4.5.13: Scenario 12 – Stakeholder Pressure and Backlog Expansion Risk

Scenario 12 – Stakeholder Pressure and Backlog Expansion Risk

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Scenario Context

Following the release of RC1, user feedback identified several areas for improvement, including:

• Reporting flexibility

• UI consistency

• Performance responsiveness

In the previous scenario, these were categorized as enhancements rather than defects.

However, internal stakeholders have now reviewed the feedback and are advocating for immediate improvements.

The project is now entering a critical phase where backlog prioritization and scope discipline must be enforced.

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Email from Julie Rama

Subject: RC1 Feedback – Stakeholder Requests for Enhancement Acceleration

Hi,

Following the initial RC1 feedback sessions, we’ve received additional direction from your internal stakeholders regarding enhancement priorities.

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1. Stakeholder Requests

We’ve been informed that there is strong interest in accelerating the following items:

• Dynamic filtering in reporting

• Customizable user views

• Improved UI consistency across modules

• Faster response time for filtered data

There is a view that these improvements are important for broader rollout readiness.

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2. Impact Assessment

From our preliminary review:

• These items are not defects and were not included in original RC1 scope

• Fast-tracking them into the next iteration would require:

  • Reprioritization of current backlog

  • Additional development effort

  • Potential increase in QA cycles

Estimated impact:

• +8–10% additional effort for next iteration

• Possible schedule compression or extension depending on prioritization

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3. Current Plan

Our current roadmap assumes:

• Stabilization of RC1

• Gradual incorporation of enhancements across subsequent iterations

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4. Request

We need guidance on:

• Whether these enhancements should be fast-tracked

• Whether backlog should be reprioritized

• Whether additional scope should be formally introduced

We want to ensure alignment before making adjustments.

Best,
Julie

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Attachment A – Enhancement Requests

Feature	Origin	Priority (Stakeholder View)
Dynamic Reporting Filters	Executive Demo Feedback	High
Custom Views	User Feedback	High
UI Consistency Improvements	QA + User Feedback	Medium
Performance Optimization	User Feedback	High

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Attachment B – Impact Estimate

Area	Impact
Development Effort	+8–10%
QA Effort	Increased regression cycles
Schedule	At risk depending on reprioritization

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Student Assignment

You are the Project Manager at C-Bay.

You are now facing:

• Strong internal pressure to improve the product quickly

• A growing enhancement backlog

• Vendor readiness to proceed with changes

• Risk of uncontrolled scope expansion

You must determine:

• Whether to fast-track enhancements

• Whether to protect the current roadmap

• How to prioritize improvements

• How to manage stakeholder expectations

• Whether formal change control is required

Prepare a formal written response to Julie Rama.

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Required Submission Structure

Your memorandum must include:

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1️⃣ Executive Position

• Is fast-tracking enhancements appropriate at this stage?

• Should the current roadmap be maintained?

• Is stakeholder pressure justified?

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2️⃣ Scope & Backlog Management

• Should enhancements be added to immediate scope?

• Should backlog reprioritization occur?

• Should scope boundaries be reinforced?

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3️⃣ Change Control Decision

• Do these enhancements require formal change control?

• Should cost and schedule impact be formally evaluated?

• Should approval be deferred pending impact analysis?

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4️⃣ Schedule & Budget Assessment

• Can current schedule absorb additional work?

• What is the risk of scope expansion on cost trajectory?

• Should effort increase be accepted or constrained?

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5️⃣ Stakeholder Management Strategy

• How will you respond to internal pressure?

• How will you balance expectations vs delivery discipline?

• How will you communicate prioritization decisions?

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6️⃣ Risk Assessment

Identify and evaluate:

• Scope creep risk

• Budget escalation risk

• Schedule disruption risk

• Product instability risk

Assign likelihood and impact.

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7️⃣ Directive to ZynoxDev

Provide a clear directive, such as:

• Maintain current roadmap and defer enhancements

• Prioritize a limited subset of enhancements

• Conduct formal impact analysis before inclusion

• Initiate structured backlog prioritization

• Introduce enhancements in phased delivery

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Learning Focus

Scenario 12 introduces:

• Backlog inflation risk

• Managing stakeholder-driven scope expansion

• Prioritization under pressure

• Protecting delivery discipline

• Strategic decision-making under competing demands

Students must demonstrate:

• Control under pressure

• Structured prioritization

• Resistance to reactive decision-making

• Clear communication of trade-offs

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Key Insight

Every enhancement request is reasonable.

But:

Not every reasonable request should be accepted immediately.

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This scenario reinforces one of the most important project management principles:

Uncontrolled backlog growth is the beginning of project instability.