While preparing a national-level proposal, the project manager finds required regulatory compliance missing for some aspects. Senior management says to overlook these issues and continue. What should the project manager do first?

The project manager's primary responsibility is to act with integrity and ensure compliance. Before taking further action, the project manager must first confirm the exact regulatory requirements. This step validates the initial finding and provides a clear understanding of the non-compliance. Once confirmed, developing a compliance strategy demonstrates proactive problem-solving and a commitment to ethical conduct, offering senior management a path forward that addresses the issue rather than ignoring it. Recording interactions in the risk register is a good practice but comes after understanding the full scope of the problem. Telling senior management it is ethically improper is true, but it's more effective after confirming the facts and proposing a solution. Developing the proposal with different assumptions is unethical and potentially illegal, as it deliberately misrepresents the situation.