Project Management Professional (PMP) — Question 733

A project has completed the first phase. During the lessons learned meeting, the project manager reported that the project was successful because it was on time, on budget, and on scope. The sponsor objected and said that other project benefits, such as cost reduction of the product and system response time, were not achieved.

What may have caused this situation?

Answer options

• A. The change control plan was not followed by the project manager.
• B. The acceptance criteria were not accurately defined.
• C. The items did not appear in the project management plan.
• D. The benefits should have been managed at the organizational level.

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is B because if the acceptance criteria were not accurately defined, it would lead to misalignment between what was delivered and what was expected, resulting in unmet benefits. Options A and C relate to process adherence and documentation but do not directly address the discrepancy in project outcomes. Option D suggests a broader management issue rather than a specific project definition failure.