In a situation where a developer is delaying a critical path activity due to a lack of understanding of customer requirements, the project manager should facilitate communication to ensure clarification of the requirements.
This approach aligns with the best practices in project management and business analysis, which emphasize the importance of clear communication and understanding of stakeholder requirements for project success. By clarifying the requirements, the developer can gain a better understanding of what is expected and proceed with the coding activity, thus mitigating the delay on the critical path.
References:
* PMI's Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOKGuide) emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement and effective communication to ensure that project requirements are understood and met1.
* The PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)highlights the role of communication in business analysis, including the need for clarity and the avoidance of misunderstandings23.
* Discussions among PMP professionals also suggest that once a root cause analysis is performed and the issue is identified, the next step is to address the issue directly, which in this case involves clarifying the requirements1.