Involving the Right People In Projects Text by Stanley E. Portny, Samuel J Mantel, Jack R. Meredith, Scott M. Shaffer, Margaret M. Sutton with Brian Kramer. PowerPoints by Christine Mooney 9-1

Engaging A Project Audience A project audience is any person or group that supports, is affected by, or is interested in a project. Knowing a project’s audience can help a project manager to plan if, and when to involve them. Project audiences are also known as stakeholder lists and a distribution list. Each of these terms only addresses some of the people. Team members are people whose work is directed by the project manager. All team members are part of the project audience. 9-2

Using Categories Project managers can develop a list by using hierarchical groupings of categories that cover the major areas from which an audience can be identified: a.Internal audiences b.Upper management c.Requester d.Team members e.Project manager 9-3

External Audiences Project managers should also identify groups or people outside the organization. Here are some examples: a.Clients b.Collaborators c.Vendors d.Regulators e.The public 9-4

Audience Lists To ensure an audience list is useful and complete, project managers should consider some of the following: a.Identify each participant by position description and name. b.Speak with a wide range of people. c.Include team members functional managers. d.Continue to add and remove names throughout the project. 9-5

Audience list Template An audience list template is a predesigned audience list that contains audiences typically included for similar projects. When using a template, a project manager should keep the following in mind: a.Develop templates for frequently performed tasks as well as for entire projects. b.Focus on position description rather than name of prior audience. c.Develop and modify audience list templates from previous projects that actually worked. d.Use templates as starting points, not ending points. 9-6

Identifying Drivers, Supporters & Observers After determining the project audience, a project manager has to decide how and when to involve them: a.Drivers – people who have some say in defining the results that project is to achieve. b.Supporters – the people who help carry out the project. c.Observers – people who are interested in the activities and results of the project. 9-7

Involving drivers Drivers should be involved in the project from start to finish: Conceive phase – heavy involvement. Identify as many as possible. Define phase – moderate to heavy involvement. Consult with them during this phase to be sure their needs are met. Start phase – moderate involvement. Introduce them to the project team. Perform phase – moderate involvement. Keep them informed of progress and accomplishments. Close phase – heavy involvement. Have them assess results and determine whether expectations were met. 9-8

Involving Supporters Supporters should be involved from start to finish: Conceive phase – moderate involvement. Have them assess the feasibility of meeting goals. Define phase – heavy involvement. They are the major contributors. Start phase – heavy involvement. Familiarize them with all work. Perform phase – heavy involvement. Perform the work of the project during this phase. Close phase – heavy involvement. Have supporters conclude their different tasks. 9-9

Involving Observers Observers should be involved minimally throughout projects: Conceive phase – minimal involvement. Tell them about the project. Define phase – minimal involvement. Inform them about outcomes and timeframes. Start phase – minimal involvement. Tell them the project has started. Perform phase – minimal involvement. Inform observers of key achievements during the project. Close phase – minimal involvement. When the project is complete, inform observers about the project. 9-10

Communication The following communication tools can help keep a project audience involved: a.One-on-one meetings – formal and informal discussions with people. b.Group meetings – planned sessions for some or all project teams. c.Informal written correspondence – notes, memos, letters and s. d.Written approvals – formal written agreements. 9-11

Involving Authority Authority is the right to make project decisions that others must follow. Having opinions is different than having authority. Project managers should confirm they have identified sufficient authority to ensure success. 9-12

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