Because of a delay in project activities, a key project resource now has been assigned two concurrent project assignments. When asked by the resource what to do, you should first:

Because of a delay in project activities, a key project resource now has been assigned two concurrent project assignments. When asked by the resource what to do, you should first:

• A. Look at the critical path and total float available in these two activities.
• B. Reassign one of the activities to another member of the project team
• C. Instruct the resource to just get it done.
• D. Extend the project schedule to account for the additional time needed to complete the assignments

Answer: (A)

When a key resource is needed for two activities at once, the first move is to analyze the schedule to see how each activity sits in the network. Look at the critical path and the total float for those two activities. The critical path shows which activities determine the project finish date—any delay on those activities will push the end date. Total float indicates how much you can delay an activity without affecting the overall project finish. By identifying whether either activity sits on the critical path or has little to no float, you can decide where the real scheduling risk lies and what options are viable. If one activity is on the critical path, delaying it would delay the project, so you’d prioritize that work or seek a schedule-backed solution. If another activity has available float, you might reassign the resource to the shorter, non-critical task or adjust sequencing without jeopardizing the deadline. This assessment guides you to a grounded decision rather than jumping to reallocation, instruction to simply “get it done,” or automatically extending the schedule.

When a key resource is needed for two activities at once, the first move is to analyze the schedule to see how each activity sits in the network. Look at the critical path and the total float for those two activities. The critical path shows which activities determine the project finish date—any delay on those activities will push the end date. Total float indicates how much you can delay an activity without affecting the overall project finish.

By identifying whether either activity sits on the critical path or has little to no float, you can decide where the real scheduling risk lies and what options are viable. If one activity is on the critical path, delaying it would delay the project, so you’d prioritize that work or seek a schedule-backed solution. If another activity has available float, you might reassign the resource to the shorter, non-critical task or adjust sequencing without jeopardizing the deadline. This assessment guides you to a grounded decision rather than jumping to reallocation, instruction to simply “get it done,” or automatically extending the schedule.