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2.2.1

Domain 2 of 3 · Process · task

Integrated planning, delivery approach and scope for the PMP®

Before anything is baselined, the subsidiary plans have to agree with each other; before work is accepted, someone has to have written down what done means. Those two ideas carry the first two Process tasks of the PMP outline: develop an integrated project management plan and plan delivery, and develop and manage project scope.

Exam
PMP
Domain
Process
Domain weight
41%
Packages
18
Updated
Oct 13, 2026

01A hybrid plan on one page

Fig. 1 · gantt
0123456789101112Enclosure designTooling orderFirmware sprint 1Firmware sprint 2Firmware sprint 3Pilot installwk
Illustration: a device project run as a hybrid. Hardware follows a fixed sequence while firmware ships in two-week sprints; the green bars hold the delivery date.

02Integrate first, baseline last

The planning task covers more than a schedule. You assess the project's needs and complexity, recommend a development approach (predictive, adaptive or hybrid), and pull the subsidiary plans for scope, schedule, cost, quality, resources, procurement, risk and communication into one integrated project management plan. PMI® weights the Process domain at 41% and says about 40% of items describe predictive work, the other 60% agile or hybrid (PMP Examination Content Outline, as of October 2026). Our estimate for these two tasks is about 8.2% of the exam. Choosing the approach has its own page: predictive, agile and hybrid.

A baseline is the approved version you measure against. Once approved, the scope, schedule and cost baselines change only through integrated change control.

Scope, requirements and traceability

The scope baseline has three parts: the approved scope statement, the work breakdown structure (WBS), and the WBS dictionary. Decomposition down to work packages is covered on the work breakdown structure. Requirements get a plan of their own, the requirements management plan, which says how requirements are collected, prioritized, traced and changed.

A requirements traceability matrix ties each requirement back to the business need behind it and forward to the deliverable that meets it. A requirement that traces to nothing is either missing a reason or missing a deliverable, and either one is worth finding before the build starts.

03Three words to keep apart

Project management plan
The integrated set: a subsidiary plan for each area plus the scope, schedule and cost baselines. It is a bigger thing than the Gantt chart someone exports when asked for “the plan”, so a change that touches cost or scope needs more than a schedule update.
Baseline
The approved version of scope, schedule or cost that performance is measured against.
Project documents
The working records around the plan, such as the requirements traceability matrix and the issue and assumption logs. They are kept current as the work proceeds.

04Scope across the three approaches

How scope is held, prioritized, accepted and changed

PointPredictiveAdaptiveHybrid
Where scope livesScope statement, WBS and WBS dictionaryProduct backlog, refined continuouslyA baseline for the fixed parts, a backlog for the rest
Who orders the workThe plan, changed through change controlThe product ownerEach part by its own rule
How work is acceptedFormal acceptance against documented criteriaSprint review against acceptance criteria and the definition of doneEach part by its own rule
How scope changesChange request, impact analysis, decisionNew items enter the backlog and the product owner reorders itDepends on which part the change touches

Value decides the order of backlog work; that side of planning is value-based delivery.

05Planning and scope drill

When a package opens on a table, its column headings tell you what the question is really about.

Work packages 18

  1. WP 01After a scope restructure, the project manager receives an updated WBS and revised design artifacts. Which verification step ensures the RTM maintains complete bidirectional traceability?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. ACorrect: bidirectional traceability means each WBS element traces back to a requirement and forward to a test case, so every element is checked both ways.
    2. BStopping at high-level deliverables leaves the work-package links unverified, which is where restructuring usually breaks traceability.
    3. CForward links alone are only half of bidirectional traceability, and skipping test cases loses the verification side.
    4. DA fresh matrix without checking existing links can silently drop requirements that the restructure affected.
  2. WP 02A project requires a governance dashboard to detect early scope creep. Which combination of widgets, data sources, and thresholds best provides single-source traceability and early alerts?

    Exhibit for WP 02

    WidgetData SourceLineage OwnerUpdate FreqTrigger Threshold
    Scope Baseline DeltaWBS + Change LogPMODaily>3% cumulative
    Artifact CurrencyRequirements TraceabilityBA LeadHourlyAge >48h
    Approval LagCR WorkflowChange ControlReal-time>5 days open
    Scope vs BudgetEAC ForecastFinanceWeeklyVariance >8%

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AArtifact currency tracks whether requirements records are up to date; it does not measure scope moving against the baseline.
    2. BA weekly EAC variance shows the cost effect after the fact; scope creep should be caught at the WBS before it reaches the forecast.
    3. CWidgets without thresholds raise no alert at all, and equal priority buries the one signal that measures scope growth.
    4. DCorrect: the scope baseline delta compares the WBS with the change log every day and alerts at 3% cumulative drift, the earliest single-source signal of creep.
  3. WP 03Informal verbal approvals during demos have allowed scope creep. Which remediation restores baseline integrity?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AChanging the baseline without stakeholder review repeats the informality that caused the creep.
    2. BRetroactively accepting verbal approvals legitimizes the creep instead of controlling it.
    3. CCorrect: documented acceptance against agreed criteria restores a clear line between approved scope and new requests.
    4. DDemos without formal acceptance keep the same loophole open.
  4. WP 04An audit of the WBS dictionary reveals omissions. Which missing entries most weaken baseline integrity and must be added first?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AIssue log and change request references are tracked elsewhere and do not define the work itself.
    2. BCorrect: acceptance criteria say when a work package is done and interfaces show how it connects, both essential for a sound scope baseline.
    3. CDates belong in the schedule; adding them alone does not define or bound the work.
    4. DForecasts and variance notes are performance data, not part of the scope definition.
  5. WP 05A hybrid project utilizes distributed teams working across multiple unintegrated tools. During a recent sprint, QA tested outdated specifications, and developers accidentally overwrote concurrent code changes. Artifacts currently lack clear ownership and version tracking. What should the project manager do FIRST to restore traceability?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. ASeparate local repositories keep the fragmentation that caused the overwrites and stale specifications.
    2. BCorrect: one integrated repository with a shared taxonomy and metadata gives every artifact a clear owner, version, and location.
    3. CVerbal daily confirmation does not scale and leaves no reliable version record.
    4. DA blanket freeze halts delivery while the structural cause, no single source of truth, remains.
  6. WP 06Vendor and internal estimates differ on scope boundaries. Which reconciliation approach resolves the variance while preserving original assumptions?

    Exhibit for WP 06

    ItemVendor EstimateInternal Estimate
    Data migrationIncludedExcluded
    Security hardeningExcludedIncluded
    Training materialsIncludedExcluded
    Performance testingExcludedIncluded

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. ACorrect: the table shows the two estimates cover different scope; mapping what each includes and aligning their assumptions gives one reconciled baseline with the original assumptions still visible.
    2. BContingency covers identified risks, not work one estimate simply leaves out; padding every difference hides the scope gap instead of closing it.
    3. CAveraging two estimates of different scope produces a number that matches neither, and the scope boundary is still undecided.
    4. DChoosing an estimate on price ignores that each one leaves out work the other includes; the scope boundary has to be settled first.
  7. WP 07A project has fixed scope, schedule, and regulatory milestones yet requires iterative reviews for emerging stakeholder feedback. Using a decision checklist, which delivery approach is most appropriate?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. ACorrect: fixed scope, schedule, and regulatory milestones call for predictive control, while emerging feedback calls for iteration, so a hybrid approach serves both.
    2. BRouting feedback through a change board makes every insight a formal change and slows the learning the project needs.
    3. CCalling it adaptive while fixing scope and milestones is effectively a hybrid under the wrong name.
    4. DA purely adaptive approach with an evolving backlog conflicts with the fixed scope and regulatory milestones.
  8. WP 08The WBS shows tasks decomposed to individual person level, creating excessive overhead. What corrective action is most appropriate?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AA flat list removes the hierarchy that ties work to deliverables.
    2. BMore person-level tasks increase the overhead that is already the problem.
    3. CCorrect: work packages are the lowest WBS level, and individual assignments belong in the schedule, so re-aggregating and updating the dictionary restores a manageable structure.
    4. DLeaving the over-decomposed structure keeps the overhead and blurs the WBS with the schedule.
  9. WP 09A project manager is planning a project that will use an iterative development approach. What process would be MOST appropriate for planning iterations and determining what functionality to include in each release?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. ACritical path analysis finds the longest path through activities but does not decide which features go into which release.
    2. BCorrect: release planning sets the release goals and the features expected in each release, and iteration planning then works within that frame.
    3. CResource leveling adjusts dates to fit resource limits; it does not decide what functionality to build.
    4. DMonte Carlo simulation models schedule or cost risk rather than deciding release content.
  10. WP 10Estimates must include acceptance and test effort. Which template element best bounds scope and reduces rework risk?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. ADeveloper effort alone leaves out acceptance and test work, which is how estimates come in low.
    2. BCorrect: linking acceptance criteria to each work package defines what done means, which bounds scope and makes test effort estimable.
    3. CProject-level contingency does not tie the uncertainty to the work packages where it actually sits.
    4. DIgnoring acceptance uncertainty in contingency leaves the estimate exposed to rework.
  11. WP 11A deliverable passes all quality control inspections yet the stakeholder rejects it citing ambiguous acceptance criteria. What is the most appropriate corrective path?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. APassing inspection shows conformance to the checklist, not that the stakeholder accepts the result.
    2. BRewriting the checklist to fit the product reverses the logic of quality control.
    3. CCorrect: control quality checks correctness, but acceptance needs shared criteria, so clarify them, revalidate, and obtain formal sign-off.
    4. DTreating the dispute as new scope without change control bypasses governance and may not even be the real issue.
  12. WP 12The current critical path finishes in 25 days. Removing scope item X (5 days on critical path, value 40) or item Y (4 days, value 25) is considered. Which scope reduction achieves at least 5-day compression with least value loss?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AAdding buffer activities after removing X adds time back and undermines the compression.
    2. BRemoving Y saves only 4 days, short of the 5 days required.
    3. CCorrect: only X meets the target alone, 25 − 5 = 20 days, and the value lost (40) is less than removing both items (65).
    4. DRemoving both meets the target but gives up 65 in value when removing X alone is enough.
  13. WP 13A vague requirement states the system must respond quickly. Rewrite it as measurable acceptance criteria for the WBS dictionary.

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. A"Feel responsive" cannot be measured or tested, so it gives the WBS dictionary nothing to accept against.
    2. BCorrect: it sets a measurable threshold, a percentile, and the load condition, so the criterion can be tested objectively.
    3. C"Acceptable in most scenarios" leaves both the threshold and the conditions undefined.
    4. DA comparison to the previous version sets no concrete target and depends on an unstated baseline.
  14. WP 14Contract fixes milestone deliverables while backlog evolves. Which acceptance approach best reconciles both constraints?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AApplying contractual tests to every feature ignores that the backlog is meant to evolve.
    2. BCorrect: contractual tests anchor the fixed milestones, while iterative acceptance with change control handles the evolving backlog in a governed way.
    3. CUnlinked tracks leave no way to show how backlog changes affect the contractual deliverables.
    4. DFixed tests without change control cannot absorb the evolving backlog.
  15. WP 15You are managing the construction of an eco-friendly office building. To increase the likelihood of stakeholder approval, each construction phase needs formal acceptance based on predefined criteria. Which process is being performed to achieve this?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AClose Project or Phase finalizes and archives a phase after acceptance; it does not perform the acceptance itself.
    2. BCorrect: formal acceptance of deliverables against predefined criteria is the purpose of Validate Scope.
    3. CControl Quality checks correctness internally before anything is presented for acceptance.
    4. DDefine Scope writes the scope statement during planning, long before deliverables exist to accept.
  16. WP 16A project is experiencing scope creep as stakeholders continuously request additional features. Which process should the project manager strengthen to address this issue?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. ADefine Activities breaks work packages into activities; it does not govern requests for new features.
    2. BCorrect: Control Scope monitors scope status and routes every change through integrated change control, which is how creep is contained.
    3. CDeveloping the schedule sequences approved work but does nothing to stop new work from entering.
    4. DEstimating costs prices the work but does not limit what work is added.
  17. WP 17A newly appointed project management office (PMO) director mandates that every single project document, including informal meeting notes and draft team charter ideas, must go through strict baselining and CCB approval. What is the most significant risk of this approach?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. ACorrect: putting drafts and informal notes under baseline control buries the team in approvals and adds no protection to the items that matter.
    2. BVersion control does not require any particular proprietary tool; that is not the main risk.
    3. CDocument control rules do not stop stakeholders from joining meetings or receiving updates.
    4. DThe concern is overhead and value, not a rule about agile documentation; even predictive projects tailor what they baseline.
  18. WP 18During a hybrid project, the team is transitioning from the predictive phase to an agile phase. What document should be created first to guide the upcoming iterative work?

    Debrief answer to open the notes

    1. AA fixed schedule suits predictive work; iterative work is planned a few iterations ahead.
    2. BFull technical specifications up front defeat the purpose of adapting through iterations.
    3. CCorrect: the product backlog lists and orders the work, so it guides what each iteration takes on.
    4. DA detailed Gantt chart plans all work in advance, which is the predictive approach the team is leaving.

Open a row to answer. Keys: 1–4 or A–D answer, N opens the next row.