PMP · Question #61
A project manager has just been hired by a company without a project management governance structure. During the kick-off meeting, a key stakeholder emphasizes the importance of the project meeting th
The correct answer is A. Put into place a project governance model in line with the requirements. The project manager should establish a project governance model tailored to the project's specific needs to ensure it aligns with the company's strategic, investment, and compliance requirements, especially given the absence of an existing structure.
Question
A project manager has just been hired by a company without a project management governance structure. During the kick-off meeting, a key stakeholder emphasizes the importance of the project meeting the company's strategy, investment, and compliance requirements. What should the project manager do?
Options
- APut into place a project governance model in line with the requirements
- BReplicate the organizational governance to the project governance
- CCreate an organizational project management governance
- DAsk the organization to create a project portfolio governance
How the community answered
(31 responses)- A68% (21)
- B16% (5)
- C3% (1)
- D13% (4)
Why each option
The project manager should establish a project governance model tailored to the project's specific needs to ensure it aligns with the company's strategic, investment, and compliance requirements, especially given the absence of an existing structure.
Given the absence of an organizational project management governance structure and the stakeholder's emphasis on strategic alignment, investment, and compliance, the project manager must establish project-specific governance. This project governance model defines the framework, roles, and processes for guiding and controlling the project to ensure it meets its objectives and aligns with organizational needs.
Replicating organizational governance is not possible if the company lacks a project management governance structure to begin with, and project governance needs to be tailored to the project, not just a copy.
Creating an *organizational* project management governance is beyond the scope and authority of a project manager; that's an enterprise-level responsibility.
Asking the organization to create *project portfolio* governance is also an enterprise-level strategic initiative, not an immediate action for a project manager facing a specific project governance need.
Concept tested: Establishing project governance structure
Source: https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards/foundational/pmbok/governance
Topics
Community Discussion
8
Nina C.Feb 15, 2026Going with A. The stakeholder just handed you the requirements, strategy, investment, compliance, so you build the project governance model around those, not the other way around.
Fatima Z.Mar 18, 2026A is the answer here because the PM owns what happens at the project level, not the org level. Picture it like P.I.C.: Project, Investment, Compliance - the PM puts a governance PIC on the table to satisfy that stakeholder fast. B trips folks up since you cannot copy what does not exist yet, and D pushes the job upstairs when the exam wants you acting now. Quick check on a fuzzy bit: does anyone know if PMI still expects us to treat portfolio governance as strictly outside the PM's authority, or is there some gray area on the new exam?
Olusegun A.Mar 20, 2026A is right but drop the PIC mnemonic, the exam is testing whether you know the PM escalates org-level governance gaps through change control or the sponsor, not that the PM invents governance on the fly, and to answer your question, portfolio governance stays outside PM authority on the current exam with zero gray area.
Olusegun A.Feb 26, 2026A. Saw this on my exam last year, picked A because the stakeholder literally hands you the governance framework requirements.
Carlos M.Mar 25, 2026A. PM owns project-level governance, not org-level, so align to stakeholder requirements.
Nina C.Mar 26, 2026Agreed on A, and since the PM owns project-level governance, remember that org-level governance is what actually constrains the project in the first place, so dont confuse who sets the rules with who follows them.
Prof. SaraMar 7, 2026Going with B here. The PMBOK is explicit that project governance should align with the organizational governance structure, and when the stakeholder calls out strategy, investment, and compliance, that is the org talking. Replicating that existing structure into the project layer ensures you inherit those guardrails without inventing a parallel system. Think of the mnemonic RAGI - Replicate, Align, Govern, Integrate - to remember that project governance mirrors the org. This sits squarely in Domain 3 (Business Environment) on the current PMP blueprint, so lean into the org-to-project linkage.
Fatima Z.Mar 8, 2026Actually it is A, because project governance is project-specific and defined within the project itself, not a copy of the org structure. Sara's RAGI mnemonic is catchy but it will steer you wrong, so swap it for PIP: Project governance Is Project-specific, not inherited from the parent org.