Midway through a predictive project to build a customer records platform, a new national data-protection regulation is enacted that will take effect before go-live. The project manager learns of it through an industry bulletin. What should the project manager do FIRST?
- ASubmit a change request that adds the required compliance features so the team can begin the rework straight away.
- BAssess how the regulation affects the current scope and deliverables, then take the findings through integrated change control. Correct
- CWait until the regulator publishes detailed implementation guidance so that no effort is wasted on premature rework.
- DEscalate to the sponsor to decide whether the project should continue under the newly enacted rules.
Why A is wrong: It feels decisive, but raising a change request before any analysis commits the project to scope and cost changes that have not been assessed or validated against the regulation.
Why B is correct: Surveying the external change and analysing its impact on scope before acting is the correct first step, and integrated change control is where any resulting change is formally evaluated and approved.
Why C is wrong: Waiting looks prudent about rework, yet it delays understanding a change that lands before go-live and lets impacts on scope and schedule grow unmanaged.
Why D is wrong: Escalation may be needed later, but handing the sponsor a decision with no impact assessment is premature and skips the project manager's job of first understanding the effect.