The PM should proceed with the project the best way that he/she knows how. If the basis for project evaluation is known up front, then that knowledge should be included in the planning and scheduling effort. As long as the evaluation criteria are consistent with themselves, company policy and the customer’s requirements, then there is nothing wrong with “teaching to the test,” that is building the plan around them. This is particularly true with regard to data gathering. The better the evaluation criteria are built into the project’s normal data management process, the less disruptive any audit will be.