5.4: PgMP-Style Questions

Sample Questions

1. A program manager identifies a community group that believes the program will negatively affect their neighborhood, even though the program team's analysis shows no impact. Should this group be included in the stakeholder register?
   1. No, because the program has no actual impact on them.
   2. Yes, because stakeholders include those who perceive themselves to be affected by the program.
   3. Only if they have the power to influence the program.
   4. Only if the program sponsor requests their inclusion.
2. A program has a stakeholder with high power, high legitimacy, and high urgency. According to the Salience Model, what type of stakeholder is this?
   1. Dominant.
   2. Dangerous.
   3. Definitive.
   4. Demanding.
3. A senior executive has high power over the program but has shown low interest, rarely reading reports or attending meetings. The program manager classifies this stakeholder as "Keep Satisfied" on the Power/Interest Grid. Six months later, a regulatory change directly affects the executive's department, and they suddenly demand daily updates and decision-making authority. What does this situation illustrate?
   1. The Power/Interest Grid is an unreliable tool.
   2. Stakeholder positions change over time, and the analysis must be regularly reassessed.
   3. The executive was always a high-interest stakeholder who was incorrectly classified.
   4. Daily updates are an unreasonable request that should be declined.
4. A program manager discovers that end users are resisting a new system because they were not consulted during the design phase and feel the system does not address their workflow needs. What should the program manager do?
   1. Mandate system adoption through a directive from the program sponsor.
   2. Engage the end users to understand their specific concerns, incorporate feasible changes, and provide training that addresses their workflow.
   3. Escalate the resistance to the governance board for resolution.
   4. Replace the resistant users with more cooperative staff.
5. A program's communications plan sends the same monthly report to all stakeholders. The governance board complains that the reports are too detailed, while the project managers complain that they lack operational information. What is the root cause?
   1. The report is poorly written.
   2. The communications plan has not been adapted to the different information needs of different stakeholder groups.
   3. Monthly reporting is too infrequent.
   4. The governance board and project managers need to be trained on how to read the reports.
6. A stakeholder identifies a risk that the program team had not considered. According to ECO Task 6, what should the program manager do?
   1. Thank the stakeholder and file the information for future reference.
   2. Evaluate the risk and incorporate it into the program risk management plan if warranted.
   3. Ask the stakeholder to manage the risk themselves.
   4. Add the risk to the project-level risk registers only.
7. A program manager is working on a program that spans three countries with different cultural norms. Communication that is considered transparent and direct in one country is perceived as confrontational in another. What should the program manager do?
   1. Use a single communication style for consistency.
   2. Adapt communication styles to the cultural context of each stakeholder group while maintaining consistent content.
   3. Delegate all cross-cultural communication to local team members.
   4. Avoid direct communication and use only written reports.
8. A department head is actively opposing a program because it will reduce their budget authority. The program manager determines that this is positional opposition rather than a legitimate concern about program design. What is the most appropriate response?
   1. Ignore the opposition because it is not based on legitimate concerns.
   2. Escalate immediately to the program sponsor.
   3. Engage the department head to understand their position, negotiate where possible, and involve the sponsor if direct engagement does not resolve the conflict.
   4. Remove the department head from the stakeholder register.
9. Which analysis framework is most useful for identifying stakeholders who are heavily impacted by the program but have little influence over its direction?
   1. Power/Interest Grid.
   2. Salience Model.
   3. Influence/Impact Grid.
   4. RACI Matrix.
10. A program manager has built a strong relationship with the program sponsor based on regular face-to-face briefings, honest reporting of both progress and problems, and consistent follow-through on commitments. What stakeholder engagement principles does this reflect?
    1. Active listening and transparency only.
    2. Transparency, follow-through, and adapted communication.
    3. Political awareness and influence.
    4. Expectation management and risk transfer.

Answer Key

1. B. Stakeholders include those who perceive themselves to be affected, since perception-based stakeholders can create real engagement challenges regardless of actual impact.
2. C. A definitive stakeholder possesses all three attributes of power, legitimacy, and urgency, demanding the highest engagement priority.
3. B. Stakeholder positions are dynamic, and changes in the environment can shift a stakeholder from one quadrant to another over time.
4. B. Direct engagement with end users addresses the root cause of resistance, since understanding their concerns is more effective than mandating compliance.
5. B. A one-size-fits-all communication approach fails different stakeholder groups, so the plan should be tailored by audience.
6. B. ECO Task 6 requires evaluating stakeholder-identified risks and incorporating them into the risk management plan when warranted.
7. B. Cultural awareness requires adapting communication style while maintaining content consistency, since a single style risks alienating stakeholders.
8. C. Even positional opposition deserves direct engagement first, negotiating where possible before escalating to the sponsor.
9. C. The Influence/Impact Grid specifically addresses the relationship between influence and impact, ideal for identifying high-impact, low-influence stakeholders.
10. B. Regular briefings reflect adapted communication, honest reporting reflects transparency, and consistent follow-through builds trust.