Identify and assess stakeholders to help establish an effective communication strategy

Concepts

1. Stakeholder Identification and Assessment

Stakeholder identification refers to the process of determining individuals or groups that are affected by your project. This exercise is essential for successful project outcomes as it enhances the alignment of expectations between the project manager and stakeholders.

The identification process commences with a stakeholder analysis. The analysis uses criteria such as power, interest, influence, and urgency. Stakeholders can then be divided into four categories:

Low power, less interested: These stakeholders require less engagement and minimal communication.

Low power, highly interested: These stakeholders require adequate communication and consultation.
High power, less interested: Ensure satisfactory communication with these stakeholders and do well to meet their needs.
High power, highly interested: These stakeholders must fully engage and be satisfied. High-quality, frequent communication is a must.

2. Creating an Effective Communication Strategy

Having identified the stakeholders and their needs, the next step is to establish an effective communication strategy. A comprehensive communication plan includes:

Communication goals: This involves identifying what you aim to accomplish with your communication strategy.
Target audience: Who are your key stakeholders? What are their communication preferences? Answering these questions helps target your communication effectively.

Key messages: It is crucial to identify the core messages you want to convey to your stakeholders.
Communication channels: This refers to the methods of communication such as meetings, emails, newsletters, etc., which you will use to interact with your stakeholders.
Success metrics: These help you measure the effectiveness of your communication strategy.

3. Examples of Stakeholder Identification and Communication Strategy

Consider a construction project managed by a PMI-CP certified project manager.

After conducting a stakeholder analysis, the project manager identifies the Construction Industry Regulatory Authority as one of the high power-highly interested stakeholders. A potential communication strategy might consist of bi-weekly progress report meetings to ensure that the construction project adheres to the regulations and standards. For the equipment suppliers, categorized as low power-highly interested stakeholders, a monthly email or newsletter summarizing the project’s progress and future requirements might suffice.

4. Benefits of Effective Communication Strategy

Having a well-structured communication strategy reduces confusion, manages expectations, and increases engagement with stakeholders. It also improves decision-making processes, enhances trust, and reduces potential project risks.

5. Conclusion

The role of effective communication in project management, particularly for the PMI-CP certification, cannot be overstated. Therefore, learning how to identify and assess stakeholders to establish an accurate communication strategy is vital. With sufficient practice and mastery, you can increase your chances of passing the PMI-CP examination and managing successful construction projects.

Answer the Questions in Comment Section

1) True/False: Identifying and assessing stakeholders is unnecessary for establishing an effective communication strategy.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: Understanding stakeholders and their needs is crucial for defining a communication strategy that ensures everyone is informed and engaged during all project phases.

2) Who are considered as stakeholders in a project?

a) Project team

b) Customers
c) Suppliers
d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Explanation: Stakeholders are individuals or groups who have a direct or indirect interest in the project. This includes the project team, customers, and suppliers.

3) True/False: All stakeholders have the same level of interest and influence in a project.

True

False

Answer: False

Explanation: Stakeholders’ interest and influence can vary. Some may have high influence but low interest, while others may have high interest but low influence.

4) Which method is not used for identifying stakeholders in a project?

a) Brainstorming
b) Interviews
c) Financial analysis

d) Questionnaires

Answer: c) Financial analysis

Explanation: While financial analysis is a critical project management process, it is not typically used for stakeholder identification.

5) Stakeholders analysis is important for:

a) Understanding stakeholders’ interests
b) Identifying stakeholder influence
c) Managing stakeholder expectations

d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Explanation: A stakeholder analysis provides insights into stakeholders’ interests, influence, and expectations, helping to design an effective communication strategy.

6) True/False: The project manager should only communicate with high-power, high-interest stakeholders.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: The project manager should communicate with all stakeholders, but the type, frequency, and depth of communication may vary based on their power and interest.

7) What is the purpose of establishing a stakeholder register?

a) To document project risks
b) To identify project tasks

c) To document stakeholder information
d) To identify project resources

Answer: c) To document stakeholder information

Explanation: A stakeholder register includes details about identified stakeholders, their interests, influence, contact information, and communication requirements.

8) True/False: The communication strategy should be determined before the stakeholders are identified and assessed.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: Stakeholder identification and analysis should precede communication strategy development to ensure communication is suited to stakeholders’ needs.

9) Is change management a part of an effective communication strategy?

a) Yes

b) No

Answer: a) Yes

Explanation: Effective communication strategy should involve change management as stakeholders need to be informed about any changes in the project.

10) ‘Stakeholder cube’ is a tool for:

a) Project management
b) Identifying stakeholders
c) Project scheduling

d) Risk management

Answer: b) Identifying stakeholders

Explanation: The stakeholder cube is a visual tool for identifying and understanding the level of interest and influence of stakeholders.

11) True/False: The communication strategy should only contain information about internal stakeholders.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: The communication strategy should include all stakeholders, both internal and external, since they all have a say in the project’s successful completion.

12) Stakeholder management plan is part of:

a) Project management plan
b) Resource management plan

c) Communication management plan
d) All of the above

Answer: d) All of the above

Explanation: A stakeholder management plan, which details how project stakeholders will be engaged, is a component of the project, resource, and communication management plans.