Project Planning: Stakeholders, Communication, Procurement

Question 1

The purpose of project stakeholder management is …

Answer 1

to identify all people or organizations affected by a project, to analyze stakeholder expectations,
and to effectively engage stakeholders

Question 2

Internal project stakeholders

Answer 2

generally include the project sponsor, project team, support staff, and internal customers for the project. Other internal stakeholders include top management, other functional managers, and other project managers because organizations have limited resources

Question 3

External project stakeholders

Answer 3

include the project’s customers (if they are external to the organization), competitors, suppliers, and other external groups that are potentially involved in the project or affected by it, such as government officials and concerned citizens

Question 4

Project Stakeholder Management Processes

Answer 4

-Identifying stakeholders
–> Identifying everyone involved in the project or affected by it and determining the best ways to manage relationships with them.

-Planning stakeholder management
–> Determining strategies to effectively engage stakeholders

-Managing stakeholder engagement
–> Communicating and working with project stakeholders to satisfy their needs and expectations, resolving issues, and fostering engagement in project decisions and activities

-Controlling stakeholder engagement
–> Monitoring stakeholder relationships and adjusting plans and strategies for engaging stakeholders as needed

Question 5

Stakeholder Engagement Plan Contents

Answer 5

-Current and desired engagement levels of key stakeholders
-Scope and impact of change to stakeholders
-Identified interrelationships between stakeholders and potential overlap
-Potential management strategies for each stakeholder classification
-Methods for updating the stakeholder management plan

Question 6

Classifying Stakeholders

Answer 6

After identifying key project stakeholders, you can use different classification models to determine an approach for managing stakeholder relationships

Question 7

Example of classifying Stakeholders

Answer 7

A power / interest grid

Question 8

A power / interest grid

Answer 8

can be used to group stakeholders based on their
level of authority (power) and their level of concern (interest) for project outcomes
page 18 pour l’exemple

Question 9

Stakeholder Engagement Levels

Answer 9

1. Unaware
   –> Unaware of the project and its potential impacts on them
2. Resistant
   –> Aware of the project yet resistant to change
3. Neutral
   –> Aware of the project yet neither supportive nor resistant
4. Supportive
   –> Aware of the project and supportive of change
5. Leading
   –> Aware of the project

Question 10

Suggestions for managing stakeholders

Answer 10

-Avoid surprises
-Be clear from the start
-Explain the consequences
-Have a contingency plan
-Take a stand

Question 11

Controlling Stakeholder Engagement

Answer 11

You cannot control stakeholders,
but you can control their level of engagement
–> Engagement involves a dialogue in which people seek understanding and solutions to issues of mutual concern

Question 12

Project managers should (with their stakeholders)

Answer 12

be familiar with various techniques for engaging “their audience”. They need to set the stage for engaging stakeholders early in the project.
–> It is important to set the proper tone at the start of a workshop or project

Question 13

Ways to Control Engagement

Answer 13

-Key stakeholders should be invited to actively participate in a kick-off meeting
rather than merely attending it.

-The project manager should emphasize that a dialogue is expected at the meeting, using whatever means of communication the stakeholders prefer. The project manager should also meet with important stakeholders before the kick-off meeting.

-The project schedule should include activities and deliverables related to stakeholder engagement, such as surveys, reviews, demonstrations, and sign-offs.

Question 14

Agile considerations to Project Stakeholder Management

Answer 14

-Sprint review meetings allow key stakeholders to inspect the outcomes of each sprint and determine future adaptations.

-Agile project teams also discuss any impediments they are facing or could face in their daily Scrum meetings. The Scrum master or project manager works with the appropriate people to remove the impediments.

-Teams should also ensure that key stakeholders participate in the sprint reviews, develop acceptance criteria, and determine the Definition of Done for each increment.

-Information radiators provide visibility into work progress for all interested stakeholders.

Question 15

Project communication: The Importance of Good Communications

Answer 15

-The greatest threat to many projects is a failure to communicate

-Our culture does not portray project professionals as being good communicators

-Research shows that project professionals must be able to communicate effectively to succeed in their positions

-Strong verbal and non-technical skills are a key factor in career advancement for project professionals

Question 16

Several important concepts can help: key to good communication

Answer 16

-Need to focus on group and individual communication needs
-Use formal and informal methods for communicating
-Distribute important information in an effective and timely manner
-Set the stage for communicating bad news
-Determine the number of communication channels

Question 17

Project Communications Management Processes

Answer 17

1. Planningcommunications management
   -Determining the information and communications needs of the stakeholders
2. Managing communications
   -Creating, distributing, storing, retrieving, and disposing of project communications based on the communications management plan
3. Controlling communications
   -Monitoring and controlling project communications to ensure that stakeholder communication needs are met

Question 18

Communications is one of the most complex items in leaderships daily work

Answer 18

Though –> said –> heard –> understood –> agree –> done –> done again

Question 19

Encouraging More Face-to-Face Interactions

Answer 19

-Short, frequent meetings are often very effective in projects

-Stand-up meetings force people to focus on what they really need to communicate

Question 20

Determining the Number of Communications Channels

Answer 20

As the number of people involved increases, the complexity of communications increases because there are more communications channels or pathways through which people can communicate.

formula : n *(n-1)/ 2 –> where n is the number of people involved

Question 21

Communications plan Management

Answer 21

varies with the needs of the project, but some type of written plan should always be prepared
–> For small projects, the communications management plan can be part of the team contract
–> For large projects, it should be a separate document

Question 22

Communications Management Plan Contents

Answer 22

1. Stakeholder communication requirements
2. Information to be communicated, including format, content, and level of detail
3. Who will receive the information and how will it be produced?
4. Suggested methods or technologies for delivering the information
5. Frequency of communication
6. Escalation procedures for problem resolution
7. Review procedures for updating the communication management plan
8. Glossary of Common Terminology

Question 23

Project Websites definition

Answer 23

provide a centralized way of delivering project documents and other communications

Question 24

Agile considerations to Project Communications Management

Answer 24

Instead of documenting how project teams will communicate, the Scrum framework includes specific events where a lot of communications takes place.

Question 25

Project procurement management includes …

Answer 25

acquiring or procuring goods and services for a project from outside the organization
–> include purchasing and outsourcing

Question 26

Key outputs in project procurement management includes..

Answer 26

procurement management plans, procurement strategies, bid documents, procurement statements of work, source selection criteria, make-or-buy decisions, independent cost estimates, change requests, project documents updates, and organizational process assets updates

Question 27

Make-or-buy analysis involves..

Answer 27

estimating the internal costs of providing a product or service, and comparing that estimate to the cost of outsourcing
–> Many organizations also use make-or-buy analysis, often called a lease-or-buy analysis, to decide if they should purchase or lease items for a particular project

Question 28

A procurement management plan is..

Answer 28

a document that describes how the procurement processes will be managed, from developing documentation for making outside purchases or acquisitions to contract closure

Question 29

Different types of contracts can be used in different situations:

Answer 29

-Fixed price or lump sum contracts: Involve a fixed total price for a well-defined product or service

-Cost reimbursable contracts: Involve payment to the seller for direct and indirect costs

-Time and material contracts: Hybrid of both fixed price and cost reimbursable contracts, often used by consultants

-Unit price contracts: Require the buyer to pay the seller a predetermined amount per unit of service

-A single contract can actually include all four of these categories, if it makes sense for that particular procurement

Question 30

A procurement statement of work (SOW) is ..

Answer 30

a description of the work that is to be purchased
–> It is a type of scope statement that describes the work in sufficient detail to allow prospective suppliers to determine if they are capable of providing the goods and services required and an appropriate price
* It should be clear, concise, and as complete as possible, describe all services required, and include performance information, such as the location and timing of the work

Question 31

supplier evaluation matrix (a type of weighted scoring model)

Answer 31

thorough evaluation of potential suppliers, many organizations
–> Suppliers are often evaluated on criteria related to cost, quality, technology, past performance, and management

Question 32

A list of best practices from experienced outsourcers:

Answer 32

-Hire a partner, not just a provider
-It’s more than a contract, it’s a business relationship
-Leverage gain-sharing
-Build in broad business outcomes early and often
-Use active governance
-Assign a dedicated executive
-Focus relentlessly on primary objectives

Question 33

Agile Procurement Planning

Answer 33

-For some projects, a master agreement could be used for an overall contract. A master agreement allows for some work to be added in an appendix or supplement, allowing changes to occur without impacting the overall contract.

-Some organizations have streamlined the procurement process by using lean-agile procurement, an agile approach for procurements where collaboration between people is a key success factor.

• Goals of lean-agile procurement include reducing preparation efforts, working faster, simplifying paperwork, evaluating hard and soft skills of potential partners, and preparing agile contracts.