A key stakeholder’s requirement contradicts the organization’s strategic objectives. The program manager meets with the stakeholder, but is unable to reach a compromise on the requirement. What should the program manager do first?

The program manager's primary responsibility is to ensure the program delivers benefits and remains aligned with the organization's strategic objectives. When a key stakeholder's requirement directly contradicts these objectives and initial negotiations fail, it represents a significant governance issue that is beyond the program manager's authority to resolve independently. The established escalation path for such high-level conflicts is to engage the program sponsor. The sponsor has the authority, influence, and responsibility to mediate such conflicts, make strategic decisions, and ensure the program remains aligned with the organization's goals. This is a critical function of the program governance framework.

A. Updating the benefits management plan is a subsequent action taken only after a decision is made about the requirement, not the first step to resolve the conflict.
B. Approaching the strategic planning committee directly bypasses the established program governance structure and the authority of the program sponsor, who is the primary liaison.
D. The validity of the requirement from the stakeholder's perspective is not the central issue; the core problem is its direct conflict with organizational strategy, which must be addressed first.

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

Section 3.3

Role of the Program Sponsor

p. 29: "The sponsor is responsible for... providing support for the resolution of issues that are beyond the control of the program manager." This directly supports escalating the strategic conflict to the sponsor.

Section 1.5.2

Program Governance

p. 14: "Program governance provides a framework that enables the program manager to make decisions... and provides a path for the escalation of issues and decisions that are beyond the authority of the program manager." The conflict described is a classic example of an issue requiring escalation.

Section 4.4

Program Stakeholder Engagement

p. 61: "When conflicts arise among stakeholders

the program manager is responsible for resolving them. If the program manager is unable to resolve a conflict

the issue should be escalated to the program sponsor or governance board for resolution."