Which is a good example of a framing assumption (FA)?

Which is a good example of a framing assumption (FA)?

• A. We will redesign the system annually
• B. Contractors will offer mature designs that allow prototypes to be delivered in five months
• C. The project will run on time regardless of resources
• D. All risks can be eliminated by testing

Answer: (B)

Framing assumptions are external conditions we accept as true to shape planning, binding the schedule and risk approach to things outside the team’s direct control. The best example here is assuming that contractors will deliver mature designs that allow prototypes to be completed in five months. This sets a concrete external condition that directly drives the project timeline: if contractor performance matches that expectation, prototyping can proceed on schedule; if not, the plan must adapt. It’s testable and negotiable with vendors, so you can verify it through procurement milestones and adjust the plan if it proves false, making it a useful framing assumption for risk management. The other statements describe plans or optimistic beliefs rather than external conditions used to bound the plan: redesigning the system annually is a design choice or cadence, not an external constraint used to frame the initial plan; assuming on-time delivery regardless of resources ignores real-world constraints; and believing all risks can be eliminated by testing is an overstatement about what testing can achieve and not a reliable external condition to base the plan on.

Framing assumptions are external conditions we accept as true to shape planning, binding the schedule and risk approach to things outside the team’s direct control. The best example here is assuming that contractors will deliver mature designs that allow prototypes to be completed in five months. This sets a concrete external condition that directly drives the project timeline: if contractor performance matches that expectation, prototyping can proceed on schedule; if not, the plan must adapt. It’s testable and negotiable with vendors, so you can verify it through procurement milestones and adjust the plan if it proves false, making it a useful framing assumption for risk management.

The other statements describe plans or optimistic beliefs rather than external conditions used to bound the plan: redesigning the system annually is a design choice or cadence, not an external constraint used to frame the initial plan; assuming on-time delivery regardless of resources ignores real-world constraints; and believing all risks can be eliminated by testing is an overstatement about what testing can achieve and not a reliable external condition to base the plan on.