The key stakeholders have reported the project pace as being slow. The project sponsor would like to cancel the project if it cannot be completed before the end of the year. The project is scheduled…

Approving a change request is a later step that only occurs after the request has been documented and its impact assessed through the change control process.

Denying a request is also a downstream decision that follows documentation and impact analysis, not a first response.

Documenting the change request is the mandatory first step in the integrated change control process. Before any approval, denial, or negotiation can occur, the request must be formally recorded so it can be analyzed for impact on scope, schedule, cost, and quality. Skipping documentation bypasses governance controls and makes change tracking impossible.

Asking the sponsor to alter their request is not an appropriate first action and would bypass the formal change control process that ensures proper evaluation.