PMP · Question #54
During the third iteration of a project, the main sponsor retired from the company, and a new sponsor was appointed. The new sponsor is not familiar with the agile approach for project delivery, which
The correct answer is A. Schedule a meeting with the new sponsor in order to explain the agile approach and how teams. When a new, agile-unfamiliar sponsor joins, the project manager must proactively educate them on agile principles to align expectations and maintain team autonomy.
Question
During the third iteration of a project, the main sponsor retired from the company, and a new sponsor was appointed. The new sponsor is not familiar with the agile approach for project delivery, which leads them to request more control over the project team. What should the project manager do?
Options
- ASchedule a meeting with the new sponsor in order to explain the agile approach and how teams
- BReview the sponsor's request with the project team during the next daily review meeting in order
- CSchedule an emergency meeting with the project team so they fulfill every request that comes
- DReview the sponsor's request with the project team during the next iteration review meeting in
How the community answered
(31 responses)- A58% (18)
- B26% (8)
- C3% (1)
- D13% (4)
Why each option
When a new, agile-unfamiliar sponsor joins, the project manager must proactively educate them on agile principles to align expectations and maintain team autonomy.
The project manager's role includes managing stakeholder expectations and educating key stakeholders, like a new sponsor, about the project's methodology. Explaining the agile approach and how self-organizing teams operate helps the sponsor understand the benefits of agile, builds trust, and mitigates their desire for excessive control, thus ensuring continued agile adherence.
Reviewing the sponsor's request only with the team during a daily review is insufficient; the sponsor needs direct education and explanation, not just team discussion.
Fulfilling every request without explanation or managing expectations undermines agile principles of self-organization and could lead to micromanagement and project inefficiency.
Waiting until the next iteration review meeting is too late; immediate education and expectation setting with a critical stakeholder like a new sponsor is crucial to prevent early project disruption.
Concept tested: Agile stakeholder management and education
Source: https://www.pmi.org/disciplined-agile/agile-glossary/glossary-s#stakeholder-management
Topics
Community Discussion
7
Ingrid P.Jan 29, 2026A is correct. When a new stakeholder lacks agile familiarity, the fix is education and alignment, not capitulation or deflection. Option C hands over control, and B and D push the issue into team ceremonies where the sponsor is not even present. Make a flashcard: new sponsor requests more control = schedule meeting to explain agile approach and team autonomy. I tagged this one high priority because it maps directly to the servant leadership mindset the exam loves to test.
Viktor S.Jan 30, 2026A is right but the flashcard framing is risky because if you memorize sponsor wants control equals schedule meeting you will miss the variant where the stakeholder is already knowledgeable but has a legitimate concern, which is why understanding the actual conflict matters more than the pattern match.
Olusegun A.Feb 19, 2026A is correct but the real work is getting that sponsor educated fast before they derail the team.
Ola B.Feb 5, 2026A is the right call here. When I ran into a similar sponsor shakeup on one of my agile projects, I set up a walkthrough session and even spun up a quick kanban board in the sandbox so they could see the flow of work firsthand, which helped them understand why self-organizing teams need that autonomy.
Olusegun A.Feb 6, 2026Agreed on A, but the kanban sandbox is overkill for the exam - the real driver here is that a new sponsor means a fresh stakeholder engagement assessment, not a demo of team autonomy.
Viktor S.Jan 27, 2026Going with B. The new sponsor wanting more control is a classic stakeholder disruption, and bringing it to the team during the daily standup is the agile move because you address it immediately and transparently rather than waiting for a formal ceremony. The team needs to know about this shift in real time so they can adapt, and the daily review is exactly where that conversation belongs.
Olusegun A.Jan 28, 2026A is correct here, Viktor. A new sponsor wanting more control is a stakeholder engagement issue that the PM needs to assess and address directly with the sponsor first, not dump into a daily standup which is for the development team to synchronize work. Bringing this to standup before the PM has even scoped the concern with the sponsor just creates noise and sidesteps the actual stakeholder management responsibility.