Stakeholder Management for Project Managers

Project Stakeholder Analysis and Mapping for Stakeholder Engagement

Jan 8, 2009 Roger Lever

Stakeholder management is essential to a successful project. Project managers must do stakeholder analysis and mapping to plan for effective stakeholder engagement.

Stakeholders include everyone with a vested interest in the project, whether they are actively participating, supplying resources or being impacted by the project. Ensuring that all of these various groups are supportive or committed and engaged is something that needs to be planned by the project manager. That planning starts with stakeholder analysis and then mapping their relationship to the project, and finishes with defining how and what to communicate and its frequency.

Project Stakeholder Analysis

The key to stakeholder analysis is to understand the different groups from senior management to the person who needs to use the solution. Understand that these groups need to be defined from an organisational as well as location perspective. More importantly understand:

Who are the key opinion leaders within their groups?
What are the relationships between the groups? Ideally it is harmonious but at the other extreme there may be real or perceived problems between the different groups
What is the benefit [if any] of the project? What is their motivation for contributing to or supporting the project?
What are the barriers to this group participating? For example, multiple competing high priority projects.

Stakeholder Mapping

Having identified the key stakeholders and understanding some of their dynamics it is important to relate these groups and individuals to the project. Stakeholder mapping to the project uses the simple RACI [Responsible, Accountable, Consult, Inform] model. Other models or combinations can be used instead such as PARIS [Participant, Accountable, Review, Input, Sign-off] but the intent is the same -- to understand what communication is most effective based on their need.

In general terms the purpose is to manage project stakeholders and their expectations and to ensure clear and accurate project information is given out:

Responsible - usually project participants need detailed project information and it must support their ability to participate on the project with their responsibilities
Accountable - typically management are accountable and they want a clear, concise summary of progress and what risks there might be currently to a successful project
Consult - usually impacted by the project and will wish to influence the project even if not participating directly; this group may also include experts such as quality and compliance. Typically need one level of detail greater than management that allows them to conclude that the project is "on track"
Inform - usually the end users of the project and their support and commitment must be built over time starting from awareness, through understanding to mobilisation for change. Typically need to tell people why you are communicating [awareness, information, action...] and include a management style summary with a strong focus on benefits or what is in it for them

Stakeholder Management

The stakeholder analysis and stakeholder mapping is put together with details on how to communicate to these stakeholders and with what frequency. Communication is very effective in person with a presentation but is not always possible, so the plan must use all appropriate means to regularly engage stakeholders such as emails or information cascades and that frequency must be defined. It can be on a regular cycle such as every week or month, or based on key project events or milestones. Whatever approach is taken this stakeholder engagement is in addition to the normal project status reporting. Doing all of these things is part of active stakeholder management and whilst this will not guarantee a successful project it is yet another step in the right direction.

The copyright of the article Stakeholder Management for Project Managers in Business Management is owned by Roger Lever. Permission to republish Stakeholder Management for Project Managers in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.