In the scenario where a contract is required immediately, contrary to the initial plan of requiring it 3 months prior to the project's finish date, the project manager should request the team to initiate a change request. This is in line with best practices in project management, which call for formalizing changes through documented procedures. A change request is necessary to adjust the project's scope, schedule, and costs accordingly. It ensures that all stakeholders are aware of the changes, agree to them, and understand their implications. This process is part of the integrated change control process, which is crucial for managing contracts and any changes that occur during project execution.
: (PMI's Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOKGuide) and Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials)

In the context of project management, particularly in an agile environment, the project manager should work more closely with the agile team to eliminate the need for progress reports1. This approach allows the resource who was previously responsible for producing progress reports to utilize their skills to assist other team members with their workload1. This strategy not only optimizes the time of the resource but also enhances the productivity and performance of the entire team1. It is important to note that effective time management and resource optimization are critical for the success of a project23.
References:
What Is Resource Optimization? Techniques & Best Practices - ProjectManager
10 Time Management Strategies for Project Managers - Atlassian Community The project manager role - responsibilities, skills, and more - Adobe

According to the PMBOK Guide, the project manager should assess the required training per team member as part of the plan resource management process. This process involves identifying and documenting the project roles, responsibilities, skills, and competencies, as well as the training needs of the project team members.
The project manager should also consider the project life cycle approach, whether it is predictive, adaptive, or hybrid, and the implications for the team's knowledge and skills. The project manager should not coach, change, or deliver training to the team members without first assessing their training needs and gaps, as this may not be effective or efficient. References: PMBOK Guide, 7th edition, pages 307-308, 311-312.

A team charter is a document that a team creates to define their mission, goals, and the norms they will follow. Having a team charter in place can help ensure that all team members are aligned and understand what is expected of them. Agreeing on core working hours within the team charter can address the issue of reduced and ineffective interactions due to varying individual start times. It sets a specific time frame during which all team members are available, thus maximizing the overlap in working hours and enhancing team collaboration and productivity.
The recommendation for a team charter aligns with the best practices for team management as outlined in PMI's resources on project management and business analysis12. Additionally, the Professional in Business Analysis Reference Materials also emphasize the importance of defining team roles and responsibilities, which can be effectively facilitated through a team charter3.

An iterative delivery approach is a method of project management that breaks down large projects into smaller cycles or iterations, each delivering a usable and potentially releasable product increment12. An iterative delivery approach is suitable for projects that have a high degree of uncertainty, complexity, or change, such as the transformation of operational processes and the main system of a transportation company3. In order to help the team understand the work that needs to be done, the project manager needs to work with the team to decompose the scope into a work breakdown structure (WBS) and work packages. A WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into smaller and more manageable components, each with a unique identifier and a clear definition of what is included and excluded4. A work package is the lowest level of the WBS, which represents a unit of work that can be assigned, executed, monitored, and controlled by a single person or a small group. By creating a WBS and work packages, the project manager can help the team to:
* Clarify the project scope and objectives
* Identify the deliverables and outcomes of each iteration
* Estimate the resources, time, and cost of each work package
* Define the roles and responsibilities of each team member
* Establish the dependencies and sequence of work packages
* Monitor and control the progress and quality of each iteration
* Communicate and collaborate effectively with stakeholders References:
* Incremental Delivery and the Principles of the Agile Manifesto
* What is Iterative, Incremental Delivery? The Hunt for the Perfect ...
* An iterative and incremental approach to planning ERP projects
* Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) | Project Management Institute
* [Work Package - Project Management Knowledge]