Which situation best describes a scenario of 'scope creep'?

The scenario that best describes 'scope creep' is when additional features are requested by stakeholders during the course of development. Scope creep refers to the phenomenon where a project's requirements or objectives expand beyond the original plan after the project has already begun. This often occurs when stakeholders continually want to add new features or make changes that were not included in the initial project scope, leading to an increase in workload and potential delays.

This situation can have significant impacts on project timelines, budgets, and resource allocation, as the team may need to adjust to accommodate the additional requests, which were not originally planned for. It's crucial for project managers to have robust change management processes in place to control scope creep effectively and ensure that all changes are properly evaluated, approved, and documented.

In contrast, finishing a project ahead of schedule typically indicates efficient time management. Running out of budget or encountering delays due to resource unavailability are separate issues that might result from various factors but do not directly illustrate the expansion of project scope.