Manage Stakeholder Engagement

The key benefit of Manage Stakeholder Engagement process involves seeking extended support from stakeholders for the projects success. This process of communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs / expectations, address issues as they occur and build appropriate stakeholder engagement in project activities throughout the life-cycle of the project is termed as Management Stakeholder Engagement process.

Activities involved in Manage Stakeholder Engagement process are:

• Ensure commitment of stakeholders at all stages of the project

• Ensure stakeholder expectations are met. The tools used could be negotiations and communication

• Anticipate future problems and address potential concerns throughout the life-cycle of the project

A few critical points of Manage Stakeholder Engagement includes:

• Stakeholder influences are the highest at the start of the project and as the project progresses the influences continue to reduce

• Project sponsors assistance to be taken by the project manager whenever required

Inputs To Manage Stakeholder Engagement

It includes Stakeholder Management Plan, Communications Management Plan, Change-log and Organizational Process Assets. The communications management plan includes a documentation of stakeholders needs for communication requirements. Every stakeholder needs information for a specific purpose and thus, the formats, level of detail, content and language might need some alteration from stakeholder to stakeholder. All of this need to be taken into consideration as inputs when Managing Stakeholder Engagement.

Tools and techniques used to Manage Stakeholder Engagement include effective communication methods such as the use of email, meetings, process updates through the intranet, war rooms, among others. Project manager uses effective interpersonal skills including active listening, building trust, resolving conflict and overcoming resistance to change. Like interpersonal skills, the project manager also requires Management Skills such as effective facilitation of consensus towards achieving project objectives, influencing people to support the project, negotiate agreements to satisfy project needs and help modify organizational behavior to accept project outcomes.

Outputs Of Manage Stakeholder Engagement

Issue Logs, Change Requests, Project Management Plan Updates and Project Document Updates are common outputs. Organizational Process Assets get updated with additional information like:

1. Stakeholder notification:

It is important to notify stakeholders about project updates, any issue closures, etc.

 2. Project reports:

Project reports such as status dashboards, lessons learned, issue logs, etc are to be included.

3. Project presentations:

Presentations made formally or informally also form as outputs of manage stakeholder engagement.

4. Project records:

It includes correspondence, memos, meeting minutes, etc are included in project records.