PMP · Question #1257
A project manager is newly appointed to an ongoing project that will develop a new solution using an affiliate of the company. The deploying resources will come from another entity of the company…
The correct answer is A. Refer to the project's resource management plan. When a project manager is informed of resource unavailability, the first action should be to consult the project's resource management plan.
Question
Options
- ARefer to the project's resource management plan.
- BAsk the project sponsor for external resources.
- CReschedule the project taking this new information into account.
- DCreate a change request to be validated by the project sponsor.
How the community answered
(53 responses)- A75% (40)
- B8% (4)
- C13% (7)
- D4% (2)
Why each option
When a project manager is informed of resource unavailability, the first action should be to consult the project's resource management plan.
The resource management plan details how project resources are identified, acquired, and managed. Consulting this plan first helps the project manager understand the agreed-upon strategy and options for addressing resource constraints or availability issues before taking other actions.
Asking for external resources is a potential solution, but it should be considered after reviewing internal plans and might require a formal change request, making it not the immediate first step.
Rescheduling the project is a potential outcome of resource unavailability, but it is a reactive measure rather than the initial step to understand and address the issue according to project guidelines.
Creating a change request might be necessary if the existing plan proves insufficient, but the initial step is to refer to the current plan to see if the situation is already addressed or if a change is truly warranted.
Concept tested: Resource management plan consultation
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/project-resource-management
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Orla P.Jul 5, 2026A is the right call here. When a functional manager declines to release resources, the resource management plan is your first stop because it documents how resource availability and acquisition were negotiated and agreed to.
Carlos M.Jul 5, 2026Leaned toward D but resource availability issues go to the resource management plan first.
Ola B.Jul 5, 2026A is the right call but the deploying manager declining availability is a bit of a curveball, most people jump straight to a change request as D. Spin up a quick lab scenario in your head, the resource management plan is literally where you look first to figure out how resource conflicts get handled before escalating.
Nina C.Jul 5, 2026A is correct because before you escalate or change anything you need to check what was already agreed to regarding resource availability. The resource management plan should spell out how those cross entity commitments are handled and whether the deploying manager actually has the authority to just say no. Once you know what the plan says you can figure out if this is a real conflict or just a misunderstanding. Saw almost this exact scenario on my exam last month. I was tempted to jump straight to a change request because that felt like the proactive move but the wording about being newly appointed is the clue that you need to review existing plans first
Ingrid P.Jun 30, 2026A, always check the resource management plan before escalating or changing anything.
Carlos M.Jul 1, 2026Agreed on A, but on my exam they also wanted you to check the change log first to see if a change request was already in progress, so dont skip that step.