the program's change control process and strategic alignment criteria (Correct answer)
- Delegate the decision entirely to the project managers
Correct answer: Evaluate the request through the program's change control process and strategic alignment criteria
Change control processes ensure that all scope additions are evaluated for strategic fit, feasibility, and impact before approval.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes a program's benefits realization plan?
- A schedule for completing project deliverables on time
- A document linking program outcomes to measurable strategic benefits and tracking their realization over time (Correct answer)
- A risk register for program-level threats
- A resource allocation matrix for program components
Correct answer: A document linking program outcomes to measurable strategic benefits and tracking their realization over time
A benefits realization plan maps program outcomes to strategic benefits and defines how and when those benefits will be measured and realized.
Question 7: During annual strategic review, leadership decides to deprioritize one of the three pillars supporting a program. The program manager should:
- Continue the program unchanged to avoid disruption
- Immediately halt all components tied to the deprioritized pillar
- Assess the impact on program scope, benefits, and timeline, then present options to the governance board (Correct answer)
- Redistribute funding from the deprioritized pillar to the other two without informing leadership
Correct answer: Assess the impact on program scope, benefits, and timeline, then present options to the governance board
Assessing impact and presenting options to the governance board ensures informed decision-making and maintains strategic alignment.
PGM Strategic Planning and Alignment 2
A program manager is tasked with aligning a multi-year digital transformation program to a newly revised corporate strategy.
What should be done FIRST?