CPM Professional Responsibility & Stakeholder Communication 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which element is MOST critical to include in a stakeholder communication plan?
- A list of all project risks
- Communication frequency, format, and responsible parties for each stakeholder group (Correct answer)
- The project budget breakdown
- The project organizational chart
Correct answer: Communication frequency, format, and responsible parties for each stakeholder group
A communication plan must specify what information goes to whom, how often, in what format, and who is responsible for sending it.
Question 2: A project manager is aware that a competitor has offered a team member a job, creating a potential conflict of interest. The PM should:
- Ignore it as a personal matter outside project scope
- Discuss the potential conflict with the team member and document it per organizational policy (Correct answer)
- Immediately reassign the team member from all sensitive tasks
- Alert the entire team to maintain transparency
Correct answer: Discuss the potential conflict with the team member and document it per organizational policy
Potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed and managed per organizational policy to preserve project integrity.
Question 3: When is it appropriate for a project manager to withhold project information from a stakeholder?
- When the information might cause the stakeholder to raise concerns
- When the stakeholder is not on the approved distribution list for that information (Correct answer)
- When the PM believes the information is not important to the stakeholder
- When sharing the information would create extra work for the PM
Correct answer: When the stakeholder is not on the approved distribution list for that information
Information should only be withheld when the stakeholder does not have an authorized need to know, not based on the PM's judgment of importance.
Question 4: A project manager is pressured by a sponsor to report optimistic schedule data that doesn't reflect actual status. The PM should:
- Comply to maintain the sponsor relationship
- Report accurate data and explain the rationale, offering alternative approaches to address concerns (Correct answer)
- Submit two versions of the report — one honest, one for the sponsor
- Delay the report until the schedule improves naturally
Correct answer: Report accurate data and explain the rationale, offering alternative approaches to address concerns
Reporting accurate project data is a professional obligation; the PM should address sponsor concerns through transparent communication and problem-solving.
Question 5: Which of the following BEST describes 'active listening' in a stakeholder meeting context?
- Taking detailed notes of everything said
- Nodding frequently to show agreement
- Asking clarifying questions, paraphrasing, and confirming understanding of stakeholder input (Correct answer)
- Waiting for a stakeholder to finish before presenting your own viewpoint
Correct answer: Asking clarifying questions, paraphrasing, and confirming understanding of stakeholder input
Active listening involves engaging behaviors like paraphrasing and clarifying to ensure accurate mutual understanding.
Question 6: A team member reports suspected financial fraud by a project contractor. The PM's FIRST step should be to:
- Investigate the fraud personally by reviewing contractor invoices
- Advise the team member to stay silent until there is more evidence
- Report the concern through the organization's designated fraud reporting channel (Correct answer)
- Confront the contractor directly to get an explanation
Correct answer: Report the concern through the organization's designated fraud reporting channel
Suspected fraud must be reported through official channels; personal investigation or confrontation can compromise the process.
Question 7: Which stakeholder analysis tool helps a PM prioritize communication efforts based on stakeholder power and interest?
- RACI Matrix
- Power/Interest Grid (Correct answer)
- Risk Register
- Work Breakdown Structure
Correct answer: Power/Interest Grid
The Power/Interest Grid categorizes stakeholders by their authority and level of concern, enabling targeted engagement strategies.
CPM Professional Responsibility & Stakeholder Communication 3
Which element is MOST critical to include in a stakeholder communication plan?