What factor can negatively impact cost and schedule when it comes to project requirements and management focus?

What factor can negatively impact cost and schedule when it comes to project requirements and management focus?

• A. Stable requirements and disciplined management.
• B. Adequate contingency planning.
• C. Unstable requirements and management emphasis on cost and schedule.
• D. Long-term supplier relationships.

Answer: (C)

When requirements aren’t stable and management focuses mainly on cost and schedule, the project is highly vulnerable to scope creep. Stakeholders may request changes or new features, and without a solid change control process tied to a clear baseline, those changes trigger rework, design tweaks, and testing repeats. Each iteration can push the schedule out and drive up costs, because work that wasn’t originally planned ends up being done, documented, and validated again. This misalignment—changing needs while measurement emphasizes only time and money—creates a compounding effect: more work, longer timelines, and bigger budgets. In contrast, stable requirements with disciplined management keep the project scoped, planned, and tracked against a baseline, reducing surprise work. Adequate contingency planning provides buffers for unknowns, helping maintain schedule and cost even when uncertainties arise. Long-term supplier relationships can improve reliability and efficiency, aiding on-time delivery and cost control.

When requirements aren’t stable and management focuses mainly on cost and schedule, the project is highly vulnerable to scope creep. Stakeholders may request changes or new features, and without a solid change control process tied to a clear baseline, those changes trigger rework, design tweaks, and testing repeats. Each iteration can push the schedule out and drive up costs, because work that wasn’t originally planned ends up being done, documented, and validated again. This misalignment—changing needs while measurement emphasizes only time and money—creates a compounding effect: more work, longer timelines, and bigger budgets.

In contrast, stable requirements with disciplined management keep the project scoped, planned, and tracked against a baseline, reducing surprise work. Adequate contingency planning provides buffers for unknowns, helping maintain schedule and cost even when uncertainties arise. Long-term supplier relationships can improve reliability and efficiency, aiding on-time delivery and cost control.