The project manager realizes the team is unlikely to finish system development before the scheduled testing start date due to technical complexity. What should the project manager do before informing the client at the regular progress meeting?

Before communicating a potential issue to stakeholders, a project manager should always gather and analyze information. Working with the project team to evaluate the potential delay allows for a thorough understanding of the situation, including its root causes, impact, and possible mitigation strategies. This enables the project manager to present a comprehensive update to the client, rather than just an unquantified problem. Asking the project sponsor to notify the client is abdication of responsibility. Refraining from disclosure is a failure of transparency and risk management. Telling the client about a possibility without understanding its full scope or solutions can cause unnecessary alarm and damage trust.