A project artifact is any document, deliverable, or output that is produced during the project life cycle. Examples of project artifacts include the project charter, the project management plan, the risk register, the issue log, the change log, the status reports, and the lessons learned. According to the Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials1, project artifacts should be validated to ensure that they are accurate, complete, consistent, and up to date. Validation can be done by reviewing, inspecting, testing, or auditing the artifacts, and by involving the relevant stakeholders, such as the project team, the sponsor, the customer, or the quality assurance team.
In this scenario, the project manager notices that the version of the risk register used by the project team members is different from the one the project manager is using. This indicates that the risk register has not been validated properly, and that there is a lack of configuration management and version control. Configuration management is the process of identifying, tracking, controlling, and auditing the changes made to the project artifacts throughout the project life cycle. Version control is the technique of maintaining and labeling the different versions of the project artifacts, and ensuring that only the latest and approved version is used by the project team and stakeholders. According to the PMBOK Guide2, configuration management and version control are part of the Monitor and Control Project Work process, which is the responsibility of the project manager.
Therefore, the correct answer is C. Validated the project artifacts. The project manager should have validated the project artifacts, such as the risk register, to ensure that they are correct and current, and that they reflect the actual status and progress of the project. The project manager should have also implemented configuration management and version control procedures, such as using a configuration management system, a document management system, or a project management software, to track and manage the changes made to the project artifacts, and to communicate and distribute the latest versions to the project team and stakeholders.
The other options are not the best choices, because:
Referred to the communications management plan: The communications management plan is a document that describes how the project information will be communicated to the project team and stakeholders, such as the frequency, mode, content, and responsibility of communication. While referring to the communications management plan could help the project manager understand how the project artifacts are shared and updated, it does not address the root cause of the issue, which is the lack of validation and configuration management of the project artifacts.
Validated the issue log: The issue log is a document that records and tracks the issues that arise during the project, such as conflicts, errors, defects, or deviations. While validating the issue log could help the project manager identify and resolve the issues that affect the project performance, quality, or scope, it does not address the root cause of the issue, which is the lack of validation and configuration management of the project artifacts.
Performed expert judgment: Expert judgment is a technique that involves using the knowledge and experience of experts to provide guidance, advice, or recommendations for the project. While performing expert judgment could help the project manager obtain insights and best practices for managing the project artifacts, it does not address the root cause of the issue, which is the lack of validation and configuration management of the project artifacts.
[:, Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials., A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) – Sixth Edition, Chapter 4: Project Integration Management., , , , , ]
