PMP · Question #190
An enthusiastic, newly hired vice-president has been assigned as the product owner for a digital transformation project. The project manager advises the product owner that some of the functional requi
The correct answer is B. Influence the product owner to review the engagement needed from other stakeholders.. The project manager should influence the new product owner to re-evaluate stakeholder engagement, especially concerning the CTO's strategy alignment, given the product owner's dismissive stance.
Question
An enthusiastic, newly hired vice-president has been assigned as the product owner for a digital transformation project. The project manager advises the product owner that some of the functional requirements are not aligned with the chief information technology officer's (CTO) strategy. The product owner tells the project manager that the CTO is not part of the project and should not be engaged at this moment. What should the project manager do?
Options
- AAdvise the CTO about the possible impacts caused by the project.
- BInfluence the product owner to review the engagement needed from other stakeholders.
- CContinue building the backlog since they are functional requirements.
- DReview the organizational process assets (OPAs) for historical information from similar projects.
How the community answered
(39 responses)- A23% (9)
- B59% (23)
- C13% (5)
- D5% (2)
Why each option
The project manager should influence the new product owner to re-evaluate stakeholder engagement, especially concerning the CTO's strategy alignment, given the product owner's dismissive stance.
Directly advising the CTO without first attempting to resolve the issue with the product owner could undermine the product owner's authority and create an unnecessary conflict.
The project manager has identified a critical misalignment between functional requirements and the CTO's strategy, indicating a significant potential risk. The product owner's assertion that the CTO is "not part of the project and should not be engaged" demonstrates a lack of understanding of broader organizational strategy and key stakeholders. The project manager's responsibility is to protect the project's success, which involves influencing stakeholders, like the product owner, to ensure all relevant parties are engaged and strategic alignment is maintained. This prevents future conflicts and rework.
Continuing to build the backlog with misaligned requirements would exacerbate the problem and lead to significant rework or project failure later on.
Reviewing OPAs might provide context but does not directly address the immediate and critical issue of current strategic misalignment and the product owner's misunderstanding of stakeholder engagement.
Concept tested: Stakeholder management and strategic alignment
Topics
Community Discussion
4
Hiroshi T.Feb 15, 2026B is correct. The PMBOK Guide Sixth Edition section 13.2 is clear that stakeholder engagement is the project manager's responsibility, and when a key stakeholder like the CTO is being excluded, the PM must use interpersonal and team skills to influence the product owner. The product owner owns the backlog, but the PM owns stakeholder engagement, so the right move is to coach the new VP on why strategic alignment requires CTO awareness. A is premature escalation, C ignores the misalignment the PM already identified, and D is a delay tactic when the real problem is stakeholder engagement
Zlatan X.Feb 9, 2026B is correct here. The product owner is technically correct that the CTO may not be a direct project resource, but misalignment with enterprise IT strategy creates downstream integration risk across the portfolio. The PM needs to influence the PO to recognize that stakeholder engagement and benefits realization extend beyond the immediate team. This is a governance conversation, not a backlog conversation.
Ingrid P.Feb 24, 2026A. Misalignment with CTO strategy means escalate the impact upstream.
Hiroshi T.Feb 26, 2026B is correct here. Per the official blueprint, a CTO strategic misalignment is a disqualification criterion for inclusion in the CMDB, not an escalation trigger upstream.