Program Management Professional Practice 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A program manager discovers that two component projects are producing duplicate deliverables. What is the BEST immediate action?
- Cancel the lower-priority project
- Escalate to the program sponsor for resolution
- Convene a governance board session to realign project scopes (Correct answer)
- Allow both projects to continue to ensure redundancy
Correct answer: Convene a governance board session to realign project scopes
A governance board session realigns overlapping scopes while maintaining program-level visibility and authority.
Question 2: Which technique is MOST useful when a program manager needs to prioritize competing benefit realization opportunities with limited resources?
- Monte Carlo simulation
- Weighted scoring model (Correct answer)
- Critical path method
- Earned value analysis
Correct answer: Weighted scoring model
A weighted scoring model objectively compares opportunities against strategic criteria to guide resource allocation decisions.
Question 3: A program is in its delivery phase when a key stakeholder requests a significant scope change that would delay benefits realization by six months. The program manager should FIRST:
- Reject the request to protect the delivery schedule
- Perform an impact analysis across the program (Correct answer)
- Approve the change if the stakeholder has sufficient authority
- Defer the change to a follow-on program
Correct answer: Perform an impact analysis across the program
An impact analysis across the entire program reveals cost, schedule, risk, and benefit implications before any decision is made.
Question 4: When transitioning program benefits to an operations team, which document is MOST critical to hand over?
- Program charter
- Benefits realization plan (Correct answer)
- Program management plan
- Stakeholder register
Correct answer: Benefits realization plan
The benefits realization plan defines how and when benefits will be sustained, making it essential for the operations team.
Question 5: A program manager notices that the program's strategic alignment has shifted due to a corporate merger. The BEST response is to:
- Continue executing the current program plan
- Initiate a program re-baseline after consulting the governance board (Correct answer)
- Close the program and initiate a new one
- Request additional budget to accommodate new priorities
Correct answer: Initiate a program re-baseline after consulting the governance board
Re-baselining after governance approval ensures the program remains aligned with the updated organizational strategy.
Question 6: Which of the following BEST describes the role of a program manager during program formulation?
- Managing day-to-day project team activities
- Defining the program business case and initial roadmap (Correct answer)
- Approving change requests from component projects
- Conducting lessons learned sessions
Correct answer: Defining the program business case and initial roadmap
During formulation, the program manager defines the business case, expected benefits, and high-level roadmap to justify the program.
Question 7: A program manager observes that a component project manager is making scope decisions that affect other projects. What should the program manager do?
- Allow the project manager autonomy over their project
- Establish an integrated change control process across all components (Correct answer)
- Remove the project manager from the program
- Escalate directly to the project sponsor
Correct answer: Establish an integrated change control process across all components
Integrated change control ensures cross-project scope decisions are evaluated for program-wide impacts before being approved.
Program Management Professional Practice 2
A program manager discovers that two component projects are producing duplicate deliverables.
What is the BEST immediate action?