PMP · Question #34
A customer has provided excellent feedback on the project. However, a key project resource is leaving the company. Which measure should mitigate the impact of this key resource's departure?
The correct answer is A. Establish a proactive knowledge-sharing plan. To mitigate the impact of a key resource's departure, the project manager should establish a proactive knowledge-sharing plan to ensure critical information and expertise are transferred before the resource leaves.
Question
A customer has provided excellent feedback on the project. However, a key project resource is leaving the company. Which measure should mitigate the impact of this key resource's departure?
Options
- AEstablish a proactive knowledge-sharing plan
- BOffer a new contract to the resource who is leaving
- CDevelop a contingency budget to replace the key resource
- DUpdate the risk register and inform the customer
How the community answered
(36 responses)- A81% (29)
- B3% (1)
- C6% (2)
- D11% (4)
Why each option
To mitigate the impact of a key resource's departure, the project manager should establish a proactive knowledge-sharing plan to ensure critical information and expertise are transferred before the resource leaves.
A proactive knowledge-sharing plan, including documentation, cross-training, and handover processes, directly addresses the loss of critical expertise and intellectual property when a key resource leaves. This ensures business continuity and minimizes disruption by transferring essential information to remaining team members.
Offering a new contract to a resource who is leaving might not be feasible, is often too late, and doesn't address the systemic risk of losing key knowledge.
Developing a contingency budget focuses on the financial aspect of replacement, but it doesn't mitigate the immediate knowledge gap or the time required to onboard a new resource.
Updating the risk register and informing the customer are important communication and risk management steps, but they do not actively mitigate the loss of knowledge and expertise.
Concept tested: Knowledge Management and Succession Planning
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/knowledge-management
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Bao N.Nov 11, 2025A is the right call here. Proactive knowledge-sharing mitigates the impact of the departure by ensuring expertise transfers before the resource walks out the door, which is exactly what the PMP exam expects you to focus on.
Viktor S.Oct 15, 2025A is the right call because once someone is on their way out, your only real lever is capturing what is in their head before they walk. D is the tempting trap here since updating the risk register is procedurally correct, but it does nothing to actually mitigate the impact, it just documents it. C sounds reasonable too except a contingency budget takes time to use and a replacement still needs onboarding. A proactive knowledge-sharing plan is the only option that directly addresses the gap before it becomes a crisis.
Wesley A.Oct 26, 2025Confirmed A on my second attempt. D is a trap since the risk already materialized.
Bao N.Oct 29, 2025Same logic on my sit, A is correct, but C is the sneakier trap because people conflate mitigation with acceptance when the cost numbers are close.
Hiroshi T.Nov 7, 2025D. Risk register is the PMs first move per the PMBOK risk process.
Viktor S.Nov 9, 2025A is correct here because the question is asking for the immediate first step, which is identifying risks before you can log them anywhere. The risk register gets populated as an output of the Identify Risks process, not as the starting move.