IPA IP 2020 Question 54

Topic: Project Management

A question IPA Japan published in 令和2年度 10月 ITパスポート試験 公開問題 問54, translated into English. ITPEC is based on the same exams.

In a system development project, there is a risk that the completion of the test process is delayed because the delivery of the PCs used in the test process is delayed, and countermeasures were decided. When risk responses are classified into the four (4) categories of avoidance, mitigation, acceptance, and transfer, which of the following is the most appropriate description that corresponds to acceptance?

Explanation

Providing a reserve period in the project — acceptance keeps the risk and prepares for its consequences instead of acting on its cause.

The four risk responses for a threat:

  • •Avoidance — remove the risk itself, for example by changing the plan so the cause no longer matters
  • •Mitigation — lower the probability or the impact of the risk
  • •Transfer — shift the impact to a third party, through a contract or insurance
  • •Acceptance — take no action against the risk itself; actively, by setting aside a contingency reserve of time or money

A reserve period leaves the late PC delivery and the late test completion possible: the project accepts that they may happen and only absorbs the delay so production operation is not affected. That is active acceptance.

Answer (b)

Why not others:

  • •(a) — adding test personnel lowers the impact of the delay on the schedule: mitigation
  • •(c) — making the vendor bear the cost by contract shifts the impact to a third party: transfer
  • •(d) — a way to test without the PCs removes the dependency that creates the risk: avoidance

Key rule: Acceptance does nothing about the risk's cause or probability; a contingency reserve of time or budget is its active form.

Project Management · AI-written, may contain errors

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This question comes from the past questions IPA Japan publishes, translated into English by ITPEC Practice. ITPEC Practice is an independent study tool and is not affiliated with IPA or ITPEC. See the original paper (PDF) or Report an issue.