Daniel is the project manager for a new project with CV Nursery. His team is in charge of installing a new computerized sales and inventory system to help run their business. However, the CV Nursery bookkeeper also wanted a training manual customized to the system created. Which of the following descriptions corresponds with the “Close and Start a New Project” path?
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Correct Answer:
The sales and inventory system project is closed, and a new project is initiated to develop the training manual as it is considered outside the original project scope.
300-Word Explanation:
In project management, the “Close and Start a New Project” path is followed when a request or deliverable falls outside the original project scope and warrants its own separate planning, budgeting, and execution. In the scenario with Daniel and CV Nursery, his team was tasked specifically with installing a new computerized sales and inventory system. This defines the project’s scope—focused on developing and implementing that technical system.
However, the bookkeeper later requested a customized training manual, which was not initially part of the original project scope. While related to the system, the training manual involves a different set of tasks—content creation, training documentation, possibly user-friendly formatting, and maybe instructional design expertise. These are separate from the technical installation and configuration of the system itself.
Following project management best practices, Daniel should formally close the current project once the computerized system has been installed and meets its requirements. This includes conducting a closing review, getting formal acceptance, archiving documentation, and releasing project resources.
Then, if the training manual is still desired, Daniel (or another project manager) should initiate a new project specifically for the training manual. This new project would go through its own planning phase—defining the scope, timeline, resources, and budget necessary for creating the manual.
This approach helps maintain clarity and accountability, ensures that original project goals are not diluted, and provides proper structure for handling the new request. It also prevents scope creep, which occurs when unplanned features or tasks are added to a project without adjusting time, cost, or resources.
Thus, the correct course is to close the original system installation project and start a new one dedicated to the training manual.