Stakeholder engagement is about involving people, who have an interest or ‘stake’ in the topic being investigated, in a timely manner, in order to maximize the chances of a successful project outcome. Too often the people involved in business change, new processes or system are consulted too late, or not at all during the development cycle and projects have failed or been costly to correct as a result. The stakeholder management process aims to:
- Identify the stakeholder community
- Plan the stakeholder involvement in line with project requirements
- Understand the role of the stakeholder(s) at individual, group and organisational level
- Canvas stakeholder views and opinions
- Facilitate interaction between stakeholders
- Elicit information on stakeholder needs
- Explore options for meeting those needs
- Understanding the pros and cons of options
- Investigate strategies for achieving solutions
- Disseminate and communicate information to the stakeholder community
- Develop awareness in the stakeholder community