PMP · Question #487
A project manager has just finished initiating a project. While planning the project manager notes that several essential team members do not have the required skills for key tasks later in the projec
The correct answer is A. Develop the resource management plan and ensure adequate training. Upon identifying skill gaps among essential team members during project planning, the project manager's initial action should be to develop the resource management plan to address these gaps through training or development.
Question
A project manager has just finished initiating a project. While planning the project manager notes that several essential team members do not have the required skills for key tasks later in the project. What should the project manager do first?
Options
- ADevelop the resource management plan and ensure adequate training
- BReplace the current project team members
- COutsource the task to be completed by a specialized vendor
- DUpdate the issue log to account for the lack of team member qualifications
How the community answered
(15 responses)- A73% (11)
- B13% (2)
- C7% (1)
- D7% (1)
Why each option
Upon identifying skill gaps among essential team members during project planning, the project manager's initial action should be to develop the resource management plan to address these gaps through training or development.
Identifying skill gaps during the planning phase is crucial for effective resource management. The project manager should proactively incorporate strategies into the resource management plan to bridge these gaps, such as scheduling and budgeting for adequate training, mentoring, or developing specific team members, ensuring the team will have the necessary capabilities when the key tasks arise.
Replacing current team members without first attempting to develop their skills is a premature and potentially disruptive action that could negatively impact team morale and project continuity.
While outsourcing is an option, it should typically be considered after evaluating internal development options, as it may not be the most cost-effective or sustainable first solution for skill gaps identified internally.
Merely updating the issue log documents the problem but does not propose or initiate a solution; it is a passive response that fails to address the identified skill gap proactively during the planning phase.
Concept tested: Resource management planning; skill development
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/develop-team
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Zlatan X.Feb 28, 2026A is correct. During planning the resource management plan is where you address competency gaps through training, mentoring, or other development strategies. D is a trap because this is a planning consideration, not an active issue requiring the issue log yet. B and C are premature escalations that bypass the governance principle of developing existing resources before replacing them. Picked A on my exam last month and it maps directly to the acquire and develop resources sequence within resource management planning.
Wei W.Mar 23, 2026A is the call here. During planning you build the resource management plan and address skill gaps through training rather than swapping people out or jumping to outsourcing, which aligns with the predictive emphasis on developing your team.
Fatima Z.Mar 19, 2026Going with A here, and the giveaway is the word FIRST plus the fact that you are still in planning. My hook for this one is P-L-A-N: People Lack Abilities? Now-develop-the-resource-management-plan. D is the tempting trap because you spot a problem and want to log it, but an issue log is for stuff that pops up during execution, not for a known gap you are literally planning around right now. You build the training strategy into the resource management plan so the skill gap is closed before those tasks arrive.
Wei W.Mar 21, 2026Agreed on A, and your point about the issue log being an execution artifact is the cleanest way to rule out D, though I would add the real exam logic is simply that you are planning, so you plan - the resource management plan is where documented skill gaps and their mitigation live.
Yuki V.Mar 13, 2026Went with A on my exam attempt last month and it is clearly the right call here. The key is that you are still in planning, so the resource management plan is exactly where you document training needs and gaps before they become actual problems. D is the tempting trap because it sounds proactive, but you do not touch the issue log during planning for something that has not happened yet - issues are for current problems, not future skill gaps. B and C are extreme reactions when training is clearly the first step.