Stakeholder Management

Question 1

what is the APM BoK definition of stakeholder management

Answer 1

Stakeholder management is the systematic identification, analysis, planning and implementation of actions designed to engage with stakeholders.

Question 2

what is the definition of a stakeholder

Answer 2

any person or body that has an interest in a project or its outcome or is affected by it

Question 3

what are 5 typical stakeholders

Answer 3

1. resources needed for the project
2. people and organisations who may be affected by the project
3. people or organisations not directly affected but who may have strong opinions on the project
4. statutory and regulatory bodies
5. potential end users of the project products

Question 4

what are the 4 parts of the stakeholder management process

Answer 4

• Identify
• Analyse (Assess)
• Plan
• Manage (Engage)

Question 5

what are the 4 usual methods for identifying stakeholders

Answer 5

• Research
• Brainstorming
• Interviews
• Check lists, e.g. from lessons learned in previous projects

Question 6

who are 4 potential stakeholders that could be included in the identification stage

Answer 6

1. people affected by the project
2. people on the side-lines who may have strong feelings about the project (positive or negative)
3. statutory or regulatory bodies
4. resource requirements

Question 7

what are 3 actions taken during the analysis (asses) stage

Answer 7

1. Assess needs and expectations
2. Determine relative levels of interest, power (influence) and attitude
3. Classify stakeholders

Question 8

what are 5 appropriate questions to discover the position f stakeholders with regard to the project

Answer 8

1. will they benefit from the success of the project
2. will they be openly supportive of the project
3. do they have reasons for wanting the project to fail
4. if the have negative/ambivalent views can they be persuaded to change
5. what is their level of power and influence

Question 9

what are the 4 sectors of a Power & influence grid

Answer 9

Champions - powerful people who are actively supportive of the project

Blockers - powerful people who actively resist the project

Supporters - people with little power who support the project

Detractors - people with little power who are against the project

Question 10

what is the difference between the Power & Influence and Power & Interest grids

Answer 10

the Power & Interest grid is a simpler model and is inferior as it doesn’t differentiate between positive and negative stakeholders

Question 11

what are the 4 sectors of a Power & interest grid

Answer 11

high power, interested people - these are the people you must fully engage and manage closely as they can help or harm you

High power, uninterested people - engage enough to keep satisfied - don’t antagonise blockers and try to encourage champions

Low power, interested people - keep adequately informed but monitor to ensure detractors don’t become organised in case they acquire more power

Low power, less interested people - expend minimum energy monitoring and on communication

Question 12

what are 3 actions taken during the planning communications stage

Answer 12

1. Determine appropriate communicate medium
2. Agree responsibilities and timing for communications
3. Create communications plan and link to other plans (e.g. information management, reporting)

Question 13

what are 3 actions taken during the manage (engage) stage

Answer 13

1. Minimise resistance and increase support
2. Influence, negotiate and deal with conflict
3. Exploit support and manage resistance to change.

Question 14

what are 6 benefits of stakeholder management

Answer 14

1. Increased support - stakeholders who have a positive view on the project can prove to be valuable allies in negotiation and conflict situations
2. Access to resources - project managers who actively manage stakeholder expectations have greater likelihood of gaining access to the key resources required to achieve the agreed project success criteria
3. Minimise resistance - reducing the level of negative interest in the project will allow the project manager to focus on factors that positively contribute to project delivery as opposed to worrying about negative distractions
4. Deliverable acceptance - stakeholders who have been fully consulted during the definition and execution of the project are more likely to feel that their needs have been considered and therefore more readily accept deliverables
5. Enhance and maintain communication - a safe and trusting climate amongst the stakeholder community will help to foster open and timely communication leading to better decision making within the project
6. Improve quality
   - ensuring that key stakeholders (e.g. end-users) are appropriately consulted will help to ensure that their needs are met and that project deliverables are indeed ‘fit for purpose’.