HKSM
Preventive Action
A deliberate step taken to keep upcoming project work in line with the project management plan.
Key Points
- Proactive measure taken before issues or deviations occur.
- Targets future performance so work stays aligned with the plan and baselines.
- Often formalized as a change request and may update procedures or processes.
- Different from corrective action (fixes existing variance) and defect repair (fixes a product defect).
Example
After identifying a rising risk of rework, the project manager introduces a mandatory design review checklist and early peer code reviews to prevent defects from entering development.
PMP Example Question
Which of the following best illustrates a preventive action?
- Revising the schedule to recover from a missed milestone.
- Adding automated unit tests before development to avoid future defects.
- Fixing a bug discovered during system testing.
- Applying a temporary workaround to bypass a supplier delay.
Correct Answer: B — Taking a deliberate step to prevent future deviations and keep work aligned with the plan
Explanation: Preventive actions are proactive activities intended to ensure future work meets the project management plan. Options A and C address existing problems, and D is a temporary workaround.
