PGMP · Question #140
You are the program manager for your organization and are working with your program team to create the program scope. Based on the program requirements you have identified the major deliverables of…
The correct answer is D. Kill points. Kill points are formal management review checkpoints at the end of each program phase where leadership evaluates performance and decides whether to continue, modify, or terminate the program. They are the mechanism for phase-end go or no-go decisions.
Question
You are the program manager for your organization and are working with your program team to create the program scope. Based on the program requirements you have identified the major deliverables of each phase in your program scope. Management has requested that you plan for cost estimating to happen at each phase of the program before continuing the work. Management may elect to cancel the program at the end of each phase based on past performance of the program. What are the reviews of management called at each phase?
Options
- APhase gate estimates
- BMurder board
- CPortfolio review sessions
- DKill points
How the community answered
(41 responses)- B2% (1)
- C5% (2)
- D93% (38)
Why each option
Kill points are formal management review checkpoints at the end of each program phase where leadership evaluates performance and decides whether to continue, modify, or terminate the program. They are the mechanism for phase-end go or no-go decisions.
Phase gate estimates is not a standard term in program management; the recognized term for phase-end management reviews with cancellation authority is kill points.
Murder board is an informal term used in government and military contexts for intensive proposal reviews, not the formal PMI-defined term for structured phase-end program continuation decisions.
Portfolio review sessions are conducted at the portfolio level to assess the alignment and performance of multiple programs and projects across the organization, not to evaluate a single program's performance at each phase boundary.
Kill points are defined review gates at the conclusion of each program phase during which management formally assesses the program's performance, viability, and alignment with organizational goals, retaining the authority to terminate (kill) the program if past performance does not justify continuation - directly matching the scenario described.
Concept tested: Kill points as phase-end program continuation decision reviews
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/program-management
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