| Stakeholder identification, a new PMBOK® Guide | | | | - Internal customers - Normally these are people for |
| project management process, is most important for | | | | whom you're doing the work and have a particular |
| establishing an early foundation toward subsequent | | | | need that your project can address. Often, the internal |
| planning, executing and monitoring and control of your | | | | customer pays for the project and therefore receives |
| project communication information and achieving | | | | the business impact from the project deliverables. |
| project success. This process should be done early in | | | | - Project sponsor - Normally, this is not ordinarily a |
| in the initiation phase of your project so that key | | | | specific organizational position, rather it is a role played |
| outputs of a stakeholder register and stakeholder | | | | on project. The role of the project sponsor is typically |
| strategy will be used associatively in the associated | | | | a representative of upper management who has a |
| project management process, also within the Project | | | | high stake in the project outcome. This role can be |
| Communications Management, which is Manage | | | | invaluable for you when you face problems or issues |
| Stakeholder Expectations. | | | | that lie beyond your sphere of influence. The sponsor |
| First, let's review some basic facts to understanding | | | | can facilitate decisions and assist with resource |
| stakeholder management: | | | | assignments. If a sponsor is formally identified on your |
| - Stakeholders are those parties who may be | | | | project and it is large or complex, go and get one! |
| positively or negatively impacted by the completion of | | | | Seek out a member of management who has a stake |
| the project | | | | in the success or failure of the project. Describe to |
| - Stakeholders stand to gain or lose through the | | | | them their role and your expectations. After all, your |
| success or failure of the project | | | | organizational management should be quite willing to |
| - Stakeholders may possess different authority levels | | | | help you succeed! |
| which will affect how they exert their influence over | | | | - Core project team - Core team member roles often |
| the project and its deliverables | | | | tie closely to the work to be done. In most cases, the |
| - Stakeholders are affected by the outcome of the | | | | core team is a relatively small group of people |
| project | | | | composed from the various departments of work |
| It is imperative to identify all people and organizations | | | | needed to complete the project. |
| impacted by the project and subsequently | | | | - Functional resource providers - Securing your |
| documenting relevant information regarding their | | | | resources can be dependent upon the functional, |
| interests, involvements and impacts on project | | | | matrix or projectized type of organizational structure |
| success. PMBOK® suggests using two inputs early | | | | base of your project. In matrix organizations, you |
| in the project for stakeholder identification: | | | | 'borrow' resources from other departments by your |
| - The first one available is the output from Develop | | | | request to the appropriate functional manager. |
| Project Charter, the only other process within the | | | | - Project Manager's Supervisor - Your boss is a |
| initiation process group. It is the project charter. The | | | | stakeholder has a big stake in you and your project |
| project charter may list customers, sponsors, | | | | success. Keep your boss informed at all times and |
| executives, the project team, or public entities that are | | | | protect him or her from being blindsided. |
| external to the performing organization participating in | | | | - Various support groups - These groups exist within |
| the project. It is recommended to hold a separate | | | | your organization such as legal, accounting, data |
| meeting with those identified in the charter and ask | | | | processing and human resources. Their role to your |
| them if they knew of others who should be listed with | | | | project is more supportive than active depending on |
| stakeholder responsibilities. | | | | the specific needs of your project. Remember to |
| - If the project is the result of procurement activity or | | | | consider if any of these groups should have a |
| based on an established contract, use the | | | | representative on your regular core team meetings. |
| procurement documents to identify all parties within the | | | | When Y2K projects were implemented, a legal |
| contract that may be key project stakeholders. | | | | representative should have been considered to attend |
| Suppliers, participating in the contract, could also be | | | | core team member meetings. |
| considered for the identification of project | | | | External stakeholders - This stakeholder group has |
| stakeholders. Using a contract make the process a | | | | their project stake more focused inwardly, although |
| little easier as the various contract interfaces should be | | | | they are not a part of your organization. |
| listed. | | | | - External customers - External customers are |
| These project charter or procurement documents | | | | typically characterized by contracts. |
| stakeholders' indications may only yield a normal set of | | | | - User groups - Consider user groups if your project is |
| stakeholders. So, let's further define other stakeholder | | | | developing or producing a product that will be |
| possibilities and what you need to know about these | | | | marketed and sold to consumers. You can ask this |
| stakeholders. PMBOK® suggests using a | | | | external stakeholder about likes, dislikes, preferences |
| stakeholder analysis tool and technique for gathering | | | | and choices, of consumers that perhaps their |
| information to determine whose interests should be | | | | marketing strategy have isolated for future or a |
| considered throughout the project. Stakeholder | | | | similarly produced product. |
| analysis helps to place definitions to stakeholders and | | | | - Suppliers - Your project may require materials that |
| their roles. The stakeholder analysis power grid is a | | | | must be obtained from outside vendor companies. |
| classification model tool that helps you identify and plot | | | | Utilize a preferred supplier list, if your company |
| the impact or support of each stakeholder could | | | | maintains one. |
| generate and then is used to classify them to define | | | | - Contractors and consultants - There is only |
| information to the stakeholder management strategy | | | | difference from the supplier role and that is that you |
| which is one of the outputs of this process. | | | | use contractor and consultant stakeholder resources |
| What do you need to know about stakeholders? | | | | for labor and services, instead of materials. Utilize |
| You need to know various levels of data about your | | | | performance-based criteria and a verifiable track |
| identified stakeholders so you can properly manage | | | | record when selecting these stakeholders. |
| your relationship with them and set your | | | | Once you have performed your stakeholder analysis |
| communications planning. Here are key things to | | | | and created a power/interest grid, you need to |
| gather: | | | | complete a stakeholder register that will contain all |
| - Who is the stakeholder by name? Don't identify any | | | | details related to the newly identified stakeholders. |
| stakeholder as a class of people, such as functional | | | | Remember, at a minimum, to provide name, contact |
| manager or senior executive. Gather their name, | | | | information, organizational position, role in the project, |
| contact information and organizational position. | | | | their main expectation, main requirement, and potential |
| - What is the nature of their stake in the project? Is it | | | | influence in the project, or phase in the life cycle. Last, |
| personal or professional? Identify what will they gain | | | | include the stakeholder classification as either internal |
| with success or lose with failure, by clearly stating how | | | | or external. |
| much and in what way. Capture their major | | | | The remaining output is the stakeholder management |
| requirement, main expectation and potential influence in | | | | strategy which defines the approach that should help |
| the project or phase within the life cycle. | | | | gather support and minimize negative impacts of the |
| - What does the stakeholder expect from you? The | | | | identified stakeholders. A common way of |
| best way to determine this is by having face-to-face | | | | representing the data is within a stakeholder strategy |
| meetings with the key stakeholders, such as clients or | | | | analysis matrix so that elements such as listing key |
| project sponsors. This can work out any differences | | | | stakeholders who can significantly impact the project, |
| between what they expect and what you believe | | | | the level of participation desired for each identified key |
| they should reasonable expect. | | | | stakeholder and potential strategy for gaining support |
| - What to expect from the stakeholder? This is the flip | | | | or reducing obstacles. Since your stakeholder |
| side of the previous question. It is definitely needed to | | | | management strategy can contain some data that is |
| set expectations and realize that this is not telling the | | | | subjective and could be considered sensitive, be sure |
| stakeholder what to do or how to act. If done | | | | that you use discretion when doing your |
| correctly, you are providing the stakeholder with a | | | | communications or sharing the data on the documents |
| description of the support you need. | | | | with read access or included in a shared document. |
| - What are the stakeholder's watchdog priorities? This | | | | The stakeholder register and the stakeholder |
| means which of the major elements of success and | | | | management strategy will be key inputs to the Plan |
| control the stakeholder most wants to monitor: | | | | Communications and Manage Stakeholder |
| schedule, cost, performance and/or quality. | | | | Expectations project management processes. |
| Next, perform stakeholder classification on internal and | | | | One last tip! Beware of other less-human project |
| external groups, and their roles within a project. | | | | interfaces that can't be called stakeholders but can |
| Internal stakeholders - | | | | affect your project at least as much as any human |
| Most of the key stakeholders are internal people within | | | | interface. These include organizational policies, |
| your organization: | | | | procedures, culture and politics! Good luck! |