Project A is critical and must finish within nine months. The project charter is signed but the project scope statement has not been prepared. Management asks the project manager to proceed without an approved project scope statement. What should the project manager do next?

The project manager should meet with management to explain the potential problems of proceeding without a project scope statement. This approach allows the project manager to educate stakeholders on the importance of defining scope, which is crucial for setting clear objectives, managing expectations, and preventing scope creep, especially given the project's critical timeline. This is a proactive, collaborative approach that seeks to resolve the issue through communication and education. Escalating the issue immediately to the sponsor or adding it to the risk register without first attempting to resolve it directly with management is premature. Refusing to work on the project is an extreme and unprofessional response. Starting the project with only the charter as input is risky, as the charter provides high-level information but lacks the detailed scope definition necessary for effective planning and execution.