What is a stakeholder register? | #40 Getting started with project management

Project design and implementation is a complex process requiring the Project Manager to handle many aspects of the project. One of these concerns is the identification and management of stakeholders, i.e., people who work on the success of the project as well as others who may get affected by it. Such a list is the stakeholder register and today, we’ll define it and show a few handy tips to draft a good one.

What is a stakeholder register? – table of contents:

1. Introduction
2. Why create a stakeholder register?
3. Who to include in the stakeholder register?
4. How to prepare a stakeholder register?
5. Summary

Introduction

Nowadays, more and more projects are being implemented in an international environment. This makes not only the number of stakeholders increase, but also their group becomes more diverse. Therefore, for a project to be successful, the Project Manager must identify the needs of individual and group stakeholders, and learn how to manage them according to their requirements.

Why create a stakeholder register?

The stakeholder register has several important purposes. First, it allows you to identify all project stakeholders who can influence the project’s course and results. Second, it enables you to determine the degree of involvement and influence of each stakeholder on the project. Third, its data can help you to develop a stakeholder management strategy that will effectively address their needs and interests.

Who to include in the stakeholder register?

The stakeholder register should include information about any person, group or organization that may affect the project in any way. These include:

• Project team members,
• Management of the organization,
• The local community, if the project is implemented in or affects public space,
• Investors,
• Customers,
• Suppliers,
• Business partners,
• Representatives of the local government, if it is necessary to involve them or obtain permits for activities,
• Representatives of NGOs that can use the results developed in the project for the benefit of the community,
• Unrelated employees may get affected by the project, due to for instance workplace reorganization.

How to prepare a stakeholder register?

The Project Manager should first and foremost identify project stakeholders and collect data focusing mainly on them:

• needs,
• expectations,
• business,
• level of commitment to the project, and
• impact on the project.

The Project Manager should then evaluate and classify the stakeholders taking into account their role in the project. For example, the project team will be more important than employees who are not directly involved in the tasks. It is also worth noting the potential risks and opportunities that accompany their involvement in the project.

After collecting and evaluating the data, the Project Manager moves on to a critical step: devising a stakeholder register document. It should contain up-to-date information about each individual or group stakeholder. It needs constant updating on an ongoing basis as the project progresses and the situation changes.

The final step is to develop a stakeholder management strategy. The Project Manager should determine the following:

• How and how often will it communicate with stakeholders?
• What actions will he take to meet their needs?
• How will it minimize risks and take advantage of opportunities?

Summary

The stakeholder register is an indispensable project management tool. It allows the Project Manager to recognize project stakeholders, assess their influence and importance, and at the same time meet their needs and expectations. Preparation of the stakeholder register should remain a key priority during the project’s first steps following the project charter to avoid problems at later stages of the project.

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