MIS 578 Chapter 6: Stakeholder Analysis & Communication Planning

Question 1

Stakeholders include people who?

Answer 1

• Work on the project
• Provide people or resources for the project
• Have their routines disrupted by the project?

Question 2

Stakeholders can be prioritized based upon level of:

Answer 2

1. Authority (power)
2. Concern (interest)
3. Active involvement (interest)
4. Ability to affect changes (impact)
5. Need for immediate influence (urgency) or
6. Appropriateness of their involvement (legitimacy).

Question 3

Document Stakeholders

Answer 3

The primary output of the “identify stakeholders” process is a stakeholder register. The stakeholder register is “a project document including the identification, assessment, and classification of project stakeholders

Question 4

Communications plan considerations

Answer 4

1) Purpose
Project communications need to be clear, concise, courteous, consistent, confidential, and compelling.

2) Structures
Projects can use existing organizational communication forms if they are satisfactory, but need to create their own to supplement.

3) Methods
Communications can be pushed to recipients or pulled by them.

4) Timing
Communications can be tied to the project life cycle, be routine, or as needed.

Question 5

Improving project meetings:

Answer 5

1) PDCA model (Plan Do Check Act)
- This quality approach to process improvement can be applied to the meeting process.

2) Project meeting agenda template
- Well-run meetings require planning. A clear agenda helps.

3) Project meeting minutes template
- Decisions made, issues surfaced or resolved, action items agreed to, and evaluation of the meeting should be concisely captured.

Question 6

Issues management

Answer 6

• An issues log is a living document adding new issues and removing resolved issues.
• An issue is something that does not need to be resolved immediately but will need to be resolved in time.
• Action items: For each agreed upon action, capture who will do it and by when.

Question 7

Virtual Teams

Answer 7

Even more persuasion is needed since these teams are scattered.

Question 8

Cultural Differences

Answer 8

It is vital for the PM to understand cultural influences on behavior.

Question 9

Countries and project communications preferences

Answer 9

People in various countries have widely differing communication preferences that need to be understood.

Question 10

When do relationship building and detailed project planning occur?

Answer 10

Simultaneously.

Question 11

Once a project plan is formally approved, it can only be updated by formally approved changes. True or false?

Answer 11

True

Question 12

Which of the following is a potential complication to project success as far as stakeholders are concerned?

a. there may be multiple users, with different wants and needs.
b. the customer may not understand each user’s needs.
c. users may not fully understand what they want because they do not understand the alternatives.
d. Many stakeholders in addition to the users of a project’s outcome may have an interest in the
project.
e. all of the above.

Answer 12

Answer

All of the above.

Question 13

There are always more internal than external stakeholders. True or false

Answer 13

False

Question 14

It is important to consider both financial and emotional interests that potential stakeholders may have. True or false?

Answer 14

True

Question 15

Sponsors are especially useful in helping to sort out conflicting priorities. True or false?

Answer 15

True

Question 16

What are “The six C’s” of project communications?

Answer 16

1. Clearly state the subject,
2. Concisely make the point,
3. Courteously deliver the message,
4. Consistently reinforce your point,
5. Respect confidentiality at all times and
6. Compel the recipient to be receptive.

Question 17

What are three types of project communications timing schedules?

Answer 17

1. At the end of each project stage and at major milestones,
2. Following the organization’s norms,
3. As needed.

Question 18

Why do project teams need to keep themselves up-to-date?

Answer 18

So that they can handle requests as and when needed.

Question 19

What are potential advantages of keeping a lessons learned knowledge database?

Answer 19

Keep developing and utilizing strengths, but avoid repeating failures.

Question 20

What are four types of information discussed at a project review meeting?

Answer 20

1. Any decisions that were made,
2. New issues raised and old issues resolved,
3. Items on which action is to be taken, and
4. Evaluation of the positive and negative points discussed at the meeting.

Question 21

What does it mean to say project management planning is iterative?

Answer 21

A project manager and core team need to start planning with the information they have. As more details
are determined in one area, other areas of the plan may need to be expanded or otherwise changed.

Question 22

List and describe the three aspects that should be considered when prioritizing stakeholders.

Answer 22

• Proximity to the project – those that are closest are often the most important.
• Power they have over the project – more powerful stakeholders need to be prioritized higher.
• Urgency of their need – stakeholders who need something very quickly need to be given priority.

Question 23

List and describe four ways a project manager can encourage open communications.

Answer 23

i) Keep people informed – if people know what is currently happening, they are also more likely to
share what they know.
(ii) Demonstrating a deep value and respect for everyone – as people feel more valued they are more
likely to willingly share information.
(iii) Personally share feelings – as people understand the project manager’s feelings and appreciate
the vulnerability he has created for himself, they also often want to share their feelings.
(iv) Respect confidentiality – if people know that what they share will only be used for its intended
purpose and will not be shared beyond those who need to know, they are often more willing to
open up

Question 24

List the items that go into a project team meeting agenda and tell the purpose of each.

Answer 24

• Meeting logistics such as people, date, time, and place – so that all can attend.
• Purpose – so that people know what the meeting needs to accomplish and not hold the meeting if
there is no good purpose.
• Topics in order – so that people know what to expect and to prepare for.
• Person responsible for each topic – so that they will be prepared and so any stakeholder can
communicate with that person in advance.
• Estimated time for each topic – to stay on track.
• Summary – so that people remember what decisions were made, issues raised or resolved, and
what are the items on which they agreed to take action, and the deadline for each.
• Evaluation – so that future meetings can repeat what worked and avoid what did not.

Question 25

List the items that go into project team meeting minutes and tell the purpose of each.

Answer 25

• Attendees, time and date – for documentation
• Decisions made – to communicate to all stakeholders.
• Issues raised and resolved – to keep track of active issues.
• Items on which actions to be taken, with responsibility and timing – to ensure agreed to items are
completed.
• Evaluation – so that the pluses and deltas identified can be associated with the specific meeting
when they were identified.

Question 26

Describe in your own words the planning and communication tasks MS Project will help you perform.

Answer 26

MS Project automates many of the project management planning and control activities. It can be used to calculate schedules, budgets, and resource requirements. The details of each of these can then be communicated to all stakeholders.