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PMP Practice: Measure ongoing progress based on methodology

Question 4 of 5 in Plan and Manage Schedule

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River Tanaka is managing the construction of a renewable energy training facility for Ocean Volkov Partners. During schedule planning, the sponsor asks how long similar projects have taken to complete. The organization has built four comparable training facilities over the past three years. River has not yet reviewed the historical documentation from these projects. What should River do to respond to the sponsor's question?
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Correct answer: Review the historical records from the previous training facility projects to identify actual durations and compare them with the current project's characteristics

Explanation

When an organization has historical data from similar past projects, the project manager should examine that information as a starting point for schedule planning. Reviewing actual durations from comparable projects provides valuable benchmarks that can improve estimation accuracy and help set realistic expectations with the sponsor. Since the organization has recently completed four similar training facilities, these records offer relevant and readily available data that directly addresses the sponsor's question. This approach demonstrates professional use of organizational process assets and evidence-based planning. The project manager should then adjust these benchmarks based on any differences in scope, complexity, or constraints specific to the current project.

**Why not A:** Conducting a stakeholder meeting to gather team estimates is a valid estimation technique but does not directly answer the sponsor's question about how long similar past projects took. The sponsor is asking for historical reference data, which is best obtained from organizational records of comparable completed projects.

**Why not B:** Telling the sponsor that historical data may not be relevant dismisses a valuable source of estimation information. While every project is unique, four comparable facilities built in the past three years provide directly relevant benchmarks that can be adjusted for current project differences.

**Why not D:** Creating a detailed WBS before responding is a comprehensive planning activity that would take considerable time. The sponsor is asking a straightforward question about historical durations that can be answered more quickly and directly by reviewing past project records.

Key Concept

This question covers Measure ongoing progress based on methodology under Plan and Manage Schedule (Process).

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