Who identifies project requirements in the early phase of the project?

The project sponsor initiates and funds the project and provides strategic direction; the business analyst facilitates requirements elicitation; and key stakeholders supply domain knowledge and business needs. Together, these three roles form the primary group that identifies and shapes requirements before detailed planning begins.

The project manager focuses on planning, execution, and delivery rather than driving requirements identification in the early phase.

The product team is typically involved in solution design and delivery, not in the early-phase requirements identification alongside stakeholders.

While the project manager and sponsor are important project roles, the sponsor - not the project manager - is the key leadership figure in early requirements identification alongside the BA and stakeholders.