Knowledge Area:Stakeholder Management

Project stakeholders are identified during the project initiation stage itself. All the identified stakeholders are also analysed in terms of their power and interest with regards to the project in hand. Different strategies are planned for engaging the different GROUPS of stakeholders.

Stakeholders with high authority and high interest in the project such as the sponsor, the customer and may be few other stakeholders need to be “Managed CLOSELY”. The PM need to plan and use more frequent communication and engagement with such stakeholders in order to ensure that their authority is used effectively for the project decision making process and their interests are also best fulfilled.

The PM generally will plan a daily or weekly communication with such stakeholders with different agenda for each such communication. Face-to-face meetings, telephonic conversations are the best. Sharing important project information such as a plan, change requests, project documents and all KIND of approvals must be done using formal WRITTEN communication.

It will be important to ensure that such stakeholders are being constantly and closely managed. The PM will have to use excellent communication and interpersonal skills for such engagement.