The resource management plan is the primary document that outlines how project resources, including team members, are defined, acquired, managed, and controlled. A key component of this plan is the "Roles and Responsibilities" section, which explicitly details the authority, duties, and decision-making power assigned to each role on the project team. This is often documented using tools like a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM), such as a RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) chart, which provides clear guidance on levels of authority.

1. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Section 9.1.3.1

Resource Management Plan. Newtown Square

PA: Project Management Institute. This section explicitly states that the resource management plan includes "Roles and responsibilities

" which covers "Authority: The level of authority that a project team member has

such as the authority to make decisions

approve changes

or sign off on acceptances." (p. 318).

2. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Section 2.3

Team Performance Domain. Newtown Square

PA: Project Management Institute. This domain emphasizes the importance of establishing "a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities" for team effectiveness. The resource management plan is the formal artifact where this is documented.

3. Kerzner

H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning

Scheduling

and Controlling (12th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. Chapter 5

"Organizing and Staffing the Project Office and Team

" discusses the Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) as a crucial tool within resource planning to define roles

responsibilities

and authority.

The question states the project manager is in the process of building the first baseline. This means the project management plan and its components (scope, schedule, cost baselines) are not yet formally approved. In this pre-baseline phase, the plan is considered a draft and is subject to refinement through progressive elaboration. Therefore, the formal change control process is not yet in effect. The project manager's immediate and most appropriate action is to analyze the request to understand its potential impact on the project's objectives, constraints, and overall plan. This analysis is a crucial part of the planning process itself, helping to finalize a realistic and comprehensive baseline.

1. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. Newtown Square

PA: Project Management Institute

Inc.

Page 89

Section 4.2.3.1: "Before the project management plan is baselined

changes can be made as needed without following a formal process. Once it is baselined

changes have to be processed through the Perform Integrated Change Control process." This directly supports that a formal process (like CCB approval) is not yet required.

Page 113

Section 4.6: The introduction to "Perform Integrated Change Control" describes it as the process for reviewing change requests after the project management plan has been baselined.

2. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition. Newtown Square

PA: Project Management Institute

Inc.

Page 53

Section 2.5

Planning Performance Domain: This domain is described as an "evolving" activity. A request received during this phase is part of the iterative work to "produce a holistic approach to delivering the project outcomes." Analyzing the request is a fundamental part of this evolving planning effort.

3. Kerzner

H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning

Scheduling

and Controlling (12th ed.). John Wiley & Sons.

Chapter 11

Planning: This chapter details that the planning phase is iterative. Before baselines are set

project plans are dynamic. The project manager's role is to incorporate stakeholder input and analyze impacts to develop the most viable plan for approval. This aligns with analyzing the request as part of the planning cycle.

Policy Compliance refers to adhering to internal organizational mandates, such as "company standards." Standards Compliance ensures deliverables meet established external technical benchmarks, directly addressing the "quality of the industry standard." Governmental Compliance specifically addresses adherence to statutory "laws" (federal or state), such as health and safety acts. Regulatory Compliance involves following specific codes and rules enforced by regulatory bodies; "industry codes" (like building or electrical codes) are the primary example of this category.

Project Management Institute (PMI). (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition. Newtown Square, PA: Author. (See Section 2.3.2 regarding the external environment, distinct regulations, and standards).

Project Management Institute (PMI). (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. Newtown Square, PA: Author. (See Section 2.1.1.2: Enterprise Environmental Factors - differentiating between governmental standards, industry standards, and internal policies).

Heldman, K. (2018). PMP: Project Management Professional Exam Study Guide. 9th Edition. Sybex. (Chapter 1 details the differences between Regulations [Mandatory] and Standards [Voluntary/Quality guidelines]).

When a significant change, such as a scope expansion, is requested, the project manager's primary responsibility is to perform an impact analysis. This analysis must cover all project constraints, including resources. The scenario identifies a critical resource risk: a lack of leadership experience to manage the expanded work. The correct professional action is to communicate this risk and its potential consequences to the sponsor and other key stakeholders. Proposing a solution, such as hiring experienced members, is a proactive approach that allows for an informed decision on how to proceed with the change request, aligning with the Perform Integrated Change Control process.

B. Declining the request outright is inappropriate. The project manager should analyze and present options, not unilaterally reject a potentially beneficial change requested by the sponsor.

C. Implementing the scope expansion without securing the necessary resources introduces unmitigated risk, which is an irresponsible action that jeopardizes the project's success.

D. While recognizing the team and planning for their development are positive actions, they do not address the immediate skill gap and risk associated with the scope expansion.

1. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. Section 4.6

Perform Integrated Change Control

p. 113. The text emphasizes that the process includes "assessing the impact of the change" on project objectives and constraints.

2. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition. Section 2.8

Project Work Performance Domain

subsection 2.8.3

Managing Project Changes. This section details that managing change involves evaluating impacts and presenting the "options and recommendations" to the relevant stakeholders for a decision.

3. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. Section 9.3

Acquire Resources

p. 328. This process focuses on obtaining the necessary team members. A scope change that reveals a competency gap would necessitate activities from this process.

In managing virtual Agile teams, communication tools must be matched to the task's complexity and requirements (Media Richness Theory). Negotiation involves resolving conflicts and reaching agreements, requiring high-bandwidth communication to capture non-verbal cues; video conferencing provides the necessary face-to-face interaction. Routine information (status updates, announcements) is effectively handled via online bulletin boards (information radiators), allowing members to pull information as needed without synchronous interruption. Project deliverables (code, documentation) require strict configuration management and history tracking, which is the primary function of a version control system. Finally, general team discussion and informal collaboration are best facilitated by chat rooms, which offer a balance of immediacy and persistence for ongoing dialogue.

Project Management Institute (PMI). (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Section 10.1.2.3 (Communication Technology): Discusses how the urgency of the need for information and the sensitivity of the information determine the tool choice (e.g., video for sensitive/complex interactions).

Section 10.1.2.5 (Communication Methods): Defines "Pull communication" (e.g., web portals, bulletin boards) for large volumes of information or very large audiences, suitable for routine info.

Project Management Institute (PMI) & Agile Alliance. (2017). Agile Practice Guide. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Section 4.3.2 (Team Practices - Distributed Teams): Page 46. Discusses the use of "fishbowl windows" (video conferencing) to bridge the gap in distributed teams, essential for complex interactions like negotiation.

Daft, R. L., & Lengel, R. H. (1986). Organizational Information Requirements, Media Richness and Structural Design. Management Science, 32(5), 554–571. doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.32.5.554

Foundational academic source for Media Richness Theory, which dictates that ambiguous tasks (Negotiation) require rich media (Video), while standard tasks (Routine info) use lean media (Boards/Documents).

The core issue is a breakdown in communication and transparency, which a formal daily report is failing to address. A physical task board (like a Kanban or Scrum board) serves as an "information radiator." It makes the workflow, progress, dependencies, and blockers highly visible to the entire team and the product owner in real-time. This visual management tool fosters collaboration, provides a focal point for daily discussions, and creates a shared understanding of the team's work and challenges. It directly addresses the dissatisfaction by replacing an ineffective formal report with a transparent, collaborative, and continuously updated tool.

1. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition. Project Management Institute.

Section 4.2.5

Artifacts: Discusses visual controls

stating

"Visual controls are artifacts that post information in a highly visible physical location to convey a message

share information

or prompt a decision or action... Examples include story maps

Kanban boards

and burndown/burnup charts." This supports using a task board as a key artifact for communication.

2. Project Management Institute. (2017). Agile Practice Guide. Project Management Institute.

Section 5.2.3

Information Radiators: This section explicitly describes the value of tools like task boards. It states

"To share information with the team and stakeholders

agile teams use information radiators... The goal is to have simple

high-visibility displays of key information... Examples include task boards..." (p. 52). This directly aligns with using a task board to solve the communication problem.

3. Sutherland

J.

& Schwaber

K. (2020). The Scrum Guide. Scrum.org.

Section on Scrum Artifacts

The Sprint Backlog: The guide describes the Sprint Backlog as a "highly visible

real-time picture of the work that the Developers plan to accomplish." This emphasizes the principle of making work visible to enhance transparency

which is the goal of a task board.

The project manager's immediate responsibility is to manage team dynamics and resolve conflict. The team member's disruptive behavior is a symptom of an underlying problem. The most effective and professional first step is to engage with the individual to understand the source of their negativity and disruption. This approach, rooted in root cause analysis, allows the project manager to determine if the issue stems from a misunderstanding, a valid unaddressed risk, or a personal issue. Only after identifying the cause can an appropriate resolution be implemented. This aligns with the conflict management principle of confronting the problem, not the person.

1. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition. Project Management Institute

Inc. See Section 2.3

Team Performance Domain

p. 52

which states

"Effective project managers proactively address conflict rather than avoid it." This proactive approach begins with understanding the source of the conflict.

2. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition. Project Management Institute

Inc. See Section 4.3

Models

Methods

and Artifacts

under the "Conflict Management" method

which implicitly requires identifying the cause of the conflict as the first step to selecting an appropriate resolution strategy (e.g.

collaborating/problem-solving).

3. Kerzner

H. (2017). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning

Scheduling

and Controlling (12th ed.). Wiley. In Chapter 6

"Management Functions

" the discussion on conflict resolution emphasizes the "confrontation" or "problem-solving" mode as the most effective. This mode involves directly addressing the disagreement to identify the root cause and find a mutually agreeable solution.

These terms describe behavioral constraints addressed in Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM). Parkinson’s Law dictates that work expands to fill the time allotted, eliminating potential early finishes. Self-Protection occurs when resources hide early finishes to prevent management from reducing future time estimates, thereby protecting their "safety" margins. Student Syndrome refers to the human tendency to delay the start of a task until the deadline is imminent, which consumes the project buffer before work even begins. Finally, the Dropped Baton effect describes a resource handoff failure: when a predecessor finishes early but the successor is unprepared, the time gained is lost, neutralizing the benefit of the early finish.

Goldratt, E. M. (1997). Critical Chain. Great Barrington, MA: The North River Press. (Chapters 11-13 detail Student Syndrome, Parkinson's Law, and the "relay runner" dropped baton analogy).

Leach, L. P. (1999). "Critical Chain Project Management." Project Management Journal, 30(2), 39–51. (Defines Student Syndrome and Parkinson’s Law in the context of project buffers).

Herroelen, W., & Leus, R. (2001). "On the merits and pitfalls of critical chain scheduling." Journal of Operations Management, 19(5), 559-577. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-6963(01)00054-7 (Academic review of Goldratt’s behavioral assumptions).

Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. (Section 9.1 and 6.4 discuss resource management and estimation behaviors).

The root cause of the issue is a conflict of authority and a lack of clarity regarding decision-making power over requirements. A manager, due to their influence, overruled a requirement from a subject matter expert (SME). This situation indicates a failure in the initial stakeholder analysis and engagement planning. The project manager's primary responsibility is to understand the stakeholder landscape, including their roles, interests, and authority levels. By consulting with the project sponsor, who typically authorizes the project and has organizational authority, the project manager could have formally clarified the roles and decision-making responsibilities of key stakeholders like the manager and the SME. This foundational step would have ensured the correct individuals were engaged for requirements approval, preventing this late-stage conflict.

1. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition. Project Management Institute

Inc.

Section 2.3

Stakeholder Performance Domain (p. 42): This section emphasizes that effective stakeholder engagement involves understanding stakeholders' "authority to make decisions." The scenario highlights a failure in this understanding. Clarifying roles and responsibilities with a sponsor is a key activity in analyzing and planning for stakeholder engagement.

Section 4.5.2

Tailoring Stakeholder Engagement (p. 113): "The project manager and the project team can consult with the sponsor...to identify the key stakeholders." This consultation extends beyond a simple list to understanding their roles and influence.

2. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Sixth Edition. Project Management Institute

Inc.

Section 13.1.2.1

Stakeholder Analysis (p. 511): This section details the process of analyzing stakeholders' roles

interests

influence

and impact. The conflict between the manager and SME points to an inadequate analysis of power and influence. Consulting the sponsor is a primary method for gathering this information.

Section 13.2

Plan Stakeholder Engagement (p. 516): The goal of this process is to develop "strategies to effectively engage stakeholders throughout the project life cycle

based on the analysis of their needs

interests

and potential impact." This plan would formalize the roles and responsibilities discussed with the sponsor.

3. Pinto

J. K. (2000). Understanding the role of politics in successful project management. International Journal of Project Management

18(2)

85-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-7863(98)00073-0

This article underscores the importance of understanding the political landscape and power structures within an organization for project success. The scenario is a classic example of project politics where a manager's influence (informal or formal power) impacts the project outcome. A project manager must proactively identify and manage these political stakeholders

often by clarifying their roles and authority with senior leadership like the project sponsor.

This exercise contrasts the core philosophies of predictive (plan-driven) and agile (change-driven) project management.

• Predictive: This approach, often called "waterfall," is built on detailed upfront planning. Requirements are fully defined at the start. Because the plan is paramount, Changes are undesirable and thus constrained. Risk and Cost are managed via a detailed initial plan. Key Stakeholders are typically involved at major sign-off points or milestones.
• Agile: This iterative approach is designed to embrace change. Requirements are expected to evolve and are elaborated frequently in small batches. Changes are welcomed and incorporated in real-time during development sprints or iterations. Key Stakeholders (like a product owner) are continuously involved to provide constant feedback. Risk and Cost are managed iteratively as new information and requirements emerge.

MIT OpenCourseWare. (2016). 16.852J / ESD.36J System and Project Management. Fall 2016. Lecture 3: Project Life Cycles & Processes.

Reference: This lecture material explicitly contrasts predictive (e.g., Waterfall) and adaptive (Agile) lifecycles. It notes that predictive models fix requirements early, while adaptive models allow requirements to be elaborated throughout the project. It also describes stakeholder involvement as periodic in predictive models versus continuous in adaptive models.

Tripp, J., & Armstrong, D. J. (2018). "Agile Methodology: A Review of the Literature and Project Management Framework." Journal of Information Systems Education, 29(3), 147-156.

Reference: Page 148 discusses how Agile methodologies, unlike traditional predictive models, "welcome changing requirements, even late in development." This supports matching "incorporated in real-time" with Agile changes and "constrained" with Predictive changes.

Serrador, P., & Pinto, J. K. (2015). "Does Agile work?—A quantitative analysis of agile project success." International Journal of Project Management, 33(5), 1040-1051. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.01.006

Reference: Page 1041, in its comparison of "Traditional" (Predictive) and "Agile" methods, highlights that stakeholder engagement in traditional models is "Limited, at start and end," whereas in Agile it is "Constant." This supports the placement of "involved at specific milestones" (Predictive) and "continuously involved" (Agile).

Project Management Institute (PMI). (2017). Agile Practice Guide.

Reference: Section 3.1 (Page 18-19), "Characteristics of Project Life Cycles," contrasts predictive and agile approaches. It states predictive life cycles involve "up-front planning" for scope, time, and cost, supporting the "controlled by detailed planning" match. In contrast, it describes agile life cycles as having requirements "elaborated in iterations," supporting the "elaborated frequently" match.