The change control board (CCB) rejects a change request submitted by a subject matter expert (SME). The SME refuses to accept this rejection and does not want to continue the project without the chang

Sponsor approval might be required for major changes or after CCB review, but it's not a universal prerequisite for *all* change requests before CCB submission, nor would it prevent an SME's refusal if the change is rejected.

Before submitting a change request to the CCB, a project manager should thoroughly assess its overall impact on the project, including scope, schedule, cost, quality, and risks. This comprehensive impact analysis helps to present a well-justified request and manage stakeholder expectations regarding its potential approval or rejection, thereby avoiding refusal to cooperate.

While alignment with project scope is important, a change request by its nature often proposes scope modifications; the critical preventative step is understanding the *impact* of that modification, not just current alignment.

Submitting the change request directly to the CCB is a procedural step, not an action that prevents stakeholder dissatisfaction or refusal if the request is denied without prior impact assessment and expectation management.