The most appropriate first action is to analyze the situation before taking corrective measures. The stakeholder register contains crucial information about stakeholders, including their interests, influence, and potential impact on the program. By reviewing the register, the program manager can properly assess the complaining organizations' standing and ability to affect program outcomes. This analysis is a prerequisite for determining the root cause of the negative commentary and formulating an effective response, such as reworking the engagement plan or escalating the issue.

A. Reworking the stakeholder engagement plan is a corrective action that should be based on an analysis of the problem, not the initial step.

C. Assessing the risk of media coverage is a secondary activity; the primary focus should be on addressing the root cause of the stakeholder dissatisfaction.

D. Discussing the issue with the governance board is an escalation. The program manager should first perform due diligence and analysis before involving governance.

1. Project Management Institute. (2017). The Standard for Program Management (4th ed.).

Section 3.4

Program Stakeholder Engagement: This performance domain emphasizes the continuous process of identifying

analyzing

and engaging stakeholders. When an issue like negative commentary arises

the initial response within this framework is to re-evaluate the analysis of the stakeholder(s) in question. The stakeholder register is the primary artifact for this analysis (p. 67). The standard states

"Throughout the program

the program manager and the program team monitor stakeholder relationships and tailor strategies for engaging stakeholders

" which implies analysis precedes action (p. 71).

2. Project Management Institute. (2017). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (6th ed.).

Section 13.4

Monitor Stakeholder Engagement: This process involves monitoring overall stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies. The inputs to this process include the stakeholder register and stakeholder engagement plan. When monitoring reveals a problem

the first step is to use these documents to analyze the situation before determining if change requests (e.g.

updates to the plan) are necessary (p. 530).