13.2 Plan Stakeholder Management
Process Definition
Project stakeholders all have needs that must be managed. For example, customers and sponsors are interested in making sure their requirements are being met on time, finance teams are concerned about staying within budget, and the executing team wants clear direction and feedback. Managing those diverse needs requires a diverse set of approaches, which should be laid out the the stakeholder management plan.
Process Assessment
This is where I think the PMBOK is starting to get a little academic. There is no reason this process could not have remained as part of the communications area. Stakeholder management is all about communications, both receiving and transmitting. A good communications plan will satisfy this process.
Figure 27. Plan Stakeholder Management: Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs. Reprinted from "A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), 5th Edition" by Project Management Institute, 2013, p. 399. Copyright 2013 by Project Management Institute, Inc. Reprinted without permission.
- Stakeholder Register: This communications plan contains a stakeholder register, an input to the "Plan Stakeholder Management" process. It provides information about the roles, sensitivities and success criteria perceptions of the key stakeholders.
- Analytical Techniques: This paper discusses analytical techniques for planning stakeholder management, including the states of engagement: Unaware, resistant, neutral, supporting and leading.
- Stakeholder Management Plan: This homework assignment presents a stakeholder management plan, the output to this process. It includes guidance for communications content, frequency and information sources.