The project manager is preparing for the kickoff meeting of a project that follows a 'plan the work and work the plan' style. Upon studying the project charter, the project manager realizes that the project objectives will have to undergo frequent changes throughout the project. What should the project manager to do?

According to PMI standards, the project manager must tailor the development approach to the project's specific characteristics. A "plan the work and work the plan" approach describes a predictive (waterfall) life cycle, which is only suitable when requirements are well understood and stable. Because the project manager has identified that the project objectives will undergo frequent changes, maintaining a predictive approach will result in excessive change control overhead, scope creep, and inefficiencies. An adaptive (change-driven or agile) life cycle is explicitly designed to accommodate high levels of change, complexity, and uncertainty. Therefore, the project manager should proactively propose switching to a change-driven approach to the PMO to ensure the methodology aligns with the project's dynamic nature.

A. Relying on a predictive change control process for frequent changes creates excessive administrative burden and delays, failing to address the root misalignment of the project life cycle.
B. The project manager is responsible for determining and recommending the appropriate development approach based on project characteristics, rather than passively seeking the client's opinion on a misaligned plan.
D. "Dynamic backlog reduction style" is a fabricated distractor term and is not a recognized project management methodology or life cycle within PMI standards.

1. Project Management Institute (PMI). (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.). Section 1.2.4.1 (Development Life Cycles)

p. 19. (Defines predictive vs. adaptive/change-driven life cycles and their appropriate use cases).

2. Project Management Institute (PMI). (2021). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (7th ed.). Section 2.3 (Development Approach and Life Cycle Performance Domain)

pp. 32-38. (Discusses tailoring the development approach based on the degree of certainty and rate of change).

3. Project Management Institute (PMI). (2017). Agile Practice Guide. Section 3.1 (Characteristics of Project Life Cycles)

Table 3-1

p. 18. (Contrasts predictive and agile approaches

explicitly stating agile is designed for projects with frequent changes and high uncertainty).