Explanation: The terms and conditions of the contract are the legal agreement between the project team and the customer that defines the scope, quality, schedule, and cost of the project deliverables. The contract also specifies the roles and responsibilities of each party, the acceptance criteria, the payment terms, and the dispute resolution process1. The project manager should review the terms and conditions of the contract to determine if the maintenance manual was part of the agreed deliverables, and if so, why it was not delivered. The project manager should also communicate with the customer to understand their expectations and needs, and to resolve the issue in a satisfactory manner.
Option A is not the best answer because reviewing the stakeholder engagement plan may not help the project manager address the customer’s complaint. The stakeholder engagement plan is a document that identifies the project stakeholders, their interests, expectations, and influence, and the strategies to engage them throughout the project life cycle2. While the stakeholder engagement plan may provide some insights into the customer’s preferences and communication methods, it does not specify the contractual obligations of the project team.
Option B is not the best answer because adding the needed manual and updating the risk log may not be the appropriate actions to take before reviewing the contract. The risk log is a document that records the identified risks, their causes, impacts, probabilities, responses, and status3. While the omission of the maintenance manual may be considered a risk that could affect the customer satisfaction and the project reputation, the project manager should first verify if the manual was part of the contract, and if so, what caused the error and how to correct it.
Option D is not the best answer because submitting a change request to include the manual may not be necessary or feasible before reviewing the contract. A change request is a formal proposal to modify any aspect of the project, such as the scope, quality, schedule, or cost4. A change request may require approval from the customer, the project sponsor, or other stakeholders, depending on the change control process. The project manager should first review the contract to determine if the manual was already included in the original scope, and if not, if the customer is willing to pay for the additional work and time required to produce the manual. References:
- 1: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, page 69
- 2: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, page 83
- 3: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, page 267
- 4: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, page 95