To address the lack of trust in agile within an organization, it is often effective to start with a pilot project.
This allows the organization to see the benefits of agile in action without fully committing to a large-scale transformation. A pilot project can serve as a proof of concept, demonstrating the value of agile delivery and helping to build trust among skeptical business units. It provides an opportunity for the organization to learn and adapt the agile framework in a controlled environment, which can then be scaled up based on the success of the pilot12.
References:
Trust-the key for successful delivery using agile methods1.
How to Build Trust to Enable Agility | Scrum.org2.
Exam PMP topic 1 question 911 discussion3.
How to Choose a Pilot Project for Agile Transformation4.

When a high-performing team member's performance declines, it is important for the project manager to understand the underlying reasons. Engaging in a direct conversation with the team member can provide insights into potential personal or professional challenges they may be facing, which could be affecting their work. This approach aligns with the PMBOK Guide's emphasis on project managers being actively involved in team management and performance assessment. It also reflects the principles of Professional in Business Analysis, which advocate for understanding the dynamics affecting team performance and addressing them through appropriate communication and problem-solving strategies.
References:
PMBOK Guide1
Engaging Your Team to Greater Project Performance2
How to Start Improving Your Team Performance as a Business Analyst3

Technical debt is the term used to describe the consequences of poor quality or incomplete work in software development projects. It refers to the implied cost of rework or maintenance that will be required in the future due to skipping or compromising on testing, documentation, design, or other best practices. Technical debt can negatively affect the project velocity, quality, performance, reliability, security, and customer satisfaction. According to the Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials1, technical debt can be classified into four types:
Deliberate and reckless: This is when the team intentionally chooses to skip testing or other quality measures, knowing that it will create problems later, but without a plan to address them. This is the most harmful type of technical debt, as it can lead to major defects, failures, or breaches that can jeopardize the project or the organization.
Deliberate and prudent: This is when the team intentionally chooses to skip testing or other quality measures, knowing that it will create problems later, but with a plan to address them as soon as possible. This is a common type of technical debt, as it can help the team meet urgent deadlines, deliver minimum viable products, or respond to changing requirements. However, this type of technical debt still requires careful management and prioritization, as it can accumulate over time and become unmanageable.
Inadvertent and reckless: This is when the team unintentionally creates technical debt due to lack of skills, knowledge, or experience, and without realizing the impact of their actions. This is a dangerous type of technical debt, as it can result in poor quality products, low customer satisfaction, and high maintenance costs.
This type of technical debt can be prevented by investing in training, coaching, mentoring, and peer reviews.
Inadvertent and prudent: This is when the team unintentionally creates technical debt due to unavoidable factors, such as evolving technologies, standards, or customer needs, and with a plan to address them as part of continuous improvement. This is an inevitable type of technical debt, as it reflects the dynamic nature of software development. This type of technical debt can be managed by adopting agile practices, such as frequent feedback, retrospectives, and refactoring.
Therefore, the correct answer is C. Increased technical debt. By skipping testing, the project manager and the team are creating deliberate and reckless technical debt, which can have severe consequences for the project and the organization. The project manager will need to focus on identifying, measuring, and reducing the technical debt as soon as possible, and avoid making such decisions in the future.
References:
Technical Debt: Definition, Types, and Management.

According to the PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, section 11.4, one of the tools and techniques for performing qualitative risk analysis is risk categorization. This involves grouping potential risks by common root causes or other criteria, such as project phases, sources, or effects. The project manager should use this technique to identify the most significant risks that are affecting the project performance, and prioritize them for further analysis or action. The project manager should then develop appropriate risk responses to mitigate or avoid the negative impacts of the risks, or exploit or enhance the positive impacts of the opportunities. The project manager should also update the risk register and other project documents accordingly. The other options are not the first steps to take, as they do not address the root causes of the risks, and may not be feasible or effective in the given situation. References: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, section 11.4; PMP Practice Exam, question 94.

A competitor's announcement is an external market event that changes business priorities-speed to market becomes critical. In an iterative delivery model, the best response is to re-evaluate value and sequencing, then adjust what gets built first. Working with the product owner to assess impact and reprioritize the backlog (A) aligns delivery to the new business objective by pushing the highest-value, market-differentiating items earlier (e.g., MVP, critical features, reduced validation steps where acceptable). While additional resources (B) may help, it is not the first move because it can increase cost and coordination complexity without guaranteeing faster value delivery. A formal CCB change request (C) fits predictive governance, but the scenario is iterative; prioritization is the primary lever for speed. Reducing the development cycle (D) may be part of the solution, but the Scrum Master cannot reduce cycle time effectively without first changing what work is prioritized and how scope is sequenced. Backlog reprioritization is the fastest, most direct control to respond to market pressure.