This document discusses stakeholder management for software projects. It defines stakeholders as individuals or organizations impacted by or impacting the project. Stakeholder analysis involves grouping stakeholders by their influence, interest, support, and commitment to identify their perspectives. It is important to incorporate stakeholder feedback, as projects are vehicles for change. Stakeholder commitment grows over time from unawareness to buy-in as their understanding increases. Project managers must manage both requirements and expectations, which may differ between stakeholders. They should actively monitor expectations and work to shape them through communication. Failing to adequately consider stakeholders and their expectations is a common source of project failure.

1. Software Project Management
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Stakeholder Management

2. Who/what are Project Stakeholders?

3. Who are the Project Stakeholders?
• Stakeholders are those individuals or
organizations who are impacted by (or have an
impact on) the project, their perspectives need to
be taken into account in order for a project to be
successful
• Stakeholders can have positive or negative views
regarding a given project….they can gain or lose
from the success or failure of the project
They have Skin in the Game!
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4. Stakeholders
• Performing Stakeholder Analysis and Mapping
• Different approaches to grouping stakeholders:
– Ex:
• Influence
• Interest
• Resistance
• Support
• Commitment
• Engagement
• Incorporate stakeholder perspectives into the project
and deliverables
After all, we are talking about change!

5. Denial
Resistance
Resistance
Exploration
Support
TIME
The Change Process
Support
for
Change
Projects are the instruments/vehicle of change.
Change need not always be painful!

6. The Road to
Stakeholder Commitment
Degree of
support for the
project
Unaware Confusion
Negative
Perception
Decision to
not get involved
Involvement
aborted
AWARENESS
UNDERSTANDING
BUY-IN
COMMITMENT
Time

7. Stakeholder Analysis can measure the degree
the Stakeholder embraces change in terms of:
• Influence – Power the stakeholders have that can
affect project outcomes as measured by:
– Formal Influence – Administrative authority conferred
by the organization
– Informal Influence – Unofficial leadership conferred by
peers or other affected parties
• Support – Approve or agree with the change as
measures by:
– Commitment – Degree to which stakeholders are
available to participate during the project
– Engagement – Willingness stakeholders have to
participate in the change

8. You heard it here:
Pay a great deal or attention to your
Stakeholders.
Regardless of the size/scope of the project,
often the biggest obstacle to an IT Project’s
success may not be the technology, but one,
project teams have to make an extra effort to
control: The Human element.

9. There are Project Requirements, and
then there are EXPECTATIONS!
• Different stakeholders may have different
expectations -- they may compete:
• Sales
• Marketing
• Production
• Finance
• To be successful, the PM must be able to
manage all expectations
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10. Project Requirements vs. Project
expectations
• Requirements* usually more tangible, traceable,
measurable, less open to interpretation.
– Example: when customer selects “View Balance” they
must be able to look at their latest account balance
• Expectations less tangible, more open to
interpretation, less measurable.
– Example: Speed of Delivery, Quality, Value for money etc
• The project Manager is responsible for managing both.
* - Beware of opposing requirements

11. EXPECTATIONS Model
Set, Monitor, Influence
• SET
– How are Expectation Set?
– Sample Dialogue
• Customer: “Will it take much effort to change
the sequence and content of the Income
Statement produced by the End of Month
Process?”
• Consultant: “Not a problem!”
• Customers expectation takeaway??????

12. • MONITOR
• Monitoring Captured Expectations
– Actively search for expectations
– Testing
– Listen to your clients (and stakeholders), hear
them, understand them…talking to you….talking
to someone else (don’t eavesdrop)
• What did they say?…What didn’t they say?
• What are their favorite topics?
• What do they do…action speaks louder than words..
EXPECTATIONS Model
Set, Monitor, Influence

13. • INFLUENCE
• Influencing Expectations
– Shaping
• Process:
– Determine the expectation
– Determine the source
– Go to work..communicate
EXPECTATIONS Model
Set, Monitor, Influence

14. Expectations beyond the Product or
Deliverables
1. To be taken seriously
2. Anticipation of my needs
3. Explanation in my terms
4. Basic Courtesies
5. To be informed of the options
6. Not to be passed around
7. To be listened to and heard
8. Dedicated attention
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15. Expectations beyond the Product or
Deliverables
9. Knowledgeable help
10. Friendliness
11. To be kept informed
12. Follow-through
13. Honesty
14. Feedback
15. Professional Service
16. Empathy
17. Respect
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16. What are some sources for Project
Failure?
• Trying to put 10 pounds of project through a 5
pound pipeline
• Expecting Perfection
• Mistaking 1 + 1 for 2
• Forgetting Something
• Micromanaging trees while the forest burns
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17. What are some sources for Project
Failure?
• Creating a Parkinson’s Law environment…
“Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”
• Not using “good enough” resources
• Overusing great resources
• Working on the wrong project
• Multi-tasking, multi-tasking, multi-tasking, etc.
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