The executives of your state government agency decided to act on a recommendation by a legislative oversight committee to better protect the physical safety of children in foster care. This issue garnered public attention after the highly publicized deaths of 12-year-old twin brother and sister in foster care in Philadelphia. You were assigned project manager to a project that will build an automated case management system to insure no foster kid "falls through the crack" of the criminal justice and social service systems. Due to the high visibility nature of the project, you are given a firm project deadline of 18 months. The executives correctly determined there are not enough government employees with the technical skills required for the project. Procuring skilled resources from an outside consulting firm will take at least four months, if not longer. You immediately realize there is a high risk of not finishing on time, which could lead to high level firings, beginning with you.
How would you respond to this risk?