PMP · Question #1261
A project manager created a contingency plan associated with a risk. The risk was realized, but the client insists on using a new workaround instead. The requested workaround will introduce delays…
The correct answer is B. Discuss the options with the client as part of the change control process. When a client insists on a workaround that deviates from the approved risk response plan and impacts the project baseline, the project manager must engage the change control process.
Question
A project manager created a contingency plan associated with a risk. The risk was realized, but the client insists on using a new workaround instead. The requested workaround will introduce delays and require additional budget. What should the project manager do?
Options
- ARequest to use the management reserve to keep the schedule.
- BDiscuss the options with the client as part of the change control process.
- CProceed with the approved risk response plan.
- DMitigate risks associated with the workaround to avoid project delays.
How the community answered
(43 responses)- A2% (1)
- B84% (36)
- C5% (2)
- D9% (4)
Why each option
When a client insists on a workaround that deviates from the approved risk response plan and impacts the project baseline, the project manager must engage the change control process.
Using the management reserve is for managing unforeseen risks or unknown unknowns, not for funding a client-initiated change that alters the project's scope, schedule, or cost baseline and requires formal approval.
A client-insisted workaround that introduces delays and requires additional budget constitutes a change to the approved project baselines. Therefore, the project manager must discuss these options with the client and process it through the formal integrated change control process to assess impacts and obtain necessary approvals.
Proceeding with the approved risk response plan ignores the client's insistence on a different solution, which could lead to stakeholder dissatisfaction and project misalignment.
Mitigating risks associated with the workaround is an important step, but it follows the formal discussion and potential approval of the workaround through the change control process, rather than being the immediate first action.
Concept tested: Integrated change control process
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/project-integration-management
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Yusuf A.Jun 19, 2026B is correct. A senior PM at my company told me the key here is that any new workaround means a change request, so you walk the client through change control to review the schedule and budget impact before doing anything else.
Anjali D.Jun 22, 2026Agreed on B, and the change-control angle is solid, but make sure you frame it as walking the client through the process rather than just pushing paperwork, since the exam tends to reward the collaborative phrasing over the procedural one.
Anjali D.Jun 13, 2026Going with C. We built that contingency plan for exactly this situation.
Yusuf A.Jun 15, 2026Actually it is B, not C. My senior walked me through this one and pointed out that the keyword in the stem points to B because of how it maps directly to that specific configuration, whereas C is the trap that sounds right if you have real-world experience but does not match what the exam is asking for.
Lena V.Jun 3, 2026Going with A. Management reserve exists precisely for unplanned workarounds like this.
Yusuf A.Jun 6, 2026Actually it is B, because the question specifies a known risk with a planned response, which is exactly what contingency reserve covers. One of the senior PMs at my company drilled this into me: management reserve is for the unknown unknowns, contingency reserve is for the known risks.