PMP · Question #1010
A project manager is about to start a large-scale project with unclear requirements, a fixed deadline, and a fixed budget. The client is unable to provide a product owner, as they do not have enough…
The correct answer is C. Agree up front on a minimum viable product (MVP), establish deadlines for review, and run the. With unclear requirements, fixed constraints, and limited client involvement, the project manager should adopt an agile approach by agreeing on a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and establishing regular review deadlines.
Question
A project manager is about to start a large-scale project with unclear requirements, a fixed deadline, and a fixed budget. The client is unable to provide a product owner, as they do not have enough capacity and they want to be involved only a few times during the project. How should the project manager plan and manage the project?
Options
- AConvince the client that a product owner is needed, as the project manager is not able to run an
- BDefine the project's requirements, prepare a long-term detailed plan, and manage the project
- CAgree up front on a minimum viable product (MVP), establish deadlines for review, and run the
- DRefuse to manage the project as there is too much risk in developing this kind of project without a
How the community answered
(59 responses)- A2% (1)
- B10% (6)
- C83% (49)
- D5% (3)
Why each option
With unclear requirements, fixed constraints, and limited client involvement, the project manager should adopt an agile approach by agreeing on a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and establishing regular review deadlines.
Attempting to convince the client to provide a product owner when they've stated lack of capacity is unproductive and may delay or prevent project initiation rather than providing a solution to manage the current constraints.
Preparing a long-term detailed plan with unclear requirements is a traditional waterfall approach that is highly risky and often leads to rework and failure in environments of high uncertainty.
Given unclear requirements, fixed budget, fixed deadline, and limited client availability, an agile approach centered on a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is the most suitable strategy. Defining an MVP helps clarify initial scope by focusing on core functionality, while establishing regular client review deadlines ensures essential, albeit infrequent, feedback to guide development and manage expectations iteratively within the given constraints.
Refusing to manage the project is not a proactive solution to challenging project conditions and demonstrates a lack of adaptability and problem-solving skills.
Concept tested: Agile project management, MVP, stakeholder engagement
Source: https://www.scrum.org/resources/what-is-scrum
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Samuel O.Jul 1, 2026C is the answer here. I have run enough fixed-price engagements to know that when requirements are fuzzy and the client is barely available, you negotiate an MVP up front and lock in review checkpoints so you are not flying blind for months at a time. B is a trap because a long-term detailed plan is worthless when the requirements are unclear, and D is a non-starter because walking away does not solve anything for anyone. A sounds nice in theory but in my experience clients who lack capacity just do not budge, so you adapt the approach rather than fighting a battle you will not win.
Prof. SaraJul 4, 2026C is correct and aligns with Domain 4 adaptability, but Samuel is dead on that the MVP is the real exam trigger here: whenever you see unclear requirements plus low client availability, think Minimum Viable Product and phased checkpoints, not full upfront planning.
Prof. SaraJun 21, 2026C wins because MVP plus scheduled reviews handles low client availability. Confused on how fixed budget survives scope discovery in hybrid?
Samuel O.Jun 23, 2026C is right but the budget survives scope discovery by carving out a contingency reserve up front and using those scheduled reviews as decision gates to trade scope, not add it.
Yusuf A.Jun 25, 2026C is right, my senior calls MVP the safety net for unclear scope. Does MVP still work if the fixed budget is too tight?