PMP · Question #835
A project manager has recently been assigned to an agile project and discovers that a contractor for the project does not have any experience with agile. What should the project manager do?
The correct answer is D. Consult the project team to understand the extent of the training needs for the contractor.. To address a contractor's lack of agile experience, the project manager should first consult the project team to assess specific training needs.
Question
A project manager has recently been assigned to an agile project and discovers that a contractor for the project does not have any experience with agile. What should the project manager do?
Options
- AAsk the project sponsor to replace the contractor since they do not have agile experience
- BIssue a formal notice to the contractor to obtain an agile certification.
- CInstruct the contractor to receive agile training since the project has already started.
- DConsult the project team to understand the extent of the training needs for the contractor.
How the community answered
(62 responses)- A3% (2)
- B6% (4)
- C13% (8)
- D77% (48)
Why each option
To address a contractor's lack of agile experience, the project manager should first consult the project team to assess specific training needs.
Replacing a contractor is an extreme measure that could cause delays and cost increases, and should not be the first action.
Issuing a formal notice for certification is prescriptive and may not address the practical skills needed; formal certifications aren't always a direct measure of practical agile experience.
Instructing training without understanding specific needs might lead to inefficient or irrelevant training.
The project team, particularly experienced agile members, is best positioned to understand the specific gaps in the contractor's agile knowledge and skills that are most critical for the project. By consulting the team, the project manager can determine the precise extent and nature of training required, ensuring a targeted and effective development plan for the contractor that aligns with project needs. This collaborative approach leverages team expertise.
Concept tested: Assessing team training needs in agile projects
Source: https://agilemanifesto.org/principles.html
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Ingrid P.May 30, 2026D is correct. Agile is collaborative, so you consult the team to gauge the actual gap before throwing training at the problem. A and B are heavy-handed and ignore the collaborative spirit. C presumes the need without assessing it first. Worth a flashcard: "Contractor lacks agile experience" = consult the team to assess training needs. C is the trap because it skips the assessment step.
Carlos M.May 15, 2026D is the answer here. Agile is all about team collaboration and self-organization so the PM shouldnt just unilaterally mandate training or escalate to replace the contractor without assessing the actual gap first. Consulting the team makes sense because they will be working directly with the contractor and can help figure out what specific agile knowledge is actually needed for the project to move forward. Saw this exact scenario on my exam last month and almost jumped to C because it sounds proactive but the key is that agile decisions involve the team not just top-down instructions from the PM.
Yuki V.May 7, 2026D is correct. Team knows the real gaps, so consult them first.
Ingrid P.May 7, 2026Agreed on D, but make a flashcard that pairs the team consult with the specific remediation step that follows, since people recall the who but blank on the what happens next.
Samuel O.May 20, 2026Going with A. I have seen this exact scenario play out on a infrastructure migration last year, bringing a vendor up to speed on agile mid-flight burns more sprint time than it is worth and puts the whole delivery at risk.
Carlos M.May 22, 2026D is correct here. The question is asking about the best contract type for a vendor situation like this, not about agile onboarding challenges, and D fits the scenario described in the stem.