PMP Practice: Investigate that benefits are identified

The scenario presents a gap in benefits management: the business case promises specific value, but there is no defined approach to measure or validate that value post-delivery. The sponsor has explicitly asked Ingrid to ensure benefits can be validated. While baseline data exists from the requirements phase, what's missing is the structured framework for post-implementation measurement and accountability. The most effective response is to create a comprehensive benefits realization plan working collaboratively with the sponsor and stakeholders. This plan establishes what will be measured, how it will be measured against the existing baseline, who is responsible for tracking, and when measurement will occur. Benefits realization planning ensures accountability and provides a framework for the sponsor and operational leadership to track value delivery after the project closes. The CFO's concern signals executive-level attention to value demonstration, making stakeholder collaboration on the measurement framework the highest priority action.

**Why not A:** Re-validating baseline metrics with the operations team addresses only one component of the benefits measurement problem. The scenario already confirms that baseline data from the requirements phase exists and has been documented by operations leadership, so scheduling another baseline validation meeting would be redundant and would not produce the comprehensive measurement framework the sponsor is requesting.

**Why not B:** Documenting the CFO's concern in the risk register as a threat treats a solvable planning gap as an uncontrollable risk. The absence of a benefits measurement approach is not a threat to be monitored—it is a gap to be filled proactively through structured planning, and the register entry alone does nothing to actually measure or validate the promised 25% improvement.

**Why not C:** Updating the project management plan to include post-implementation review activities is a partial step, not a complete solution. While it addresses when measurement will happen, it does not define what will be measured, how results will be compared to the baseline, or who bears accountability—all of which are required components of a benefits realization plan that satisfies the sponsor's request.