24 Apr Part 4: Stakeholder Plan For the project selected in Unit I, create an abbreviated stakeholder management plan. Your plan should follow the process

How to Plan for Stakeholder Management

The stakeholder management planning process contains the following steps:

1. Understand project framework and approach.

2. Obtain stakeholder information (review stakeholder register).

3. Understand project environment.

4. Consult historical organizational project artifacts.

5. Consult subject matter experts (been there, done that).

6. Perform stakeholder engagement analysis.

7. Synthesize stakeholder management planning information (to develop stakeholder engagement strategy and stakeholder management plan).

Figure 4.1 illustrates the process flow for stakeholder management planning.

Figure 4.1 Stakeholder Management Planning Process Flow

Understand Project Framework and Approach

The project management plan (PMP) provides the framework and approach for managing the entire project. It is an overarching plan that contains the rest of the core project plans including the stakeholder management plan.

First, you need to understand the big picture by understanding the project framework and approach for managing the project—that is, by learning about the project life cycle, project phases, and the processes and the work to be performed in each of those phases.

Second, for the stakeholder management planning process, you need to know how the work will be executed, how the change requests will be handled, that is, how the changes will be monitored and controlled, how the configuration management will be performed, how the integrity of the project planning baselines will be maintained, and what the needs and expectations as well as communication styles and requirements of the stakeholders are.

All this information is contained in various project plans that are part of the overarching PMP, which covers the execution, monitoring, and controlling methodologies for the entire project.

Obtain Stakeholder Information

You need to obtain stakeholder information that includes stakeholder attributes, such as who the stakeholders are, what their information needs are, and what their communication styles and preferences are. The stakeholder register provides this information, which is described in detail in Chapter 1, “Stakeholder Identification and Analysis.”

Understand the Project Environment

Projects are influenced by the environment in which they are undertaken. Thus, the project environment can influence the type and behavior of the stakeholders. This understanding is important to pursue appropriate stakeholder management steps that work best in the existing project environment. The key elements that constitute the project environment are outlined in Chapter 3, “Planning Communications Management.”

Consult Historical Organizational Project Artifacts

The historical organization project artifacts refer to an organization’s historical artifacts archived from other similar projects completed previously. According to Forsberg and Mooz, authors of Visualizing Project Management, “Successful project cycles, the key to achieving consistency from project to project, usually embody a strategy that works and lessons learned that serve as a template.” Thus, leveraging lessons learned, historical information, tools, and