The project manager for the Customer Processes Project has heard a rumour that Web ‘n’...

Comprehensive and Detailed 200 to 250 words of Explanation From Exact Extract of project-programme-and-portfolio-management of 5th Edition MSP:

This question tests the boundary between the Design Theme and the Risk Theme. While the programme manager is doing the right thing by recording a risk (as it affects a critical capability), the question asks if this is an application of the Design Theme.

In MSP 5th Edition, the Design Theme specifically covers the creation and maintenance of the Vision, the Benefit Framework, and the Target Operating Model. It is about defining what is being built. The Risk Theme, on the other hand, is about managing the uncertainties that might prevent the design from being realized.

Option C is the correct answer because the scenario describes an act of Risk Management, not an act of Design. While the bankruptcy of a supplier would definitely impact the programme's ability to achieve its design, the act of putting it on a risk register is a procedural step within the Risk Theme. The Design Theme’s primary purpose is to ensure the programme is designed to deliver the required transformation. A rumour about a supplier's bankruptcy is a classic external risk that sits firmly within the risk management framework.