An agile project was reported as on track weekly for six months, but in the final week a technical impediment threatened delivery. What should the project manager have done earlier to prevent this?

The correct answer is developing a risk response plan. A risk response plan identifies potential risks and outlines strategies to mitigate, avoid, transfer, or accept them. In an agile context, this involves continuous risk identification and planning, not just at the beginning. If a technical impediment threatened delivery in the final week, it suggests that this risk was either not identified, or no effective response was planned. Considering historical data is part of risk identification but doesn't constitute a complete response plan. Seeking alternative tracking methods is good practice for monitoring, but it's a reactive measure if the risk is already critical. Providing technical training is a proactive measure for skill development, but it doesn't replace a comprehensive risk management strategy for all potential impediments.