While executing a large project, a primary stakeholder requests a change to scope. You believe the change requires little effort, but you worry the full change control process will delay the schedule. What should you do?

The correct action is to submit a formal change request. Even if a change seems minor, any alteration to the project scope, schedule, cost, or quality baselines requires following the integrated change control process. Bypassing this process, even with stakeholder approval, violates project governance and can lead to unmanaged scope creep, budget overruns, and quality issues. Implementing the change without formal approval is a direct violation of project management principles. Rejecting the change outright without evaluation is not appropriate; all change requests should be processed through the established change control system. The change control process is designed to evaluate the impact of changes and ensure they are approved and documented appropriately, maintaining project integrity.