The project manager should review the requested change first to assess its impact, feasibility, and alignment with the project objectives and scope. Reviewing the change will help the project manager to determine if the change is necessary, beneficial, and acceptable to the stakeholders. The project manager should also consider the risks, costs, and quality implications of the change before proceeding to the next steps of the change management process123. Reference = CompTIA Project+ Study Guide: Exam PK0-005, 3rd Edition, Chapter 9: Project Change Management, p. 323; 5 Steps in the Change Management Process | HBS Online; 8 Steps for an Effective Change Management Process - Smartsheet

The project manager and contractor should review the vendor rules of engagement, which are the guidelines
and expectations for the communication and interaction between the project team and the contractor. The
vendor rules of engagement can help to prevent or resolve communication conflicts by clarifying the roles and
responsibilities, the frequency and mode of communication, the escalation process, the feedback mechanism,
and the performance evaluation criteria of the contractor. The vendor rules of engagement are usually part of
the contract or the procurement management plan.
The vendor rules of engagement are different from the scope of work, which is the document that describes the
work to be performed, the deliverables to be provided, and the acceptance criteria to be met by the contractor.
The vendor rules of engagement are also different from the request for proposal, which is the document that
solicits proposals from potential contractors by specifying the project requirements, evaluation criteria, and
contract terms. The vendor rules of engagement are also different from the project schedule, which is the tool
that displays the planned start and finish dates, durations, dependencies, and resources of the project activities
and tasks. References = CompTIA Project+ Study Guide: Exam PK0-005, 3rd Edition, Chapter 12:
Procurement Management1; CompTIA Project+ Certification Study Guide, 3rd Edition, Chapter 12:
Procurement Management2; Vendor Rules of Engagement3

Smoothing is a conflict resolution technique that involves minimizing or ignoring the differences between the parties and focusing on the common interests or goals1. It is often used when the conflict is not very important or when there is a need to maintain harmony and relationships2. By using smoothing, the project manager can reduce the tension and stress caused by the disagreement and encourage the team members to cooperate and work together. Smoothing is different from compromising, which involves finding a middle ground or a trade-off that partially satisfies both parties; forcing, which involves imposing one's own solution or decision on the other party; and collaborating, which involves finding a win-win solution that fully satisfies both parties3. References = CompTIA Project+ PK0-005 Certification Study Guide, Chapter 10: Executing Projects Part 1, page 297; A Quick Guide to Resource Smoothing: Definition, Benefits, and Process, Conflict Resolution Techniques section; Resource Smoothing: How To Use In Project Management | Hive, Smoothing section.

The project manager should exploit the risk after an opportunity emerged in the middle of a project life cycle.
Exploit is a risk response strategy that aims to increase the probability and/or impact of a positive risk or opportunity. Exploit can involve actions such as allocating more resources, changing the scope or schedule, or adding more features or benefits to the project deliverables. Exploit can help to ensure that the opportunity is realized and that the project gains more value or advantage from it3

The project manager should produce a project charter first to start communication about the boundaries of the project. A project charter is a document that formally authorizes a project and defines its high-level scope, objectives, assumptions, constraints, stakeholders, roles and responsibilities, and key deliverables. A project charter can help to communicate the project vision and expectations to all stakeholders and provide a basis for future project decisions23