PMP · Question #1084
A project team is executing a project to replace an existing system with a new one. A new project manager has been hired and observes that the team consist of professionals who have worked with the…
The correct answer is A. Evaluate the current effectiveness of the team and define development needs. To ensure project success with a team of mixed experience levels for a new system, the project manager should first evaluate the team's current effectiveness and identify any development needs.
Question
Options
- AEvaluate the current effectiveness of the team and define development needs.
- BAssign team member roles and responsibilities based on past experience.
- CAllow each team member to use their individual strengths for project success.
- DRequest a performance assessment for the team from the functional manager.
How the community answered
(41 responses)- A80% (33)
- B5% (2)
- C12% (5)
- D2% (1)
Why each option
To ensure project success with a team of mixed experience levels for a new system, the project manager should first evaluate the team's current effectiveness and identify any development needs.
Before any other actions, the project manager must assess the team's current capabilities against the project's needs, particularly for the new system, to identify skill gaps and define necessary training or development plans to ensure collective success.
Assigning roles solely based on past experience without evaluating current effectiveness for the new system may not leverage the team optimally or address skill deficiencies.
While leveraging individual strengths is beneficial, it does not proactively address the identified disparity in experience or potential skill gaps related to the new system that could hinder overall project success.
Requesting a performance assessment from a functional manager focuses on past performance and HR aspects, rather than a proactive assessment of the team's current capabilities and future development needs specifically for the new project.
Concept tested: Project team development, skill gap analysis
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/training/modules/get-started-project-management/7-project-teams-collaboration
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Ola B.Nov 1, 2025A is the right call here. Before you start assigning roles or leaning on individual strengths, you need to assess where the team actually stands and identify the skill gaps. Think of it like spinning up a quick sandbox to baseline your environment before you start changing configurations. You evaluate the current setup, see what needs tuning, and then define your development plan from there. D sounds official but hands the responsibility to someone else, and B and C skip the assessment step entirely.
Brenda K.Oct 15, 2025A is the fast pick here, saw this on my exam last October and nailed it in about 20 seconds because evaluate effectiveness and define development needs is the textbook assess-and-develop move. B and C sound decent but skip the actual diagnosis step, and D is a time-waster trap since the PM owns team development, not the functional manager, so flag those and move on.
Yuki V.Oct 24, 2025A. Saw this on my exam last week. PMI always wants you to assess before acting.
Ola B.Oct 25, 2025Agreed on A, but be ready for a variation where they swap in the word "evaluate" instead of "assess" - same concept, different verb, and it trips people up.
Zlatan X.Oct 27, 2025Leaned toward B but A is governance level: assess capability gaps before assigning roles.