Procuurement Management Question - A mistake in Head First ?

Submitted by bridge on Tue, 05/14/2013 - 06:01

 

 
Here is a question from Procurement Management Head-First-PMP-2nd Edition.:
 
Question No. 13, at the end of Procurement Management chapter (Page 647) :
 
13. You’re creating source selection criteria for your contract. What process are you in?
A. Plan Procurement and Acquisitions
B. Plan Contracting
C. Request Seller Responses
D. Conduct Procurements
 
The answer, Head-First says, is D.
 
BUT
 
I read the chapter from Rita and was the opinion that A was the right answer. So got confused.
 
I checked this in PMBOK. On page-314, it clearly shows (.5) Source Selection Criteria under (.3) Outputs under (12.1) Plan Procurements.
 
I conclude that Rita is correct but Head-First's answer is not.
 
Am I missing something ?
Forums: 
General Discussion
  • Log in to post comments
  • 1339 reads

rwmv

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 06:08

 I just finished reading Procurement from PMBOK and answer is D- Conduct Procurements

y0zh

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 06:11

just look at ITTO and it will be clear

bkthakkar

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 06:26

Answer is D, conduct procurements

fr1.an

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 07:37

I think the answer should be A.

If you are creating a source selection criteria, that means that it should be an output of that particular process, not the input. The question said that we are creating source selection criteria, meaning that the output of the 'creating' is source selection criteria.

In conduct procurement, source selection criteria is used as an input or a kind of baseline to determine the sellers to sellect. So, in conduct procurement, source selection criteria is an input or 'is used' here.

I think the key words for planning processes could include 'creating', 'determining', 'planning', or such similar terms.

bridge

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 07:48

 Cannot agree more.

And that is what PMBOK also says. It is also explained in Rita.

Then why people are sayind D here ?

bridge

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 07:08

So all of you uanimously agree that the answer is D.

Now I am really confused because PMBOK, page 314 shows "Source Selection Criteria" as output of Plan Procurements.

While it is Input to Conduct Procurements.

They why all of you are selecting answer D ?

rksam

Tue, 05/14/2013 - 10:32

 Truthfully I have just started reading Rita and PMBOK. Nevertheless from PM experience point of view, just reading your question and given options: I'd lock in A is the answer. I am creating a source selection critieria upon which I will keep that criteria as a base to select the vendor/supplier. And I do this activity in my planning phase. Conduct procurement to me is - review the bids/tends/RFP's etc and evaluate based on the criteria you already have developed and have it approved. At least this is how it works in my organisation. I am keen to know if this is different and more rationale behind the answer "D".