Project Management ToolBox, 3rd Edition

4STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

A stakeholder is commonly defined as person who has a vested interest in the outcome of a project. More importantly, for a project manager, a stakeholder is anyone who can influence, either positively or negatively, the outcome of their project. This includes people and groups of people both inside and outside the organization. As project managers we engage with stakeholders to manage communication, conflict, politics, and other aspects of stakeholder interaction to ensure a positive outcome.

Accountability for success relies on the abilities of the project manager even though we have limited positional power within the organization. Building strong relationships and engaging with stakeholders successfully are a key aspect of successful project delivery.

Stakeholders are many and varied on a project and come to the table with a variety of expectations, opinions, perceptions, priorities, fears, and personal agendas that many times are in conflict with one another.¹ The challenge is to find a way to efficiently manage this cast of characters in a way that does not become all consuming. This includes identifying highly influential stakeholders and then developing a stakeholder strategy that balances their expectations with the realities of the project.

Identifying stakeholders should start at the very beginning of the project, sometimes even before project origination documents are complete. All activities associated with stakeholder engagement occur throughout ...