Project Stakeholder Management - Identify Stakeholders

This process identifies people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by decision, activity, or outcome of the project, analyzing and documenting relevant information regarding their interests, involvement, interdependencies, influence, and potential impact on project success. It allows the project manager to identify the appropriate focus for each stakeholder or group of stakeholders.

Stakeholder = customer, sponsor, performing organization, public that positively or negatively affect the project.

Let's take a look at the Inputs, Tools and Techniques, and Outputs of this process.

1) Project Charter

• Provides information about internal and external parties related with the project and affected by the result or the execution of the project

2) Procurement Documents

• If a contract is involved that party is a stakeholder

3) Enterprise Environmental Factors

• May include:
• Organizational culture and structure
• Governmental or industry standards
• Global, regional or local trends, and practices and habits

4) Organizational Process Assets

• May include:
• Stakeholder register templates
• Lessons learned from previous projects
• Stakeholder registers from previous projects

5) Stakeholder Analysis

• A technique of systematically gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account throughout the project. 
• Multiple classification models
• Power/interest grid - grouping the stakeholders based on their level of authority (power) and their level of concern (interest) regarding the project outcomes
• Power/influence grid - grouping the stakeholders based on their level of authority (power) and their active involvement (influence) in the project
• Influence/impact grid - grouping the stakeholders based on their active involvement (influence) in the project and their ability to effect changes to the project's planning or execution (impact) 
• Salience mode - describes classes of stakeholders based on their power (ability to impose their will) urgency (need for immediate attention) and legitimacy (their involvement is appropriate) 

6) Expert Judgment

• Can be obtained through individual consultations or through a panel format to make sure that you have the comprehensive identification and listing of stakeholders

7) Meetings

• Help develop an understanding of major project stakeholders and analyze roles, interests, knowledge, and overall positions

8) Stakeholder Register

• Contains all details related to the identified stakeholders including:
• Identification information - name/position/contact information
• Assessment information - major requirements, expectations, phase with most interest
• Stakeholder classification - internal/external

Source: PMBOK 5th ed.