PMP · Question #35
A project manager is working on an enterprise resource planning (ERP) initiative that contains stakeholders spanning numerous business lines. The project manager begins to identify, evaluate, and cate
The correct answer is C. Incorporate the needs of all stakeholders into the communications management plan. The purpose of identifying, evaluating, and categorizing stakeholders is to understand their diverse needs and influence, ensuring that all relevant stakeholder requirements are appropriately incorporated into the communications management plan.
Question
A project manager is working on an enterprise resource planning (ERP) initiative that contains stakeholders spanning numerous business lines. The project manager begins to identify, evaluate, and categorize the stakeholder relationships to the program. What is the purpose of this process?
Options
- AIdentify all stakeholders who can positively affect the project
- BIdentify all stakeholders who can negatively affect the project.
- CIncorporate the needs of all stakeholders into the communications management plan
- DIncorporate only primary stakeholders into the communications management plan
How the community answered
(25 responses)- A8% (2)
- B4% (1)
- C88% (22)
Why each option
The purpose of identifying, evaluating, and categorizing stakeholders is to understand their diverse needs and influence, ensuring that all relevant stakeholder requirements are appropriately incorporated into the communications management plan.
Identifying only stakeholders who can positively affect the project overlooks critical stakeholders whose negative influence could jeopardize project success.
Identifying only stakeholders who can negatively affect the project is too narrow and ignores the potential support and requirements from positive stakeholders.
The stakeholder analysis process aims to identify all stakeholders, understand their interests, influence, and impact on the project, and then plan how to effectively engage and communicate with them. Incorporating the needs of *all* relevant stakeholders into the communications management plan ensures that communication is tailored, timely, and effective for managing expectations and gaining support across the diverse group.
Incorporating only primary stakeholders into the communications management plan is insufficient, as secondary or indirect stakeholders can still hold significant influence or have unmet needs that could impact the project.
Concept tested: Stakeholder Analysis and Engagement
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/identify-stakeholders
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Fatima Z.Jul 5, 2026C is the winner here, and my handy acronym SAVE seals it: Survey All Voices Equally. Identifying, evaluating, and categorizing stakeholders is not just about finding the cheerleaders or the saboteurs, it is about funneling everyone's needs straight into the communications management plan. Think of the plan as a big dinner table where every stakeholder gets a seat and a customized menu based on their influence and interest levels. A, B, and D are too narrow because they chop out either the negative folks or the secondary ones, and you need the whole recipe for a healthy comms strategy
Imani T.Jul 5, 2026C on this one. Does anyone know if secondary stakeholders get the same treatment?
Zlatan X.Jul 5, 2026C is correct here because at the program level stakeholder identification and categorization drives the communications management plan, ensuring all stakeholder needs are incorporated rather than cherry-picking only positive or negative influencers. Does anyone know if PMI still expects us to treat secondary stakeholders with the same weight as primary ones when tailoring the plan?
Nina C.Jul 5, 2026Wait, are we sure it is not B? The whole point of categorizing stakeholder relationships is to figure out who might derail your ERP project so you can get ahead of them, right?
Zlatan X.Jul 7, 2026Actually it is C, Nina. Categorizing stakeholder relationships in a program context is about mapping interdependencies and engagement strategies across components to align stakeholders with benefits realization, not just spotting risks on a single ERP project.