PMP · Question #1232
In an agile environment, a project is running iteration four out of six. A team member leaves the company with no replacement. What should the project manager do?
The correct answer is D. Update the issue log and refer to the resource management plan to address the situation. When a team member leaves an agile project without replacement, the project manager should formally log the issue and consult the resource management plan to determine appropriate actions.
Question
Options
- AAsk the sponsor for an experienced team member in the company to help the project team.
- BReduce the scope of the project and inform stakeholders.
- CAsk the team for extra work to fulfill the project commitment.
- DUpdate the issue log and refer to the resource management plan to address the situation.
How the community answered
(38 responses)- A5% (2)
- B11% (4)
- C3% (1)
- D82% (31)
Why each option
When a team member leaves an agile project without replacement, the project manager should formally log the issue and consult the resource management plan to determine appropriate actions.
Asking the existing team for extra work to cover the loss of a team member is unsustainable and can lead to burnout, decreased quality, and reduced team morale, making it an inappropriate solution.
Updating the issue log formally documents the problem of a departed team member, and referring to the resource management plan provides a structured approach to address the loss, which may include predefined strategies for backfilling or adjusting project resources and scope. This follows established project management processes for resource disruptions.
Concept tested: Resource management, issue management in agile
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmi-standards+
Topics
Community Discussion
7
Wesley A.Jan 20, 2026Failed my first attempt partly because I kept picking options like B or C. D is correct because in agile you log the issue first, then check the resource management plan for the agreed approach.
Orla P.Jan 23, 2026Good catch on D, and worth adding that on the real exam they love to bury the log-it-first action in option D while B and C sound more immediately productive, so flag anything that starts with communicate or escalate and force yourself to look for the documentation step first.
Yusuf A.Jan 4, 2026One of the senior PMs at my company actually walked me through a similar scenario last week and said D is the move here. You log the issue first, then check the resource management plan because that document should already spell out how to handle unplanned resource losses. B trips me up because reducing scope sounds reasonable when you are short-handed, but you do not jump straight to cutting scope without going through the process the team already agreed on. A could work too but going to the sponsor feels like a leap before you even check what the plan says.
Orla P.Jan 5, 2026D is the right call and your PM is spot on that the resource management plan is your first stop, but the real reason B fails is that reducing scope is a change request that goes through integrated change control, not something you do unilaterally just because someone left the project.
Orla P.Jan 31, 2026D is the pick here because losing a team member mid-iteration is an issue that needs logging, and the resource management plan is your playbook for handling gaps like this. One thing to watch for though: in agile, would you normally expect the resource management plan to cover this, or is that more of a predictive artifact that still applies here?
Zlatan X.Jan 15, 2026C is the pragmatic agile call here. In an iterative environment the team commits to delivering working increments each sprint, so asking them to absorb the slack protects benefits realization and keeps the component on track without waiting on governance to resource a replacement that may never come.
Yusuf A.Jan 16, 2026Actually D is the right call here. Zlatan's logic sounds team-spirited but absorbing scope without a resource is a classic way to blow the schedule, and the senior PM on my team always says the correct move is to escalate the gap to governance so they can either backfill or formally adjust the plan.