With an accepted project deadline approaching and only seventy five percent of the work complete, a project manager issues a change request; what should this change request authorize?

Introduction / Context:
In PMI oriented project management, change requests are formal proposals to modify project baselines, plans, or documents. When a project is behind schedule and the deadline is approaching, the project manager may need to request changes to correct the situation. Exams frequently test whether candidates understand that change requests should focus on corrective or preventive action based on analysis, rather than ad hoc actions that ignore root causes.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The project deadline has been accepted and is approaching.
• Only seventy five percent of the work has been completed compared to what was planned.
• The project manager chooses to issue a formal change request.
• Options include adding resources, generic escalation, overtime, and corrective action based on causes.

Concept / Approach:
Corrective action is any intentional activity that realigns future project performance with the project management plan. In PMI terms, proper corrective action is based on analysis of the root causes of variance, not just quick fixes. Change requests that add resources, extend schedules, or modify scope should be justified by such analysis. The best answer is the one that explicitly mentions corrective action and cause based analysis to bring the project back in line with the plan, rather than unstructured use of funds or overtime that may not address the underlying problems.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognize that the project is behind schedule because only seventy five percent of work is complete as the deadline approaches. Step 2: Recall that appropriate project management practice is to perform variance and root cause analysis before deciding on a response. Step 3: Identify that a well formed change request should authorize corrective action designed to realign future performance with the plan, not just any reaction. Step 4: Select the option that explicitly mentions corrective action based on causes of schedule variance.

Verification / Alternative check:
In PMBOK style guidance, the Monitor and Control Project Work process includes analyzing performance and recommending corrective actions. These recommendations are documented as change requests. Corrective actions are then reviewed through integrated change control before being approved and implemented. This sequence shows that change requests focus on cause based corrective or preventive measures, which matches the wording in the correct option.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, adding resources using contingency funds without root cause analysis, may or may not solve the problem and is not aligned with disciplined corrective action. Option B, escalation for future projects, does not address the current project's schedule variance at all. Option C, team overtime, is a potential tactic but is incomplete as a change request if it ignores reasons for the delay and other constraints such as cost, quality, and team morale. Only option D explicitly states corrective action based on causes to bring performance back in line with the plan.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates often choose the option that looks action oriented, such as overtime or adding resources, without checking whether it is grounded in proper analysis. Another pitfall is forgetting that change requests should be documented and processed through integrated change control, not implemented informally. Always look for options that mention corrective or preventive actions linked to variance analysis when dealing with schedule or cost issues in exam questions.

Final Answer:
The change request should authorize corrective action based on analysis of schedule variance causes to bring future performance back in line with the plan.