Project Stakeholder Management - Control Stakeholder Engagement

This process monitors overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders. It will maintain or increase the efficiency and effectiveness of stakeholder engagement activities as the project evolves and its environment changes.

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

1) Project Management Plan

• Develops the stakeholder management plan and includes:
• The life cycle selected for the project and the processes that will be applied to each phase
• How work will be executed to accomplish the project objectives
• How human resources requirements will be met
• A change management plan that documents how changes will be monitored and controlled
• Needs and techniques for communication among stakeholders

2) Issue Log

• Updated as new issues are identified and current issues are resolved

3) Work Performance Data

• Primary observations and measurements identified during activities being performed to carry out the project work.
• Reported percentage of work completed
• technical performance measures
• start and finish dates of scheduled activities
• number of change requests
• number of defects
• actual costs
• actual durations

4) Project Documents

• May include:
• Project schedule
• Stakeholder register
• Issue log
• Change log
• Project communications

5) Information Management Systems

• Provides a standard tool for the project manager to capture, store, and distribute information to a stakeholders about the project cost, schedule progress, and performance
• Helps consolidate reports from several systems and facilitate report distributions

6) Expert Judgement

• Get feedback from the experts to help identify and list new stakeholders and reassess current stakeholders

7) Meetings

• Used to exchange and analyze about stakeholder engagement

8) Work Performance Information

• Performance data collected from various controlling processes analyzed in context, and integrated based on relationships across areas. 
• Deliverables
• Implementation status of change requests
• forecasted estimates to complete

9) Change Requests

• Recommend corrective action 
• Recommend preventative action

10) Project Management Plan Updates

• May include:
• Change management plan
• Communications management plan
• Cost management plan
• Human resource management plan
• Procurement management plan
• Quality management plan
• Requirements management plan
• Risk management plan
• Schedule management plan
• Scope management plan
• Stakeholder management plan

11) Project Documents Updates

• Stakeholder register
• Issue log

12) Organizational Process Assets Updates

• Stakeholder notifications
• Project reports
• Project presentations
• Project records
• Feedback from stakeholders
• Lessons learned documentation

Source: PMBOK 5th ed. 

Project Stakeholder Management - Manage Stakeholder Engagement

This process communicates and works with stakeholders to meet their needs/expectations, address issues as they occur, and foster appropriate stakeholder engagement in project activities throughout the project life cycle. It allows the project manager to increase support and minimize resistance from stakeholders, significantly increase the changes to achieve project success.

Some of the activities you will do in this process would include:

• Engage stakeholders at appropriate project stages to obtain or confirm their continued commitment to success of the project
• Manage stakeholder expectations
• Address potential concerned that have not yet become issues
• Clarifying and resolving issues that have been identified

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

1) Stakeholder Management Plan

• Provides guidance on how the various stakeholders can be best involved in the project
• Describes methods and technologies used for stakeholder communication

2) Communications Management Plan

• Provides guidances and information on managing stakeholder expectations and includes:
• Stakeholder communication requirements
• Information to be communicated
• Reasons for distributions of information
• Person or groups who will receive information
• Escalation process

3) Change Log

• Documents changes that occur during the project (Time, cost, risk) 

4) Organizational Process Assets

• May include:
• Organizational communication requirements
• Issue management procedures
• Change control procedures
• Historical information about previous projects

5) Communication Methods

• Based on the stakeholders' communication requirements, you will decide how, when and which of these communication methods are to be used

6) Interpersonal Skills

• Building trust
• Resolving conflict
• Active listening
• Overcoming resistance to change

7) Management Skills

• Facilitate consensus toward project objectives
• Influence people to support the project
• Negotiate agreements to satisfy the project needs
• Modify organizational behavior to accept the project outcomes

8) Issue Log

• Update the log with new issues and current issues are resolved

9) Change Requests

• Change may be to a product or project 
• Include corrective or preventive actions to the project itself
• The interaction with the impacted stakeholders

10) Project Management Plan Updates

• Stakeholder Management Plan - when new or changed stakeholders requirements are identified

11) Project Documents Updates

• Stakeholder Register - when information about stakeholders change, new ones identified or existing ones are removed. 

12) Organizational Process Assets Updates

• May include:
• Stakeholder notifications
• Project reports
• Project presentations
• Project records
• Feedback from stakeholders
• Lessons learned documentation

Source: PMBOK 5th ed. 

Project Stakeholder Management - Plan Stakeholder Management

This process develops appropriate management strategies to effectively engage stakeholders based on the analysis of their needs, interests and potential impact on project success. It provides a clear, actionable plan to interact with project stakeholders to support the project's interest.

It identifies how the project will affect stakeholders that allows you to develop ways to engage them in the project, to manage their expectations and to achieve project goals.

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

1) Project Management Plan

• Includes:
• Life cycle selected for the project and the processes that will be applied to each phase
• Description of how work will be executed 
• Description of human resources requirements that will be met and how roles and responsibilities, reporting relationships, and staffing management will be addressed and structured
• Change management plan that documents how changes will be monitored and controlled
• Need and techniques for communication among stakeholders

2) Stakeholder Register

• Provides information needed to plan appropriate ways to engage the stakeholders

3) Enterprise Environmental Factors

• All factors are used as inputs to this process because the management of stakeholders should be adapted to the project environment. 

4) Organizational Process Assets

• May include:
• Lessons learned database
• Historical information

5) Expert Judgment 

• Help decide the level of engagement required at each stage of the project from each stakeholder. 

6) Meetings

• Held with experts to define the required engagement levels of all stakeholders

7) Analytical Techniques

• Current engagement needs to be compared to planned engagement levels in order to have success and can be classified by the following:
• Unaware 
• Resistant
• Neutral
• Supportive
• Leading
• This engagement is documented using Stakeholders Engagement Assessment Matrix. Gaps can be identified and then action can be taken to close the gaps of engagement. 

8) Stakeholder Management Plan

• Identifies the management strategies required to effectively engage stakeholders and can provide the following:
• Desired and current engagement levels of key stakeholders
• Scope and impact of change to stakeholders
• Identified interrelationships and potential overlap between stakeholders
• Stakeholder communication requirements
• Information to be distributed to stakeholders
• Reason for the distribution of that information
• Time frame and frequency for the distributions
• Method for updating and refining the stakeholder management plan

9) Project Documents Updates

• May include:
• Project schedule
• Stakeholder register

Source: PMBOK 5th ed. 

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. 

Project Stakeholder Management - Overview

This knowledge area includes processes required to:

•  identify the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by the project
•  to analyze stakeholder expectations and their impact on the project
•  to develop appropriate management strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders in project decisions and execution 
• focuses on continuous communication with stakeholders to understand their needs and expectations, issues, conflict and foster engagement 

It covers four processes that include:

1. Identify Stakeholders - identifying the people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by decisions, activity, or outcome of the project as well as analyzing and documenting relevant information regarding their interests, involvement, interdependencies, influence, and potential impact on project success. 
2. Plan Stakeholder Management - develops appropriate management strategies to effectively engage stakeholders throughout the project life cycle, based on the analysis of their needs, interests, and potential impact on project success
3. Manage Stakeholder Engagement - Communicate and work with stakeholders to meet their needs/expectations, address issues as the occur, and foster appropriate stakeholder engagement in project activities throughout the project life cycle. 
4. Control Stakeholder Engagement - monitors overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders. 

Source: PMBOK 5th ed. 

Project Procurement Management - Close Procurements

This process completes each procurement. It documents agreements and related documentation for future reference. It involves administrative activities such as finalizing open claims, updating records to reflect final results and archiving this information.

Early termination of a contract is a special case of procurement closure that can result from a mutual agreement, default of one party, or convenience of the buyer if provides for in the contract.

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

1) Project Management Plan

• Contains procurement management plan which describes the details and guidelines for closing out procurements

2) Procurement Documents

• Documents are collected, indexed, and filed. 

3) Procurement Audits

• A structured review of the procurement process originating from the Plan Procurement Management process through Control Procurements. 
• It identifies successes and failures that warrant recognition for other procurement contracts

4) Procurement Negotiations 

• Final goal is equitable settlement of all outstanding issues, claims, and disputes. 

5) Records Management System

• Used by the project manager to mange contract and procurement documentation and records. 

6) Closed Procurements

• The buyer provides the seller with formal written notices that the contract has been completed. 

7) Organizational Process Assets Updates

• Procurement file
• Deliverable acceptance
• Lessons learned documentation

Source: PMBOK 5th ed. 

Project Procurement Management - Control Procurements

This process manages procurement relationships, monitors contract performance, and makes changes an corrections to contracts as appropriate. It ensures that both the seller's and buyer's performance meets procurement requirements according to the terms of the legal agreement.

Includes application of the appropriate project management processes to the contractual relationship and integration of the outputs from these processes into the overall management of the project and may include:

• Direct and Manage Project work - authorize the seller's work at the right time
• Control Quality - inspect and verify the adequacy of the seller's product
• Perform Integrated Change Control - assure changes are approved
• Control Risks - ensure that risks are mitigated

You also have a financial management component that involves monitoring payments to the seller. You also review and document how well a seller is performing or has performed based on the contract and establishes corrective actions when needed. You may capture details for managing an early terminations of the contracted work in accordance with the termination clause of the agreement. 

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

1) Project Management Plan

• Describes how the procurement processes will be managed from developing documentation through contract closure

2) Procurement Documents

• Contain complete supporting records for administration of the procurement processes (contract awards and statement of work) 

3) Agreements 

• Understandings between parties, including the duties of each party

4) Approved Change Requests

• Can include modifications to the terms and conditions of the contract (SOW, pricing, descriptions, results etc.) 

5) Work Performance Reports

• May include:
• Technical documentation
• Work performance information

6) Work Performance Data

• May include:
• the extent to which quality standards are being satisfied
• costs that have been incurred or committed
• identification for the seller invoices that have been paid

7) Contract Change Control Systems

• Defines the process by which the procurement can be modified (paperwork, tracking systems, dispute resolution procedures and approval levels) 

8) Procurement Performance Reviews

• A structured review of the seller's progress to deliver project scope and quality, within cost and on schedule, as compared to the contract.

9) Inspections and Audits

• Verifies compliance in the seller's work processes or deliverables

10) Performance Reporting

• Work performance data and reports supplied by sellers are evaluated against the agreement requirements. 

11) Payment Systems

• Payments to seller are processed by the accounts payable system of the buyer after work has be authorized by the team. Document these payments. 

12) Claims Administration

• Any changes where the buyer and seller don't agree on compensation for the change are contested changes. 
• Also known as claims, disputes or appeals
• If not resolved they are handled by alternative dispute resolutions (ADR) 

13) Records Management Systems 

• Used by the project manager to manage contract and procurement documentation and records. It contains a retrievable archive of contract documents and correspondence. 

14) Work Performance Information

• Provides a basis for identification of current or potential problems to support later claims or new procurements. 
• Includes reporting compliances of contracts. 

15) Change Requests

• May include:
• Cost baselines
• schedule baselines
• procurement management plan
• Unresolved changes can include direction provided by the buyer or actions taken by the seller which the other party considers a constructive change to the contract

16) Project Management Plan Updates

• Procurement management plan
• Schedule baseline
• Cost baseline

17) Project Documents Updates

• Procurement document changes
• procurement contract with all supporting schedules
• requested unapproved contract changes
• approved change requests

18) Organizational Process Assets Updates

• Correspondence 
• Payment schedule and requests
• Seller performance evaluation documentation

Source: PMBOK 5th ed.