11.2 Plan Stakeholder Management - 11.2 Plan Stakeholder Management
Plan Stakeholder Management is a critical process in Project Stakeholder Management that involves developing a strategy to engage stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle. This process ensures that stakeholders' needs and expectations are identified and managed effectively to enhance their satisfaction and support for the project.
Key Concepts
1. Stakeholder Identification
Stakeholder Identification involves identifying all individuals, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by the project. This includes internal stakeholders (e.g., project team members, management) and external stakeholders (e.g., customers, suppliers, regulatory bodies). Identifying stakeholders early helps in understanding their interests and potential influence on the project.
Example: In an engineering project to design a new product, stakeholders might include the project team, the engineering department, the marketing team, customers, suppliers, and regulatory agencies.
2. Stakeholder Analysis
Stakeholder Analysis involves assessing the interests, influence, and impact of each identified stakeholder on the project. This analysis helps in understanding the power and interest levels of stakeholders, enabling the project manager to prioritize engagement strategies.
Example: For a construction project, stakeholder analysis might reveal that the local community has a high interest but low power, while the project sponsor has high power and interest. This information helps in tailoring communication and engagement strategies accordingly.
3. Stakeholder Engagement Plan
The Stakeholder Engagement Plan outlines the strategies and actions to engage stakeholders throughout the project. This plan includes the methods of communication, frequency of interaction, and the roles and responsibilities for stakeholder engagement. It ensures that stakeholders are kept informed and involved in the project.
Example: In an engineering project, the stakeholder engagement plan might include regular project updates for the project sponsor, quarterly meetings with the customer, and monthly newsletters for the local community.
4. Communication Plan
The Communication Plan is a component of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan that details how information will be shared with stakeholders. It includes the types of information to be communicated, the communication methods, the frequency of communication, and the responsible parties for each communication activity.
Example: For a software development project, the communication plan might specify that weekly status reports are sent to the project team, bi-weekly meetings are held with the customer, and monthly progress reports are provided to the project sponsor.
5. Stakeholder Management Strategy
The Stakeholder Management Strategy defines the approach to managing stakeholder relationships and expectations. It includes the tactics for addressing stakeholder concerns, resolving conflicts, and ensuring stakeholder satisfaction. The strategy is tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of each stakeholder group.
Example: In an engineering project, the stakeholder management strategy might include proactive communication with the local community to address concerns about noise and disruption, and regular feedback sessions with the customer to ensure their requirements are met.
6. Stakeholder Register
The Stakeholder Register is a document that lists all identified stakeholders, their roles, interests, influence levels, and any other relevant information. It serves as a reference for planning and managing stakeholder engagement activities throughout the project.
Example: For a construction project, the stakeholder register might include details such as the name, role, contact information, power/interest level, and engagement strategy for each stakeholder.
Examples and Analogies
Think of planning stakeholder management as organizing a large family gathering. Just as you need to identify all family members, understand their preferences, and plan how to keep them engaged and satisfied, you need to identify stakeholders, analyze their interests, and develop strategies to manage their expectations and ensure their support.
For instance, in an engineering project to design and build a new product, planning stakeholder management would involve identifying all relevant stakeholders, analyzing their interests and influence, and developing a stakeholder engagement plan. By effectively managing stakeholder relationships, the project team can ensure that the project gains the necessary support and achieves its objectives.