Interview Presentation - PM Scenario

[ldavidson]

I come from a background in Project Coordination but in all honesty I would actually describe my previous roles as Operations or Service Coordination and more recently Account Management so I feel I don't have the experience within a typical project environment in the classic sense.

That being said, I have been called back for a 2nd interview for a Project Manager position with a company that has intentionally aimed at attracting Coordinators to grow into the role and I think this a great opportunity to move in the direction I want to go in.

I have been asked to give a 15 min presentation on the following scenario early next week and I am looking for some guidance on how to approach the scenario with regards to structuring, key points I should look to hit/what the interviewer will be typically looking for and any pitfalls I should be wary of.

You are managing a £3.5 million contract for an internationally renowned museum in the Middle East. The contract contains 150 cases and is on time to deliver in six weeks time.
Unfortunately during component inspection a scratch has been identified on the main glass panel. A replacement glass panel will be £1500 and take 8 weeks to deliver.
One of our directors will be visiting the client next week and will be required to talk about the issue and our actions to resolve.
Please provide a 15 minute presentation from you to advise the directors over the issue and plan to resolve.

Please state any assumptions you have made in your presentation

I believe my first port of call would be to communicate my assumptions and so far I'm thinking:

1. The implications of a delay hold more importance that the cost implications considering the contract value
2. Delivery time of material and cost cannot be improved thus making delay/cost unavoidable
3. Further time will be required for processing and manufacture upon delivery of the material resulting in a longer project delay (although this may open the possibility of some improvement of time for manufacturing with additional resources)

After stating my assumptions which certainly needs more thought I'm unsure where to go from there. Should I first talk about proper planning and risk assessment could help alleviate or even avoid the situation or should I make this an assumption that this process was followed. I feel that if I jump straight into looking at resolutions or mitigation that I'm missing out on something the interviewer is looking for, i.e communication of the issue. This then makes me wonder if I should act as if I am advising them of the situation in real time or instead explain the process of how I would communicate it.

Any help you can provide to gently nudge me in the right direction is much appreciated!

[jayashree]

You should speak with more positivity and look into each of the person's eyes while delivering it.