During the testing phase of a project, an executive raises a concern about a missing requirement in the product. Which of the following is the NEXT step the project manager should take?

Communicating the change status happens after the change request has been submitted, reviewed, and its status determined, not as the first step.

When a new requirement or a missing requirement is identified, the proper procedure is to initiate the formal change control process. Asking for a change request submission formalizes the proposed change, allowing it to be properly documented, analyzed, and evaluated for its impact on scope, schedule, and cost.

Escalating to the change control board occurs after a change request has been submitted and preliminary analysis performed, when formal review and approval are needed.

Rejecting the change upfront without formal evaluation is premature and goes against good project management practices, as the requirement might be critical.