PMP · Question #353
During the review of a project's list of deliverables, one of the stakeholders expressed concern that one of the requirements will not be addressed. What should the project manager do?
The correct answer is C. Review the requirements traceability matrix with the concerned stakeholder. During a review of deliverables, a stakeholder expresses concern that a specific requirement might not be addressed. The project manager needs to clarify how requirements are linked to project outputs.
Question
During the review of a project's list of deliverables, one of the stakeholders expressed concern that one of the requirements will not be addressed. What should the project manager do?
Options
- ACheck the approved list of requirements to see if there are any missing items
- BWork with the stakeholder to improve the requirements' acceptance criteria
- CReview the requirements traceability matrix with the concerned stakeholder
- DDiscuss with the stakeholder which additional requirements should be added
How the community answered
(31 responses)- A10% (3)
- B3% (1)
- C81% (25)
- D6% (2)
Why each option
During a review of deliverables, a stakeholder expresses concern that a specific requirement might not be addressed. The project manager needs to clarify how requirements are linked to project outputs.
Checking the approved list of requirements confirms existence but doesn't explicitly show *how* it's being addressed or linked to deliverables, which is the core of the stakeholder's concern.
Improving acceptance criteria is important for defining *how* a requirement will be validated, but it doesn't address the primary concern that the requirement itself *might not be addressed at all*.
The requirements traceability matrix (RTM) is a critical document that links requirements to design, development, test cases, and deliverables, providing a clear audit trail. Reviewing the RTM with the concerned stakeholder directly addresses their concern by demonstrating precisely where the requirement is documented and how it maps to the project's outputs, confirming its inclusion or revealing any gaps.
Discussing adding *additional* requirements is premature. The project manager's first step should be to confirm the status of the *existing* requirement that the stakeholder is concerned about.
Concept tested: Requirements traceability and validation
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/requirements-traceability-matrix
Topics
Community Discussion
5
Dervla O.Jan 21, 2026C is correct. The requirements traceability matrix is the tool that links each requirement to its deliverable, so reviewing it together is the fastest way to show the stakeholder whether their concern is already covered or genuinely needs attention. A sounds helpful but skips the traceability step, and B and D jump to changing requirements before verifying the current mapping.
Imani T.Jan 24, 2026C is the right call here. A is tempting because it sounds logical, but the RTM is literally the tool that maps requirements to deliverables, so that is your first stop when a stakeholder claims something got missed.
Olusegun A.Feb 3, 2026C is the move here. The RTM maps every requirement to a deliverable, so that is exactly where you go when a stakeholder thinks something got dropped. I had this one on my exam in 2019 and picked C because A sounded like a audit exercise, while the real fix is walking the stakeholder through the traceability matrix to confirm coverage or find the gap together.
Samuel O.Jan 18, 2026C is the right call here. In my experience managing scope across multi-year projects, the requirements traceability matrix is exactly what you pull up when a stakeholder worries something slipped through the cracks. It maps each requirement to its deliverable, so you can show them the paper trail right then and there instead of guessing or jumping straight to scope changes. Option A sounds reasonable but you would essentially be duplicating effort the RTM already handles. Anyone know if the PMP exam tends to frame the RTM strictly as a tracing tool, or does it also expect you to use it for stakeholder communication
Dervla O.Jan 19, 2026On the PMP exam the RTM is framed strictly as a tracing tool, so if the stem is about stakeholder communication, look for an option about managing expectations or engagement rather than the RTM itself.