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What is a stakeholder in a project or programme?

A stakeholder is a person, group, or institution with an interest in a project or programme.

Who are primary stakeholders?

Primary stakeholders are immediate communities of interest, often internal stakeholders directly involved in project implementation.

Who are secondary stakeholders?

Secondary stakeholders are intermediaries in the process, usually external stakeholders such as government agencies and institutional bodies.

Why might some individuals closest to a project not see themselves as stakeholders?

They may feel they 'own' the management process, such as the project manager and team.

What is a useful test to ensure key stakeholders are included?

Ask whose support or opposition could significantly influence the success of the project.

Why is stakeholder analysis important?

It helps identify key stakeholders, assess their interests, and understand how those interests affect project risk and viability.

What does stakeholder engagement involve?

Establishing and maintaining relationships with stakeholders based on their specific relationship to the project.

What factors should be considered when analyzing stakeholders?

Their business nature and interest in the project, their behavior and motivations, their likely reactions to communication, the characteristics of their environment, and their motivations in relation to the project.

How does stakeholder analysis contribute to project design?

By identifying goals and roles of different groups and formulating appropriate engagement strategies.

What is a key goal of stakeholder management?

To develop a sound stakeholder environment by understanding and responding to stakeholder needs, both perceived and real.

Why is managing stakeholder expectations important for project success?

It influences risk management, communication planning, team productivity, engagement strategies, and project acceptance.

How does stakeholder analysis help with risk management?

It identifies and assesses risks based on stakeholder attitudes, allowing mitigation of negative influences and better risk assessment.

Why is communication planning important in stakeholder management?

It ensures the right information is shared with the right stakeholders at the right time, improving engagement and decision-making.

How does stakeholder engagement affect team productivity?

Understanding engagement needs helps determine who should be involved in the project team, steering groups, or advisory roles.

What is the benefit of developing an engagement strategy for stakeholders?

It increases the likelihood of achieving project objectives by positively influencing stakeholder attitudes and behaviors.

How does effective stakeholder management contribute to project acceptance?

Engaging key decision-makers early and addressing their needs increases the chances of the project output being accepted.

What is the purpose of project planning?

To refine stakeholder vision into a detailed statement of work, including objectives, requirements, success criteria, benefits, and scope definition.

What are the key elements refined during project planning?

Objectives, detailed requirements, success criteria, measurable benefits, best-value options, scope definition, and acceptance criteria.

Why is a linear planning approach valuable for certain projects?

It minimizes costly rework, making it ideal for large-scale, highly technical projects where changes can be expensive.

How do iterative approaches differ from traditional planning methods?

They allow flexibility and adaptability but still require clear definitions of benefits, deliverables, and acceptance criteria.

Why is integration important in project planning?

Successful planning depends on integrating time, resources, cost, and risk considerations into the project management plan.

What is essential for effective project-based working?

Strong teamwork, which requires cooperation, collaboration, and often working in temporary, multidisciplinary, or geographically dispersed teams.

Why is leadership important in project teams?

Leading a group effectively helps transform them into a high-performing team, which is crucial for project success.

What is the purpose of the Project Management Plan (PMP)?

The PMP integrates fundamental project components (scope, schedule, cost, risk, quality, and resources) and serves as the baseline for deployment and control.

Who owns the Project Management Plan (PMP)?

The project manager owns the PMP and is responsible for its development and integration.

What is the deployment baseline?

The deployment baseline is the approved version of the PMP used for monitoring progress and managing change control during project execution.

What happens if a project’s scope does not fit within the programme or portfolio?

The PMP may need rework to adjust scope, modify cost contingency, or fund risk responses before approval.

How does a linear life cycle approach impact project planning?

It assumes all work can be defined, estimated, scheduled, and costed upfront, establishing a baseline for managing and controlling deployment.

How does an iterative life cycle approach impact project planning?

It allows flexibility, with teams reprioritizing tasks based on new knowledge. Unfinished work is added to a backlog for future planning.

How do linear and iterative life cycles differ in terms of scope, time, and cost?

Linear: Scope and quality drive time and cost. Iterative: Fixed resources and time drive scope, which evolves over cycles.

Why is producing a PMP important?

It consolidates all project plans, communicates details to stakeholders, and acts as a reference for project deployment.

How is the PMP developed?

Through a facilitated process led by the project manager, involving key stakeholders to ensure alignment with project objectives.

What is communication in a project context?

Communication is the process of exchanging information and ensuring shared understanding among stakeholders.

Why is communication a core skill in projects?

It ensures objectives and requirements are understood, stakeholders are aligned, teams are motivated, and knowledge is embedded.

What factors should be considered when choosing a communication method?

The target audience, intended impact, risks, and potential unintended consequences.

What are the benefits of having a communication plan in a project?

Choosing the most appropriate communication medium, focused communication to stakeholders, consistent messaging, systematic improvement of communication, and greater adherence to governance and standards.

Why is choosing the right communication medium important?

It ensures messages are received and understood, increasing stakeholder engagement and reducing misunderstandings.

How does a communication plan improve focus in messaging?

It avoids mass communication and tailors messages to the right audience at the right time, improving clarity and relevance.

How does a communication plan ensure consistency?

It provides an agreed framework for messaging, preventing contradictory information from different project areas.

How can communication be systematically improved in a project?

By incorporating feedback channels to identify and eliminate communication barriers proactively.

Why is adherence to governance and standards important in communication?

It ensures compliance with organisational norms, preventing conflicts, errors, or security breaches.

What is risk management in a project?

Risk management is the process of understanding and managing individual and overall project risks to minimise threats and maximise opportunities.

Why are all projects inherently risky?

Projects are unique, constrained, based on assumptions, performed by people, and subject to external influences.

How do risks impact project objectives?

Risks can affect objectives positively (opportunities) or negatively (threats), and both need to be managed.

Why must risk management be closely aligned with schedule management?

Because cost, time, and resource estimates should always account for risks to ensure realistic planning.

Who is responsible for ensuring risk management takes place in a project?

The project manager is accountable, but a specialist risk manager may be appointed for larger or more complex projects.

What is the difference between project risk management and health and safety risk management?

Project risk management focuses on risks affecting project objectives, while health and safety risks are managed separately through a safety plan.

Why is it important to assess the overall risk exposure of a project?

To report it to the project sponsor and stakeholders, ensuring informed decision-making.

Why is it important to educate staff about risk management?

Educating staff reduces scepticism and resistance by helping them understand its benefits, purpose, and tools.

How does risk management improve project planning?

It enables better-informed and more realistic plans, schedules, and budgets, increasing stakeholder confidence in project success.

How does risk management help projects adhere to schedules and budgets?

By making plans more realistic and achievable, risk management improves team motivation and commitment, increasing the probability of success.

How does risk management improve contingency planning?

It prevents arbitrary contingency allocations and ensures funds are allocated based on quantified risks, making contingency management more effective.

How does risk management prevent financially unsound projects?

Risk analysis identifies potential obstacles early, allowing organisations to avoid unfeasible or high-risk projects before investing heavily.

How does risk management help with future project management?

It builds statistical data from past projects, allowing organisations to learn from previous risks and improve future decision-making.

How does risk management enhance staff competence?

By exposing staff to risk assessment, it increases awareness and improves their ability to predict and mitigate risks in future projects.

How does risk management encourage calculated risk-taking?

By applying structured risk management techniques, organisations can take greater risks with lower contingency, leading to higher returns on investment.