Having identified a preliminary list of stakeholders (organizations and people that hurt, help, or kill your program) in the pre-program preparations phase, it is now time to devote some thought to how you are going to deal with them. Do not for-get that some stakeholders could be less than friendly just because you ignored or did not involve them. A plan to manage these diverse stakeholders is essential and is done in the program stakeholder management plan (Figure 5.5) process in the Standard for Program Management—Second Edition (2008).
Program Stakeholder Management Plan Instructions
The program stakeholder management plan includes the following:
Purpose: A brief introductory statement defining the purpose of the plan, such as:
The program stakeholder management plan defines the program’s key stakeholders and identifies their expectations and concerns for the pro-gram. Also, it ensures their commitment and support of the propro-gram.
It is essential to understand and address the stakeholders’ expectations and concerns to leverage them to support the program’s business case and its continuation throughout its life cycle.
The program stakeholder management plan does not need to be an exten-sive document. It needs to address key stakeholders, their information needs, concerns, expectations, and commitment to the program. Examples of pos-sible program stakeholders follow the template. During the initial phases of the program, it serves to win support for the business case so the program may be initiated. Later, it serves to ensure that stakeholder commitment to the program remains strong.
The Program Setup Phase 73
This plan should identify how the program will impact the stakeholders, the program’s effect on the organization’s culture and current major issues, and its likelihood to meet resistance and barriers to change. The plan provides a communications strategy for engaging the stakeholders, managing their expectations, and improving their acceptance and support of program objec-tives. Steps to consider in preparing the plan follow the template.
The plan also should relate to the program communications manage-ment plan so collectively these plans facilitate a clear understanding of issues, explain program goals and objectives, and target the delivery of key messages and the engagement of key stakeholders when required.
In the Project Management Institute’s Standard for Program Management—
Second Edition (2008), the program stakeholder management plan is an out-put of the plan program stakeholder management process. It is an inout-put to the following processes:
Updates to the plan may occur from the identify program stakeholders process.
Program Management Life Cycle: Program Setup Plan Program
Figure 5.5 Program stakeholder management plan.
74 Implementing Program Management: Templates for Success
Stakeholder analysis chart: This chart is usually implemented as a spreadsheet, which requires the name, contact information, area of concern, level of involve-ment, primary concerns, requirements, and expectations of the responsible team member for every key program stakeholder. Its purpose is to assess each stakeholder’s power, interests, expectations, and concerns. Recognize, as this chart is prepared, that stakeholders may have different areas of interest in the program, and these interests may change over the life cycle of the program.
Stakeholder communications approach: This section describes the methods to be used to communicate with stakeholders. An expanded version is included in the program communications plan. Here, the emphasis is on ensuring that the stakeholders are supportive of the program’s mission, vision, goals, and objectives.
It also should provide a strategy to engage each affected stakeholder, manage his or her expectations, and improve his or her acceptance of program objectives.
Stakeholder commitment: This section describes the approach the team will use to ensure stakeholder commitment to the program.
Approvals: This section contains the written approval of the program stakeholder management plan by the program sponsor, program manager, program man-agement office, members of the governance board, and other stakeholders.
Program Stakeholder Management Plan Template
<Insert Program Name>
Program Stakeholder Management Plan
Program name:
Program manager: PM’s email address here as a hyperlink Program sponsor:
Actual start date:
Approved end date:
Program no.:
Revision history:
Business unit:
A. PurPoSe
A brief introductory statement defining the purpose of the program stakeholder management plan, such as:
The program stakeholder management plan defines the program’s key stakeholders and identifies their expectations and concerns for the program.
Also, it ensures their commitment and support of the program. It is essential to understand and address the stakeholders’ expectations and concerns to
The Program Setup Phase 75
leverage them to support the program’s business case and its continuation throughout its life cycle.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
B. STAkeholDer AnAlySIS ChArT
This is a spreadsheet that contains the necessary information for each identified program stakeholder. See the accompanying “Stakeholder Management Matrix.”
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
C. STAkeholDer CoMMunICATIonS APProACh
This section describes the methods that will be used to communicate with the various stakeholders associated with the program.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
D. STAkeholDer CoMMITMenT
This section describes the approach the team will use to ensure stakeholder commitment to the program.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
e. APProvAlS
This section contains the written approval of the program stakeholder manage-ment plan by the program sponsor, program manager, program managemanage-ment office, members of the governance board, and other stakeholders.
SignatureSand date approval obtained
Program manager ____________________________________
Program sponsor ____________________________________
Program management office director ____________________________________
Governance board chairperson ____________________________________
Governance board member 1 ____________________________________
Governance board member 2 ____________________________________
Governance board member N ____________________________________
Stakeholder 1 ____________________________________
Stakeholder 2 ____________________________________
Stakeholder N ____________________________________
76 Implementing Program Management: Templates for Success
Stakeholder Management Matrix Stakeholder NameContact Information Area or Phase of Concern Level of Involvement or Participation (Low, Moderate, or High) Primary Concerns or IssuesSpecific RequirementsExpectationsResponsible Team Member
The Program Setup Phase 77
Considerations
Remember that stakeholders may be internal to the performing organization or external to it.
Examples of internal stakeholders include:
Performing organization:
◾ The group that will perform the work of the
pro-gram through its various projects.
Program director or executive sponsor:
◾ The person who has executive
ownership of the program and its policies and is responsible for creating an environment for program success. This person may be part of the selection committee for the program and may provide input as the program’s business case is developed and the program charter is prepared.
Program management office:
◾ May provide tools and templates to assist in
identifying stakeholders and may be responsible for preparing the plan.
Program governance board:
◾ Will be involved in the program once it is
ini-tiated and until it is complete, and may wish to review the plan to ensure it meets expectations and identifies the key stakeholders.
Program sponsor:
◾ The person who provides funding for the program and is its champion.
Portfolio manager:
◾ The individual responsible for assisting the organization’s board responsible for program selection, prioritization, and continuation.
Program manager:
◾ The individual responsible for managing the program.
Various project managers:
◾ The individuals working in the program
respon-sible for managing the projects within the program.
Program and project team members:
◾ The individuals responsible for
per-forming project and program activities.
Examples of external stakeholders include:
Regulatory groups