PMP · Question #82
A project manager has been assigned to a project after the charter has been approved. While reviewing the charter with the team, the project manager finds that some major budget items, necessary for a
The correct answer is A. Immediately discuss this with the project sponsor and request to revisit the budget to ensure its. The project manager discovered critical budget items missing after the charter was approved, necessitating an immediate discussion with the project sponsor to resolve the discrepancy.
Question
A project manager has been assigned to a project after the charter has been approved. While reviewing the charter with the team, the project manager finds that some major budget items, necessary for achieving the project outcome, have been missed. What should the project manager do next?
Options
- AImmediately discuss this with the project sponsor and request to revisit the budget to ensure its
- BAdd the missing budget items to the risk log and present them in the next project steering
- CStart the project and deal with these budget issues as they arise throughout the project life cycle
- DReduce the quality and cost of other deliverables to allow additional budget for the items that
How the community answered
(26 responses)- A73% (19)
- B4% (1)
- C15% (4)
- D8% (2)
Why each option
The project manager discovered critical budget items missing after the charter was approved, necessitating an immediate discussion with the project sponsor to resolve the discrepancy.
The project charter, once approved, defines the project's scope, budget, and stakeholders, and any significant omissions, especially critical budget items, require immediate attention and collaboration with the project sponsor to ensure the project's viability and success. Addressing this early prevents larger issues and scope creep later in the project lifecycle, aligning expectations with the project's foundational document.
Adding budget items to a risk log treats them as potential problems rather than confirmed omissions that directly impact project viability and requires an active solution.
Starting the project with known, critical budget shortfalls is irresponsible and guarantees future problems, potentially leading to project failure.
Reducing quality or cutting other deliverables without sponsor approval to cover fundamental budget omissions is a unilateral decision that jeopardizes project objectives and stakeholder satisfaction.
Concept tested: Project charter management; budget reconciliation
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/project-charter
Topics
Community Discussion
4
Carlos M.Feb 20, 2026A. The charter is approved but the PM found missing budget items, so the right move is going straight to the sponsor to revisit the budget before things get worse. C is tempting if you just want to keep moving but it just kicks the can down the road.
Fatima Z.Feb 8, 2026Picked A. C tempts you but ignoring budget gaps spells disaster, talk to sponsor.
Dervla O.Feb 4, 2026A is correct. The charter is approved but the PM just found a gap that threatens the outcome, so the fix is to go straight to the sponsor and revisit the budget before execution starts. C is the trap because hoping for the best is not a process.
Fatima Z.Feb 5, 2026Spot on Dervla, and I lock that in with my SOS hook: Sponsor, Outcome, Schedule, because the instant you spot a gap after charter approval you grab the Sponsor before scope creeps into execution.