2.4 Stakeholder Engagement & Communication Management

Question 1

Definition, considerations and benefits of stakeholders

Answer 1

• Individuals or groups that have an interest, role, or are impacted by a project, programme, or portfolio
• May have positive or negative attitude
• Increase sense of ownership by involving stakeholders
• Stakeholder analysis and communication plan is key part of PMP
• Ensure appropriate attention is applied
• Consistent messages avoid confusion
• Communication cost included in budget
• Needs of stakeholders included in project
• Stakeholders know how and where to access up-to-date data
• Tailored communication engages stakeholders

Question 2

Stakeholder management process

Answer 2

1. Identification (org charts, interviews, workshops)
2. Analysis (map basic stakeholder data)
3. Write communication plan
4. Implement and monitor

Question 3

Stakeholder Analysis Grid

Answer 3

• High power, high interest - keep engaged
• Low power, low interest - ad-hoc communication
• Low power, high interest - keep informed
• High power, low interest - actively engage

Question 4

Definition and considerations of communication plan

Answer 4

• Overlap between communication, information management, reporting, and stakeholder engagement
• Who - target for communication, their interest and power
• What to be communicated, form, frequency
• How - clear strategy for each channel
• Risks - intended and unintended impacts
• Understanding the audience - preferred communication style
• Costs - include in budget
• Feedback - how and what will be collected
• When - frequency and timing of reports

Question 5

Different strategies for ‘How’ in a communication plan

Answer 5

• Formal verbal - scheduled meetings, presentations
• Informal verbal - unrecorded conversations
• Formal written - reports, presentations, minutes
• Informal written - teams messaging, post-its, blogs
• Non-verbal - body language, behaviour, tone

Question 6

Importance of managing expectations

Answer 6

• Risk management
• Communication planning
• Stakeholder requirements and objectives
• Effective engagement
• Project acceptance

Question 7

Communication methods

Answer 7

• Tactile / auditory / written
• Face-to-face / voice / works
• Interactive methods (face-to-face, virtual meetings)
• Written methods (reports, briefings, emails, social media)
• Visual methods (social media, visual aids, models, dashboards)

Question 8

Factors to positively affect communications

Answer 8

• Clear, concise message
• Environment
• Attitude
• Geography
• Active listening
• Preferred methods