CAPM Practice: Determine how to conduct stakeholder communication

Open-ended questions (What, How, Why, Tell me about...) invite elaboration and reveal detail that yes/no questions miss. They're essential for elicitation because stakeholders often don't know what's important until encouraged to discuss their work and needs freely.

**Why not A:** Sending questions via email describes a communication channel, not a questioning technique. Open-ended questioning is a specific elicitation approach that encourages respondents to provide detailed, expansive answers rather than simple yes-or-no responses. The medium through which questions are delivered is entirely separate from the structure and intent of the questions themselves.

**Why not C:** Questions asked before the agenda begins are preliminary or icebreaker questions, not open-ended questions. Open-ended questioning refers to the structure of the question itself, designed to elicit detailed responses that begin with words like "how," "why," "what," or "describe." The timing of when a question is asked has no bearing on whether it is open-ended or closed-ended.

**Why not D:** Questions with no definitive answer describe philosophical or subjective inquiries, which is not the definition of open-ended questioning. Open-ended questions do have answers; they simply allow respondents to elaborate and provide detailed information in their own words rather than selecting from predefined options. The goal is to gather rich, qualitative information during elicitation activities.