You are responding to a stakeholder request that adds significant scope to a deployment already...

Option C preserves both transparency and stakeholder agency. The architect acknowledges the underlying business need while making the delivery consequences explicit. Presenting controlled alternatives converts an unbounded request into a governed decision: defer the capability, exchange it for existing scope, or accept a later release date. The selected option should be documented with revised success criteria, dependencies, risk, cost, ownership, and approval. Concealing the request prevents accurate planning and creates unmanaged delivery risk. Rejecting it without exploring alternatives ignores legitimate stakeholder value. Quietly absorbing additional work produces scope creep and makes later delays appear unexpected. Effective lifecycle communication does not promise every requested capability; it presents the trade-offs necessary for an informed decision.

Study Guide references/topics: Scope governance; expectation alignment; transparent trade-offs; change control; stakeholder decision rights.