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On this page
  • The difference between a client and a partner
  • How to manage a client or partner well
  • Project Manager Tasks
  • Recommendations on Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders
  • When it comes to difficult stakeholders
  • Tracking work & reporting
  • Invoicing and Receiving Payment
  • Important Documents & Templates

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  1. Project Management
  2. Project Implementation

Stakeholder Management

PreviousAgile, Scrum, and the Lean Startup MethodNextMeetings

Last updated 4 years ago

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The difference between a client and a partner

PARTNERSHIP. A relationship between participants in a state of cooperation, with specified rights, roles, and responsibilities.

BUSINESS PARTNER. An entity currently engaged in a state of cooperation with one or more participant(s), for the sake of pursuing a shared goal.

CLIENT. Someone who employs the services of a professional person and/or company.

How to manage a client or partner well

  • Good client management checklist [Doc]

    • Meetings, tasks, and communication

    • Stages and deliverables

    • Resources/books?

Managing stakeholders

The key to stakeholder management is communication.

  • COMMUNICATION means providing stakeholders with regular updates and progress reports. OpenUp utilizes a variety of platforms to achieve this (see for more).

Project Manager Tasks

A PROJECT MANAGER is tasked with:

  • keeping stakeholders involved

  • managing client expectations

  • integrating their ideas in the proceedings.

  • ‘keeping them in the loop’: managing and understanding their needs and expectations,

  • meeting requirements when possible.

    • important to find the middle ground between both sides, where we can deliver on something and address the needs of both constituencies.

When we can’t implement a preconceived vision for a project, project managers need to negotiate and work toward a satisfactory compromise.

‘When we were speaking about (Project) Initiation, I think that’s the period; the most fundamental part when it comes to stakeholders. The initiation process of the project. If you have the backing- that is, if you have your stakeholders buy in, and the communication platforms well defined in the initiation process of the project- it becomes quite easy to manage stakeholders. This is because they know through and what platforms they can communicate through; what they can look forward to. They also know what the roles and responsibilities are in the bigger project’. Adrian K.

EXAMPLE: helping stakeholders understand the purpose of sprint meetings every two weeks.

  • prevents disruption

  • keeps both parties from having to make constant changes or interruptions in the process of something that could potentially be fairly complex

These issues are sidestepped by including stakeholders in sprint meetings from the get-go.

Recommendations on Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders

Difficult stakeholders are most likely arise whenever a project doesn’t have a reporting system in place; when a project lacks transparency and accountability.

When it comes to difficult stakeholders

It is important to:

1. Set clear boundaries from the beginning: a clear scope on what you will and won’t do, in regards to the project and for the stakeholder in question

  • Many stakeholders have ideas or concepts that aren’t possible or practical, within the given parameters. Maybe they don’t realize the quantity of resources those ideas would need to be implemented; maybe they underestimate the time and the effort it would take to make their initial concept a reality.

2. Set expectations early- from the Initiation phase, when possible- keeping them invested and on track with their duties, and working toward a set plan is usually enough to circumvent this problem. Stakeholders greatly benefit from a place to voice their opinions.

If they refuse to listen or negotiate, remain adamantly insistent on seeing their vision through- if they’re just too difficult- escalate and get help (from Adi and Lailah), depending on if the issue is technological or operational. If that doesn’t help, it might be necessary to let the stakeholder go.

Tracking work & reporting

Outputs (tracking via Trello - create a template project board)

  • Time frames/milestones/stages and deliverables

  • Sprint plans and sprint reviews

  • Monthly report [Doc]

Invoicing and Receiving Payment

Important Documents & Templates

Are all the necessary documents been created? Does the client or partner organisation have access to them?

  • MOUs and SLAs

  • Trello Boards

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