Troubleshooting Disjointed Project Teams: Uncovering the Issue

Identifying the Root Cause: Reviewing Project Documents

Question

As a project processes, the team appears disjointed.

Meetings are not effective because the right team members are not in the discussion, and functional managers are questioning if the project manager has a true management plan.

Which of the following documents should be reviewed FIRST to uncover the issue?

Answers

Explanations

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A. B. C. D.

A.

The situation described suggests that there is a problem with communication and team coordination in the project, which is causing the project team to appear disjointed. The meetings are not effective because the right team members are not present, and the functional managers are questioning the project manager's management plan, indicating a lack of confidence in the project's direction and execution.

To uncover the root cause of the issue, the project manager should first review the project management plan (option C). The project management plan is a comprehensive document that outlines how the project will be executed, monitored, and controlled. It contains essential information about the project scope, schedule, budget, quality, risk, communication, stakeholder management, and other aspects of the project.

By reviewing the project management plan, the project manager can assess whether the project is being executed according to the plan and identify any deviations or gaps that may be contributing to the team's disjointedness. For example, the project manager may find that the communication plan is not being followed, or that the roles and responsibilities of team members are not clearly defined. They may also discover that the project scope has changed or that the budget is insufficient to support the project's needs.

Alternatively, reviewing the communications plan (option A) could also be helpful in uncovering the issue. The communications plan outlines how project information will be shared, who needs to receive it, and what channels will be used. By reviewing this document, the project manager can determine whether the right team members are being included in meetings and other communication channels.

Reviewing the scope statement (option B) or the organizational chart (option D) may also provide some insights, but these documents are less likely to address the root cause of the team's disjointedness directly.

In summary, while all the options may provide some useful information, reviewing the project management plan (option C) is the most appropriate first step to uncover the issue and determine the best course of action to address it.