Stakeholders

• Stakeholders refer to entities or individuals who directly or indirectly impact or get impacted by an IT solution or system. These could be users, developers, project managers, organisations, third-party service providers, etc.
• Recognizing stakeholders is crucial because the project’s success largely depends on meeting their needs and expectations.
• Stakeholders can be categorised into two groups – primary and secondary. Primary stakeholders directly interact with the system (like users), while secondary stakeholders indirectly interact (like the IT department managing the system).
• One essential aspect of analysing the problem is identifying the different stakeholders and understanding their expectations, interests, and potential influence on the project.
• Stakeholder analysis involves documenting key stakeholders, their needs, expectations, potential influence, as well as the impact of the project on them. This is crucial in shaping the project’s direction and end goals.
• Interviews, surveys, observation, and document analysis are some methods used to identify stakeholders and their requirements.
• For every stakeholder, record their potential relationship with the proposed solution, their influence level (high, medium, low), their stance on the project (supportive, neutral, resistant), and how these aspects can impact the project’s progression.
• In addition to identifying stakeholders, it’s important to manage stakeholder relationships throughout the project life cycle. This can involve regular communication, addressing concerns, and updating them about progress.
• Conflicts among stakeholder interests may arise. Therefore, project managers need to employ conflict management strategies. Balancing stakeholder interests may require prioritisation based on criteria such as stakeholders’ influence, dependency, and urgency of needs.
• Stakeholder participation is paramount in the project’s design and testing stages. Their feedback can be invaluable in enhancing the system’s usability and functionality.
• Lastly, remember that stakeholders’ needs and expectations may change over the course of the project. Regular stakeholder analysis updates are pivotal to ensure that the project remains aligned with its users’ and interested parties’ expectations.