A vendor-managed IT project is best described as which of the following?

• A. A project where a vendor leads planning and implementation, requiring strong governance and contracts
• B. A project led by the client's internal team
• C. A project with no governance
• D. A project only for maintenance

Answer: (A)

In a vendor-managed IT project, the vendor takes primary responsibility for planning and carrying out the work, with formal governance and contracts that define scope, roles, decision rights, timelines, and acceptance criteria. This setup ensures accountability, clear ownership of deliverables, and structured ways to handle changes, risks, and performance through the contract and governance body. The vendor develops the project plan, allocates resources, and steers execution, while the client maintains oversight through a governance mechanism and contractually defined obligations.

This best fits because it directly describes a vendor-led approach that relies on governance and contracts to manage scope, accountability, and delivery. If the project were led by the client’s internal team, it wouldn’t be vendor-managed. A project with no governance lacks the necessary structure to manage vendors and risk. A project limited to maintenance doesn’t involve planning and implementing new work or the formal governance/contract framework that characterizes vendor-managed arrangements.