この場合のbefore の意味は？

以下の文章を訳してください。

In January Shirase put his plans before Japanese government officials, promising to raise the the South Pole within three years. For many of them, the question wasn't could he do it but why would it be worth doing?

この場合のbeforeは何でしょうか。
put beforeというイディオムでしょうか？

また、the question以降は倒置が起きているのでしょうか。