Maintain Stakeholder Alignment

B.

When a new stakeholder joins a project, it is important to ensure that they are up-to-date on all critical changes that may affect the project's success. This will help to ensure that all stakeholders have the same level of information and can make informed decisions.

To address this situation, the project manager should first review the communications plan (option B) to ensure that the stakeholder is included on any key messages. The communications plan is a key document that outlines how project information will be shared with stakeholders. It identifies the stakeholders who need to receive project updates, what information needs to be shared, how frequently it needs to be shared, and the method of communication that will be used. By reviewing the communications plan, the project manager can identify any gaps in communication and take steps to ensure that the stakeholder is informed of critical changes.

While it is also important to review the project management plan (option A) to determine how the project should be managed and controlled, this is not the first step that should be taken in this scenario. The project management plan is a comprehensive document that outlines the project scope, objectives, timelines, budget, risks, and quality standards. It provides guidance on how the project should be executed, monitored, and controlled. While it may contain information on how stakeholders will be informed of critical changes, it is more likely that this information will be included in the communications plan.

Similarly, while reviewing the meeting agenda (option C) and ensuring meeting minutes are distributed to all project members (option D) are important activities, they are not the first step that should be taken in this scenario. The meeting agenda outlines the topics that will be discussed in the meeting, while meeting minutes document the decisions and actions that were taken in the meeting. While it is important to ensure that the stakeholder is invited to all meetings and that they receive meeting minutes, this alone may not be sufficient to ensure that they are fully informed of critical changes.

In conclusion, to ensure that all parties have the same level of information, the project manager should first review the communications plan to ensure that the stakeholder is included on any key messages. This will help to ensure that the stakeholder is informed of critical changes and can contribute to the project's success.