Control Procurements

Correct Answer: Assess the potential impact on the project and evaluate the change request

The best course of action when a vendor submits a change request during the procurement process is to 'Assess the potential impact on the project and evaluate the change request'. As a project manager, it's crucial to understand the implications a change could have on the project's overall timeline, budget, and objectives. This allows for an informed decision-making process, whether it involves approving or denying the request. 'Approving the change request without analysis' or 'Rejecting the change request without analysis' can lead to unforeseen consequences and risks that could compromise the project. On the other hand, 'Ignoring the change request' is not a professional response and can risk harming the client-vendor relationship, as well as derail the project's progress.

Correct Answer: Issue a formal written request to the vendor inquiring about the delay and seeking a recovery plan.

As a project manager, the primary role is to ensure that the project is on schedule and within the budget. So when delays like these pop up, the best course of action would be to communicate with the vendor in question. Issuing a formal written request to the vendor inquiring about the delay and seeking a recovery plan is the appropriate controlling procedure that would not damage the relationship between both parties. The key is communication and negotiation. Termination of the contract might lead to a significant waste of resources invested so far and might even delay the project further. Holding payments till the vendor speeds up the work is not professional and would not encourage collaboration and again might lead to more issues down the line. Reporting to the senior management can be seen as passing the responsibility and as a project manager, you need to handle it directly.

Correct Answer: Analyze the root cause and take corrective action

The most appropriate action for the project manager is to 'Analyze the root cause and take corrective action'. The first step when discovering an issue is to understand why it occured. This may involve analyzing work procedures, data, and schedules. After determining the root causes of the issue, corrective action should be taken to get the procurement activity back on track. Answer 'Omit the procurement activity from the project' may not be feasible or desirable as it could have significant impacts on the project's outcomes. Answer 'Immediately change the vendor' would be a drastic step that should only be taken after a thorough analysis and finding that the vendor is indeed the problem. Finally, 'Modify the project schedule to reflect the delay' might seem like a rational solution, but it is more of a last resort if you have exhausted all your resources and are unable to get the schedule back on track.