How to effectively engageproject stakeholders?

One of the most important aspects of the project management courses is the stakeholder involvement process.

1. Stakeholder Identification

It is critical to identify as many stakeholders as possible at this stage, first on a group level and subsequently on an individual level. Individuals or sub-groups whose wants and expectations differ greatly from those of the rest of the group must be identified, as their level of influence might be significant.

2. Classify the Stakeholders

It is critical to categorise stakeholders in order to focus attention on them, effectively engage key stakeholders, and achieve strategic goals in a more efficient manner.

There are numerous models for categorising stakeholders. I’ve expanded on a few of the models below:

Grid of Power Interest:

This is one of the most widely used frameworks for categorising stakeholders. Since the start of PgMP certification in 2009, PMI has employed in the PgMP Training and Guide to teach.

The Grid is broken into 4 quadrants –

· High Interest, High Power

· High Interest, Low Power

· High Power, Low Interest

· Low Power, Low Interest

The diagram below explains how the Program Manager and his team divide the stakeholders into four quadrants. Soon, you’ll be able to identify your various stakeholders, as well as who the most important and influential are.

Furthermore, as shown in the picture below, 80 percent of the effort will be focused on the High Power, High Interest and High Power, Low Interest stakeholders, depending on the stakeholders. With the High Power, High-Interest stakeholders, you often form alliances or strong ties. For the remaining quadrants, such as High Interest and Low Power, you meet with them to learn about their needs and utilise various communication methods to either pull or push messages.

3. Uncovering Stakeholder expectations

Now that the stakeholders have been categorised, the Program Manager must determine what the stakeholder’s expectations are. Needs are obvious requirements from stakeholders, while expectations are frequently vague requirements, which the Program Manager must deal with. Failure to meet the needs and expectations of stakeholders is one of the major causes of programme management failures, according to the project management courses.

At the individual level for key stakeholders and at the group level for others, the procedure is to identify both defined and undefined stakeholders’ requirements. The goal is to define success, which should encompass both hard and soft benefits such as technical and operational advantages, as well as power and political advantages. Many stakeholders do not communicate the soft benefits, but the Program Manager and team should acknowledge them and codify them as assumptions. During the course of the programme, these assumptions can be tested. The PgMP training recommends that the stakeholders’ expectations and needs be captured in a document called the Stakeholder Register.

4. Negotiate Trade-offs with Stakeholders

Once the expectations have been identified, the Program Management and Program Team must assess their feasibility in light of the program’s existing resources. Any discrepancies must be addressed, and trade-offs must be discussed with stakeholders. Because you can’t please everyone, the Program Manager will naturally concentrate on the most important stakeholders.

5. Get Buy-In from Stakeholders

Finally, it is critical that all stakeholders agree on the program’s trade-offs and advantages. The Program Manager will need their commitment to the programme once they have agreed. Stakeholders vary with time, with some exiting and new ones appearing. Furthermore, expectations and requirements change during the programme. As a result, all of these processes, from identifying stakeholders to obtaining stakeholder buy-in, must be carried out in a continual manner throughout the programme. The stakeholders’ buy-in and support are critical to the program’s success.

As a result, stakeholder engagement becomes a constant process, and stakeholder analysis and engagement should be iterated on a regular basis to ensure stakeholder buy-in.

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