Midway through execution, quality specifications for deliverables were formally accepted, but a key stakeholder claims the deliverables do not meet those specifications. What should the project manager do?

The project manager should review the requirements traceability matrix to confirm the agreed-upon specifications and then conduct inspections to objectively verify if the deliverables meet those specifications. This systematic approach ensures that the project manager gathers factual evidence before taking further action. Informing the sponsor or documenting an issue prematurely without verification is not the most effective first step. Notifying the stakeholder of arbitration is an adversarial and premature action, as the claim itself needs to be validated first.