5 Key Principles for Successful Stakeholder Engagement

In order to successfully deliver on any project which may affect third-party groups or individuals, it’s absolutely vital to ensure that correct stakeholder engagement practices are implemented from the offset. After all, stakeholders can hold enormous influence over how a project progresses (or indeed fails to progress), over time.

It’s only through successful stakeholder engagement that project managers can usually ensure benefits such as:

• Increased effectiveness and efficiency in project delivery.

• Enhanced community confidence in projects undertaken.

• An enhanced capacity to innovate, thanks to the transparent gathering of ideas and feedback.

• Greater sensitivity to project design - in turn meeting community needs and ensuring achievement of project objectives.

Defining Stakeholder Engagement

As a definition, stakeholder engagement is the process by which an organisation involves people who may be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of a project.

In a nutshell, this is essentially the process of communicating with, interacting with, or influencing the project stakeholders, for the overall good of the project as a whole.

Project stakeholders can be individuals, groups, or indeed whole organisations, who affect and influence the project along the way, as well as those who are directly influenced by the final implementation.

The 5 Key Principles for Successful Stakeholder Engagement

1. Understanding

Several stakeholders may have varying levels of influence or involvement with a particular project. Before beginning to plan, it’s important to first identify and understand stakeholders’ motivations according to their potential involvement - both emotional and financial.

Using this information, you can then begin to align them to their level of interest and involvement, helping to measure their subsequent project influence and project impact.

2. Communication

Effective communication is essential in order to ensure strong stakeholder engagement, particularly during the evaluation process. Any message to stakeholders should be presented in a simple and easily understandable way to ensure that the intended message is understood.

Great communication requires persistent and time-consuming effort, tailored to the specific needs of various audiences.

3. Transparency

When dealing with stakeholders, it’s always important to be open and honest during your engagement and to set clear expectations - especially when it comes to disseminating project information.

True transparency requires the maintaining of consistent two-way communication with stakeholders about the ongoing project status. This sharing of the right information at the right time is key to building a stronger relationship with stakeholders.

4. Compromise

When dealing with multiple stakeholders of varying levels of involvement, issues can naturally arise - Prepare to compromise on certain issues.

By maintaining an iterative process and keeping project plans flexible, it is then easier to engage in active dialogue with stakeholders, addressing and incorporating their views into the plan along the way.

5. Respectful Dialogue

It’s important to continue meaningful and respectful dialogue with stakeholders regarding any changes to project designs or plans, communicated and discussed on a timely basis.

Acknowledge and respect the expertise, perspective, and needs of all stakeholders, and be open to any alternative views or problem-solving ideas posed.

Would you like to know more about Stakeholder Engagement?

Why not have a look at the relevant module as part of our own internationally recognised Global CPD course?

Stakeholder Engagement Plan Stakeholder Identification Mapping