Should the Client's Interests be Represented in the Change Authority for the Project?

D.

In project management, a change authority is typically established to manage and assess change requests within a project. The change authority is responsible for evaluating the potential impact of changes to the project, ensuring that the changes align with the project's objectives, and determining whether the changes should be approved or rejected.

In this particular scenario, a change authority has been established for the Health and Safety Training Project based on previous experiences on other projects. The question at hand is whether the key client representative on the project board should be included within the change authority for the project.

Option A suggests that the client's interests should be represented in the change authority to give them a better understanding of the training materials. While this may be true, it is not the primary reason why the client's representative should be included in the change authority.

Option B is a better answer because it acknowledges that a change authority should consider external stakeholder needs. The client's representative can provide valuable input into the impact of proposed changes on the client's needs and interests. By involving external stakeholders in the change authority, the project team can ensure that they are addressing the needs of all stakeholders and not just those internal to the organization.

Option C argues that the change authority should be internal to the ABC organization. While it is true that the change authority should consist of individuals who have a deep understanding of the project and the organization, excluding external stakeholders would limit the scope of the change authority and may lead to decisions that do not consider the needs of all stakeholders.

Option D suggests that the project board member will be able to agree to any required changes. However, this assumes that the project board member has the expertise and understanding of the client's needs to make informed decisions. Additionally, the change authority is responsible for evaluating and approving changes, so it is important to have a diverse group of individuals with different perspectives and expertise involved in this process.

In summary, option B is the best answer because it acknowledges that a change authority should consider external stakeholder needs and that the client's representative can provide valuable input into the impact of proposed changes on their needs and interests.