Stakeholder and Communication Management
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Stakeholders are the individuals and groups who affect or are affected by a project. Poor stakeholder management is a leading cause of project trouble, and the eighth edition of the PMBOK Guide lists Stakeholders as one of its seven performance domains (PMI, 2025).
Identifying and Analyzing Stakeholders
Begin with a brainstorm: sponsors, clients, users, team members, supervisors, funders, regulators, partners, suppliers, the public, and those who may oppose the project. Then analyze them.
Power-interest grid (Mendelow, 1981):
| Low interest | High interest | |
| High power | Keep satisfied | Manage closely |
| Low power | Monitor | Keep informed |
Mitchell et al. (1997) offer a richer model, classifying stakeholders by their power, legitimacy, and urgency. The more of these attributes a stakeholder has, the higher the priority.
Stakeholders in Academic Projects
| Stakeholder | Typical interest | Approach |
| Supervisor | Quality, progress, and your development | Regular meetings, honest updates |
| Committee or examiners | Rigor and contribution | Early feedback, clear milestone reports |
| Ethics board | Participant safety | Complete, early applications |
| Funder or sponsor | Outputs and value | Reports and milestone delivery |
| Participants | Fairness and privacy | Clear information and consent |
| Industry partner | Practical results | Joint planning and clear agreements |
| Team members | Fair workload and credit | Agreed roles and communication |
The Stakeholder Engagement Plan
For each important stakeholder record: their interests and concerns, their current and desired level of support, the engagement strategy, and who is responsible. Review it regularly, since stakeholders and their positions change.
Responsibility Charts
A RACI matrix assigns each task or deliverable a person who is Responsible (does the work), Accountable (owns the outcome, ideally one person), Consulted (gives input), or Informed (is told the result). It prevents the common problems of gaps and double ownership.
Communication Planning
A communication plan states who needs what information, how often, by what channel, and from whom. Remember that the number of communication channels grows quickly with team size: the formula n(n − 1)/2 gives 10 channels for five people and 45 for ten. This is a strong argument for keeping teams small and for using structure, such as agendas, shared documents, and regular meetings.
| Communication | Frequency | Audience | Purpose |
| Team stand-up or check-in | Daily or weekly | Team | Coordinate work and surface blockers |
| Supervisor meeting | Weekly or fortnightly | Supervisor | Review progress, decide next steps |
| Status report | Monthly or per milestone | Sponsor, committee | Show progress, risks, and requests |
| Milestone review | At gates | Committee, funders | Decide whether to proceed |
Good Practice in Meetings and Reports
Send an agenda in advance, assign a note-taker, and record decisions and actions with owners and dates. In status reports, lead with the main message, show progress against the plan, flag risks honestly, and state what you need from the reader. Difficult conversations are best handled early and in person or by video, not in long email chains.
CHAPTER 6