CPL Communication & Stakeholder Management 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A new regulatory body must now approve all program deliverables. How should the program manager address this new stakeholder group?
- Add them to the stakeholder register and update the engagement and communications plans (Correct answer)
- Treat them as an external constraint rather than a stakeholder
- Delegate all regulatory communication to the legal department only
- Wait until they initiate contact before engaging
Correct answer: Add them to the stakeholder register and update the engagement and communications plans
Any party with authority over program outcomes must be formally recognized, registered, and engaged according to a defined strategy.
Question 2: In stakeholder engagement, 'managing' stakeholders differs from 'monitoring' them in that managing involves:
- Tracking satisfaction scores passively
- Actively working to increase engagement and address concerns (Correct answer)
- Reporting stakeholder status to governance boards
- Documenting stakeholder interactions for audit purposes
Correct answer: Actively working to increase engagement and address concerns
Managing stakeholders means taking deliberate actions to move them toward a desired level of engagement, not just observing their current state.
Question 3: A program sponsor is consistently missing steering committee meetings. What is the MOST effective way to maintain their engagement?
- Proceed without sponsor input and document decisions independently
- Send post-meeting summaries and schedule brief one-on-one updates to keep them informed (Correct answer)
- Escalate to the portfolio manager to replace the sponsor
- Reduce the frequency of steering committee meetings
Correct answer: Send post-meeting summaries and schedule brief one-on-one updates to keep them informed
Providing concise updates through alternative channels maintains sponsor awareness and engagement when they cannot attend formal meetings.
Question 4: Which term describes a stakeholder who has legitimate authority, urgency, and direct stake in the program's outcomes?
- Latent stakeholder
- Discretionary stakeholder
- Definitive stakeholder (Correct answer)
- Demanding stakeholder
Correct answer: Definitive stakeholder
In the salience model, a definitive stakeholder possesses all three attributes — power, urgency, and legitimacy — and warrants immediate attention.
Question 5: During a program benefits review, end users report they were never informed about a major process change. This MOST likely indicates a failure in:
- Risk management planning
- Resource management
- Communications management (Correct answer)
- Procurement management
Correct answer: Communications management
Failing to inform affected end users of process changes reflects a gap in the communications management plan's audience identification and distribution.
Question 6: When communicating program status to stakeholders with opposing agendas, the program manager should primarily:
- Customize the message to please each stakeholder separately
- Deliver consistent, objective facts while acknowledging different perspectives (Correct answer)
- Avoid communicating until stakeholders agree on common objectives
- Allow each stakeholder group to define their own status metrics
Correct answer: Deliver consistent, objective facts while acknowledging different perspectives
Objective, consistent information preserves the program manager's credibility while allowing stakeholders to interpret facts through their own lens.
Question 7: Which communication channel is MOST appropriate for formal program approval decisions that require documented authorization?
- Instant messaging
- Informal hallway conversations
- Formal written correspondence or meeting minutes with signatures (Correct answer)
- Town hall presentations
Correct answer: Formal written correspondence or meeting minutes with signatures
Formal decisions require traceable, documented communication channels to ensure accountability and provide an audit trail.
CPL Communication & Stakeholder Management 3
A new regulatory body must now approve all program deliverables.
How should the program manager address this new stakeholder group?