Manage Stakeholder Engagement
An ongoing effort to collaborate and communicate with stakeholders so their needs and expectations are understood and met, issues are addressed promptly, and the right stakeholders are involved at the appropriate level.
Key Points
- Establishes and maintains two-way communication with stakeholders throughout the project.
- Resolves concerns, negotiates expectations, and manages conflicts as they arise.
- Tailors engagement tactics based on stakeholder power, interest, and impact.
- Updates issue logs, stakeholder registers, and plans; raises change requests when needed.
Example
A project manager meets with a key customer who is worried about a feature delay. The PM discusses options, agrees on a phased rollout, updates the issue log with action items, adjusts the communications plan for weekly check-ins, and involves the technical lead in future demos to maintain confidence.
PMP Example Question
During execution, a PM meets with a supplier to resolve recurring quality concerns, adjusts reporting frequency based on their feedback, and documents the agreed actions in the issue log. Which process is being performed?
- Plan Stakeholder Engagement
- Manage Stakeholder Engagement
- Monitor Stakeholder Engagement
- Manage Communications
Correct Answer: B — Actively engaging stakeholders to address issues and align expectations
Explanation: The scenario describes working directly with stakeholders to resolve concerns and tailor engagement. This is managing stakeholder engagement, not planning, monitoring, or only distributing information.
