PMP · Question #1436
A project manager is assigned to a project related to taxes, which will be managed using an agile approach. By reviewing lessons learned from a previous project, the project manager discovers that a…
The correct answer is C. Recognize the stakeholder's skills are important for the project and evaluate the possibility of the. The project manager should recognize the value of an expert stakeholder and explore how to integrate their knowledge into the project, potentially through involvement in the team or advisory capacity.
Question
A project manager is assigned to a project related to taxes, which will be managed using an agile approach. By reviewing lessons learned from a previous project, the project manager discovers that a key stakeholder is an expert on taxes and is willing to help. How should the project manager leverage this information?
Options
- ASend a request to the project sponsor to hire the stakeholder and have them become part of the
- BAsk the project team to review the lessons learned and have the team contact the stakeholder
- CRecognize the stakeholder's skills are important for the project and evaluate the possibility of the
- DRequest the functional manager to assign the team from the lessons learned project to the
How the community answered
(45 responses)- A11% (5)
- B2% (1)
- C82% (37)
- D4% (2)
Why each option
The project manager should recognize the value of an expert stakeholder and explore how to integrate their knowledge into the project, potentially through involvement in the team or advisory capacity.
Hiring a stakeholder as a team member might be an option, but 'send a request to the project sponsor' is premature; the PM should first evaluate the best way to leverage the expertise, which might not require full-time employment.
While the team should be aware of lessons learned, asking them to directly contact the stakeholder without prior engagement and coordination from the project manager lacks proper stakeholder management and may not be the most effective way to integrate the expert.
Identifying a stakeholder with expert knowledge who is willing to help is a valuable asset to the project. The project manager should proactively evaluate how this expertise can best be utilized, whether through direct involvement, advisory roles, or regular consultation, to benefit the project without necessarily making them a full team member.
Assigning an entire previous team to the current project is a significant and often impractical resource change, especially when the value identified is specifically an individual's expertise in a particular domain.
Concept tested: Stakeholder engagement and expertise utilization
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok
Topics
Community Discussion
6
Toby R.May 16, 2026Confirmed C on my exam last month. The key is "evaluate the possibility" - in agile you leverage stakeholder expertise but you don't just hire them or hand it off, you assess how best to involve them first.
Zlatan X.May 17, 2026Agreed on C, and from a program governance lens that assessment of stakeholder involvement also feeds directly into your benefits realization strategy, since the right engagement model at the component level is what keeps interdependencies aligned with portfolio-level outcomes.
Bao N.Jun 4, 2026C is correct. In agile you want to leverage stakeholder expertise through collaboration and engagement, not by trying to hire them or route everything through functional managers.
Yusuf A.Jun 16, 2026Going with C here. A is tempting because having a tax expert on the team sounds great, but you can't just hire a stakeholder without evaluating whether that's even feasible or appropriate for their role. My mentor always says the PM's job is to recognize the value and then figure out the right way to engage, not jump straight to pulling someone onto the team. The key phrase in C is "evaluate the possibility," which keeps the PM from overstepping. Does anyone know if the exam usually cuts off the option text like that, or is that just a formatting thing on this site?
Zlatan X.May 22, 2026I first leaned toward A because having the tax expert on the team seemed like the fastest path to benefits realization, but the key word in the stem is stakeholder, not team resource. C is correct because it recognizes the domain expertise as a program-level asset and evaluates how to integrate it through proper governance channels rather than assuming a hire is the only way to leverage the knowledge.
Bao N.May 25, 2026Agreed on C, and the governance angle is exactly why A is a trap, but I would add that the stem saying stakeholder also rules out D for people who go down the hire path, since a stakeholder is already in the picture.