How can you create a stakeholder management framework that adapts to change?

As a program manager, you need to manage the expectations and interests of various stakeholders who may have different perspectives, priorities, and preferences. Stakeholders can influence the success or failure of your program, so you need to communicate effectively, align their goals, and address their concerns. But what if your program faces changes due to internal or external factors? How can you create a stakeholder management framework that adapts to change and keeps your stakeholders engaged and supportive? In this article, we will explore some steps and tips to help you achieve this.

1 Identify your stakeholders

The first step is to identify who your stakeholders are and what their roles, responsibilities, and interests are in relation to your program. You can use tools such as stakeholder maps, matrices, or registers to categorize and prioritize your stakeholders based on their power, influence, impact, and interest. This will help you understand who you need to focus on, who you need to keep informed, and who you need to consult or collaborate with.

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2 Analyze your stakeholders

The next step is to analyze your stakeholders' needs, expectations, and concerns. You can use techniques such as interviews, surveys, focus groups, or workshops to gather information and feedback from your stakeholders. You can also use tools such as SWOT analysis, PESTLE analysis, or force field analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that affect your stakeholders and your program. This will help you understand how your stakeholders perceive your program, what their motivations and challenges are, and what benefits or risks they associate with it.

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3 Plan your stakeholder engagement

The third step is to plan how you will engage your stakeholders throughout the program lifecycle. You can use tools such as stakeholder engagement plans, communication plans, or RACI matrices to define the objectives, strategies, and actions for each stakeholder group. You can also use tools such as stakeholder analysis grids, stakeholder influence diagrams, or power-interest grids to determine the level and frequency of engagement for each stakeholder. This will help you establish the roles, responsibilities, and expectations for your stakeholder communication and involvement.

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4 Execute your stakeholder engagement

The fourth step is to execute your stakeholder engagement plan and communicate effectively with your stakeholders. You can use tools such as newsletters, reports, presentations, or dashboards to deliver relevant, timely, and consistent information to your stakeholders. You can also use tools such as meetings, workshops, forums, or feedback sessions to facilitate dialogue, collaboration, and feedback from your stakeholders. This will help you build trust, rapport, and support from your stakeholders and address any issues or concerns they may have.

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5 Monitor and evaluate your stakeholder engagement

The fifth step is to monitor and evaluate your stakeholder engagement performance and outcomes. You can use tools such as surveys, interviews, feedback forms, or metrics to measure the satisfaction, engagement, and alignment of your stakeholders. You can also use tools such as lessons learned, best practices, or case studies to capture the successes, challenges, and learnings from your stakeholder engagement activities. This will help you assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of your stakeholder engagement and identify areas for improvement.

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6 Adapt to change and manage expectations

The final step is to adapt to change and manage expectations when your program faces changes due to internal or external factors. You can use tools such as change management plans, risk management plans, or contingency plans to anticipate, assess, and mitigate the impact of change on your program and your stakeholders. You can also use tools such as stakeholder feedback loops, change requests, or change logs to communicate, consult, and negotiate the change with your stakeholders. This will help you maintain the alignment, support, and trust of your stakeholders and ensure the delivery of your program objectives.

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Ruth Tank

Director @ Epion Consulting | Business Change Consulting | Sustainability | Strategy & Innovation | The Boardroom Founding Member
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Of all the sections in this article, this one is the most important. Why? Because it's relatively easy to find a template and complete your stakeholder analysis. However, I've never worked on a project where all of my initial assumptions were correct; and I've worked on many where the project assets (RAID, RAG, RACI, Power/Interest chart, PCT triangle etc) were created and then used in project meetings to say, "look at us aren't we brilliant - nothing to see here". Project assets are only useful if you use them to generate action, make decisions and communicate relevant information. If a stakeholder analysis never changes, it's not being used right. And that is where no number of brilliant templates will compensate for experience.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Bernard Feehan

Project and Business Change Consultant
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Just think about the end goal and work back to the finance investment by stakeholders Engagement Quality control standards expected of performance

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How can you create a stakeholder management framework that adapts to change?

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3

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5

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1 Identify your stakeholders

2 Analyze your stakeholders

3 Plan your stakeholder engagement

4 Execute your stakeholder engagement

5 Monitor and evaluate your stakeholder engagement

6 Adapt to change and manage expectations

7 Here’s what else to consider

Program Management

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How can you create a stakeholder management framework that adapts to change?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Identify your stakeholders

2 Analyze your stakeholders

3 Plan your stakeholder engagement

4 Execute your stakeholder engagement

5 Monitor and evaluate your stakeholder engagement

6 Adapt to change and manage expectations

7 Here’s what else to consider

Program Management

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