A team is working on a hospital construction project and is using a predictive approach. The team has encountered a challenge affecting their deadline because a critical team member is on medical leave. The project is in jeopardy of falling behind schedule. What should the project manager do first?

In project management, when an unexpected issue arises—such as a critical resource becoming unavailable—the project manager's first step must be to assess the situation and evaluate alternatives before escalating or making unilateral changes. Meeting with the project team allows the project manager to collaboratively assess the impact of the absence, identify if existing team members possess the necessary skills to absorb the critical tasks, and explore mitigation strategies like schedule compression or task reassignment. Escalating to a functional manager or sponsor is premature without first understanding the team's internal capability to handle the variance. Furthermore, collaborative problem-solving aligns with PMI’s emphasis on team empowerment and shared ownership of project outcomes.

A: Escalating to the functional manager is premature. The project manager should first assess if the current team can absorb the work before requesting external replacements. B: Requesting a schedule extension from the sponsor is a last resort. The project manager must first evaluate mitigation strategies, such as fast-tracking or crashing, with the team. C: Unilaterally assigning tasks to someone with capacity ignores whether that specific team member possesses the necessary technical skills required to complete the critical tasks effectively.

1. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Section 9.5.2.1 (Manage Team: Tools and Techniques - Problem Solving), p. 348. (Supports the principle of identifying the problem and exploring alternatives collaboratively before decision-making).

2. Project Management Institute. (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Section 2.2 (Team Performance Domain), pp. 16-19. (Emphasizes collaborative problem-solving, shared responsibility, and team empowerment in overcoming project impediments).

3. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Section 4.5 (Perform Integrated Change Control), p. 113. (Reinforces that a project manager must assess the impact of an issue and evaluate workarounds before formally requesting baseline changes like a schedule extension).