HKSM
Identify Stakeholders
A continuous process to find all individuals and organizations affected by the project, and to analyze and record details about their interests, roles, relationships, influence, and how they could help or hinder project success.
Key Points
- Performed early and repeated regularly throughout the project and each phase.
- Creates and updates the stakeholder register with interests, involvement, interdependencies, influence, and potential impact.
- Supports prioritization and tailoring of stakeholder engagement strategies in later processes.
- Uses techniques like stakeholder analysis and mapping (e.g., power/interest grids, salience models).
Example
On an enterprise HR system project, the PM lists employees, HR leadership, IT operations, the software vendor, the union, and a data privacy officer. The team documents each party's interest, power, communication needs, and how they might affect success. When a new compliance advisor joins, the register is updated and their influence and information needs are analyzed.
PMP Example Question
During execution, a regulator introduces new reporting rules and assigns a liaison to your project. What should the project manager do first?
- Update the stakeholder register with the new liaison and analyze their influence and impact.
- Submit a change request to immediately revise the schedule.
- Begin sending weekly status reports to the liaison.
- Escalate to the sponsor to secure additional budget.
Correct Answer: A — Identify Stakeholders
Explanation: When a new stakeholder appears, the first step is to identify and analyze them and document the information in the stakeholder register before adjusting plans or communications.
