(^168) 97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know
Engage Stakeholders All Through Project Life
Lukeman Lawal, M.ENG, MNSE, R.ENGR.
Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria
gooD WoRKIng RElATIonShIPS with stakeholders who have significant
influence on the outcomes of a project are vital. Stakeholders are individuals
and groups, both inside and outside the organization, who can influence the
success of the project, and/or anyone who can be affected by the project.
Project managers should have a stakeholder engagement plan that includes
identification of stakeholders, an assessment of their degree of influence, and
an assessment of their favorability toward the project. Use this plan to deliber-
ately build support.
Engage stockholders early and keep them involved through project comple-
tion. Be sure you know the business need for the project they support. Work
toward aligning the needs of all of the key stakeholders, not just the top few.
It’s always pertinent to find out what the key stakeholders need to become vis-
ible and vocal advocates for the project, and how the project can be made to be
a win for them, as well as for your team.
Once your project plan reflects the needs of the key stakeholders, insist that
they demonstrate their commitment by providing the resources needed to
support the project. This gives you an army of investors to fight outside stake-
holders with no money or services who may want to stop the project.
It is advisable to assign a single point of accountability on the project team
for coordinating stakeholder management, and to interface with and actively
engage key stakeholders at appropriate levels. Create and utilize a stakeholder
communication plan to capture frequency of communications, content of
communication, and type of delivery method. Methods and frequency of con-
tact may differ for each stakeholder.
Schedule an alignment meeting with smaller stakeholders to minimize con-
flicts between departments. Your stakeholder handler will follow up to ensure