You are managing a software upgrade project. During the risk analysis phase, you identified a significant risk that critical software may not be delivered due to potential vendor licensing issues. According to best practices in 'Plan Risk Responses,' what is your FIRST step in devising an effective response for this risk?
Shift all focus to resolving the licensing issue immediately, diverting resources from other critical project tasks.
Direct the team to develop a workaround without consulting the vendor about the licensing issue.
Ignore the licensing issue and proceed with the software upgrade, assuming the vendor will honor the current licenses.
Evaluate response strategies such as avoidance, transfer, mitigation, or acceptance for the identified licensing risk.