PMP · Question #53
A project manager receives a suggestion from a team member for improving the product attributes without impacting the schedule or cost. This will add value to the project and the customer. What…
The correct answer is B. Ask the team member to submit a formal change request. Even if a suggestion appears to add value without negative impact, any proposed change to product attributes should follow a formal change control process.
Question
A project manager receives a suggestion from a team member for improving the product attributes without impacting the schedule or cost. This will add value to the project and the customer. What should the project manager do?
Options
- AReject the suggestion and ask the team member to focus on executing the plan
- BAsk the team member to submit a formal change request
- CAccept the suggestion as it has no impact on the project
- DAsk another team member to validate the impacts of the suggestion
How the community answered
(14 responses)- A7% (1)
- B86% (12)
- D7% (1)
Why each option
Even if a suggestion appears to add value without negative impact, any proposed change to product attributes should follow a formal change control process.
Rejecting a potentially valuable suggestion without evaluation discourages team member engagement and innovation.
In project management, even seemingly beneficial changes must undergo a formal change request process to ensure proper documentation, impact analysis, and stakeholder approval, maintaining project control and preventing scope creep. This ensures that all potential downstream effects are considered and formally accepted before implementation.
Accepting a suggestion without a formal process bypasses change control, risking undocumented scope changes and potential unforeseen impacts on project baselines.
While validation is important, it is part of the change request process; asking only one other team member for validation is insufficient and bypasses the formal process.
Concept tested: Project change control process
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok
Topics
Community Discussion
8
Viktor S.Dec 2, 2025B is correct. Even with zero impact to schedule or cost, any change to product attributes goes through Perform Integrated Change Control so the impact gets formally documented and approved, not just accepted on a handshake.
Grace U.Dec 4, 2025Agreed on B, and worth adding that even a zero-impact change still needs that paper trail so the update is traceable later if scope creep questions come up during audit or stakeholder review.
Yuki V.Nov 19, 2025B. C is tempting but no change is free, even with zero cost or schedule impact.
Viktor S.Nov 21, 2025Agreed on B, but worth adding that the change review process itself has overhead, which is exactly why the no-impact argument falls apart in practice.
Grace U.Nov 6, 2025B. Even free improvements go through change control. Why does PMI want every value-add documented?
Bao N.Nov 12, 2025Got B on my exam last month, no change means no CR trips everyone up.
Lena V.Nov 17, 2025Picked A. PMI wants disciplined execution, not unsolicited gold plating scope changes.
Yuki V.Nov 19, 2025Actually it is B. Gold plating is the term PMI uses for adding scope or features beyond what was requested, which is exactly what the question is describing, so that is the concept being tested rather than the response to it.