Project Management Professional (PMP)® Examination Content OutlineProcessMedium
A project manager is reviewing the project management plan for a complex software integration project. The plan includes a detailed scope statement, WBS, schedule baseline, and cost baseline. However, the project manager notices that there are no clear guidelines or procedures defined for how changes to these baselines will be requested, evaluated, approved, or rejected. This omission could lead to uncontrolled changes and scope creep. What component is missing from the project management plan?
- AChange Management Plan
- BQuality Management Plan
- CRisk Management Plan
- DCommunications Management Plan
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Change Management Plan
The scenario explicitly describes the lack of procedures for handling changes to baselines (scope, schedule, cost). The Change Management Plan is the component of the project management plan that defines the process for managing and controlling changes throughout the project lifecycle. Without it, changes can be ad-hoc, leading to project instability.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. The Quality Management Plan describes how quality policies will be implemented, not how project changes are managed.
- C. The Risk Management Plan details how risks will be identified, analyzed, and responded to, not how changes are controlled.
- D. The Communications Management Plan defines how project information will be communicated, not how changes are approved.
Change Management Plan
A component of the project management plan that describes how changes to the project will be formally controlled and managed.
- Defines the change control process.
- Specifies roles and responsibilities for change management.
- Includes details on the Change Control Board (CCB).
Memory trick: A plan is a puzzle, each piece plays a part.