Brendan is managing a large IT project at a venture-backed startup that is scaling up. The project requires frequent change requests due to multiple IT initiatives simultaneously happening within the growing firm. A particular business manager with a lot of clout is pressing Brendan to make changes that may not only impact the project’s scope, but cost and timeline as well. Which exemplifies the best route for Brendan to take?
Explanation
Answer: b - Brendan can effectively remove the pressure that he’s receiving from this manager by placing change request responsibility into the hands of a group.
Corrective action is used when a project is not performing well according to its baselines, while dynamic programming is a mathematical approach used to select projects. A kickoff meeting is something that is held at the onset of a project. A scope creep committee may seem like a good idea to you experience project managers, but we’ve never actually heard of one being created. A change control process is the closest thing really.
Key Take Away: Experienced Project Managers effectively use the power of group decision-making to discourage pressuring tactics on any one person, which could potentially sway decisions for the wrong reasons, and put the project at risk. Most large firms have processes in place for this, but in growing companies, a lack of a formal change control process can be a nightmare for a project manager and result in major scope creep.
