A system enhancement project has been initiated to address the concerns of an external group of stakeholders not included in the first release. What should be done to ensure stakeholder satisfaction with the enhancement?

To ensure the satisfaction of a new stakeholder group, they must be actively and proactively involved. Engaging them early in the process to help define the requirements and, crucially, the acceptance criteria for those requirements, is the most effective approach. This ensures that the solution is built to meet their specific, agreed-upon definition of success, directly linking the project's output to their satisfaction.

A. Identifying stakeholders is a necessary first step, but it does not, by itself, ensure their satisfaction. Engagement and action are required.
B. Providing documentation for information only is a passive, one-way communication method that does not foster engagement or ensure their needs are met.
D. Soliciting feedback and adding requirements is a good practice, but defining acceptance criteria (Option C) is more comprehensive as it establishes the test for success.

1. Project Management Institute. (2015). Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide. Section 6.4, Determine Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria, p. 98. This section highlights that acceptance criteria are defined early and are critical for gaining stakeholder agreement on what constitutes a successful outcome.

2. Project Management Institute. (2017). The PMI Guide to Business Analysis. Section 5.2, Identify and Analyze Stakeholders, p. 98. The guide emphasizes that understanding stakeholder expectations and acceptance criteria is a key outcome of stakeholder analysis and is fundamental to project success.