194 Project Management
you cannot always count on quality; preferred suppliers are
often determined more by cost than by quality. And you should
never simply assume that you can rest easy because you’re
using a preferred supplier. In fact, you should never get compla-
cent with anysupplier relationship or agreement. A common
mistake made by project managers is assuming that suppliers
do not require much of your attention because you have a con-
tract, purchase order, or specifications sheet. You should moni-
tor and control suppliers as much as any other individual or
group working on your project.
Contractors and Consultants
Much of what was said about suppliers holds true for contractors
and consultants. The main difference is that you’re purchasing
labor or services instead of materials. However, you should be
aware of two big issues with this group of stakeholders.
First, contractors and consultants will probably feel less
stake in your project than any of the stakeholder groups. The
extent of their stake rarely goes beyond their body of work and
their image. After all, protecting their image is vital to their sur-
vival. It’s unlikely that they would do something that would
jeopardize their image—even if it were the right thing to do for
your project. Harsh? Yes. Reality? Yes!
Your second concern relates to purchasing services if you
aren’t familiar with a particular contractor or consultant.
Because talk is cheap and glossy brochures are easy to print,
you need to be cautious when engaging a contractor or consult-
ant. Whenever possible, try to use performance-based criteria
and a verifiable track record when selecting these stakeholders.
Other Interfaces
Most of your interfaces will be stakeholders. However, there are
other entities that you will interface with, so you need to be
aware of them and know how to manage them.
Regulatory Agencies
Regulatory agencies, such as OSHA and EPA, are not listed here
as stakeholders for a very good reason: the people in these agen-