PMP · Question #1040
A project is being planned to deliver a proof of concept to evaluate technology compatibilities. The business and project stakeholders are having difficulty agreeing on what should be included in…
The correct answer is D. Determine the root cause of their inability to determine the project scope. When stakeholders disagree on the scope of a proof of concept, the project manager must investigate the underlying reasons for the disagreement to facilitate a shared understanding and consensus.
Question
A project is being planned to deliver a proof of concept to evaluate technology compatibilities. The business and project stakeholders are having difficulty agreeing on what should be included in the final product. What should the project manager do?
Options
- AInclude all stakeholders in the creation of the project charter.
- BDetermine a clear distinction between business and technology benefits.
- CInclude the technology suppliers in the creation of the business case.
- DDetermine the root cause of their inability to determine the project scope.
How the community answered
(58 responses)- A9% (5)
- B3% (2)
- C14% (8)
- D74% (43)
Why each option
When stakeholders disagree on the scope of a proof of concept, the project manager must investigate the underlying reasons for the disagreement to facilitate a shared understanding and consensus.
While stakeholder involvement is good, simply including 'all stakeholders' in charter creation doesn't guarantee agreement if the underlying reasons for disagreement aren't addressed.
Distinguishing between business and technology benefits might be part of the solution, but it's a specific action that might or might not address the root cause of disagreement; it's an output, not the diagnostic step.
Including technology suppliers in the business case creation is not directly relevant to resolving internal stakeholder disagreements on the project's proof-of-concept scope.
If stakeholders cannot agree on what to include in the proof of concept, it indicates a fundamental lack of shared understanding or conflicting priorities. The project manager must investigate the root cause of this disagreement to effectively mediate and guide them towards a mutually acceptable scope.
Concept tested: Scope definition; Root cause analysis for consensus
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/define-scope-process
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Zlatan X.Jan 11, 2026D is correct. Before you can govern scope at the portfolio or program level you have to understand the root cause of the disagreement, otherwise the downstream benefits realization for this proof of concept stays misaligned and the component fails to deliver actionable intelligence back to the business case.
Ingrid P.Dec 24, 2025D is correct but vague. C is tempting since suppliers inform the business case, but scope conflict needs root cause first.
Yuki V.Jan 16, 2026Picked D on my exam last week. B is tempting because separating business and tech benefits sounds proactive, but if stakeholders cant even agree on scope, you need to find out why before jumping to solutions.
Luis F.Jan 9, 2026D is the right call here but the wording threw me off at first, like what root cause? But yeah if stakeholders cant agree on scope you gotta figure out why before anything else. I was tempted by B because separating business and tech benefits sounds smart, but that doesnt actually solve the disagreement.
Imani T.Jan 6, 2026Going with A. Get everyone in the same room for the charter and the scope fight ends itself.
Zlatan X.Jan 8, 2026D is correct here, Imani. A charter workshop addresses initial alignment, but the scope fight described in the stem is an ongoing governance issue between component teams, which is exactly what a joint steering committee is designed to resolve through sustained decision authority across the program lifecycle.