George LewisProgram/Project Manager| DXC Technology CompanyHeredia, Costa Rica
What comes first? Develop Project Charter or Identify Stakeholders?
This is an easy one, but I saw someone commented that Identify Stakeholders comes first... I disagree, but want to hear from you on this... you never know...
What do you think?
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2 replies by Carolina Arias and Teresa Lawrence, PhD, PMP, CSM
Aug 16, 2017 3:57 PM
Teresa Lawrence, PhD, PMP, CSM
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You have to know what you are working on and toward before you can begin the process of identifying who is impacted, who can influence, who can resist...Project Charter THEN Identify Stakeholders. Let me know if you need some GREAT tools for identifying stakeholders. #breakthroughpm
First comes the demand/ business case for a project to be decided through project portfolio management or other means normally with an owner behind it. Once positively decided, it is time for the project Charter, idealwise developed together by owner(s) and PM. So, in this logic the owner (stakeholder) exists prior to the project charter. Saving Changes...
Technically, stakeholders identification is a part of the project charter. As Mr.Peter Ambrosy said that business case comes first then stakeholder identification. I strongly agreed with his opinion. Saving Changes...
Anthony BarrerasPM Training and Consulting| WoodHouston, Tx, United States
Without the project charter you don't really know who the stakeholders are. Yes, there is often some semblance of a scope floating around on something that a business uses to continue the conversation in the very beginning of a project's lifecycle but realistically you can't get anyone on the same page without writing down the idea and why (initial business case) it should be done, essentially the draft of a project charter. once you have this draft then you can ask who will be impacted hence the identifying of stakeholders. You should not assign a PM with a blank page in your hand as a portfolio manager or a project sponsor. You need really need something in the works to get the support and momentum that will be needed to birth a project and assign the project manager. Yes, the PM will often be nearby helping in this process and finalizing the Charter but identifying stakeholders is a far reaching activity that requires more definition than a charter may provide. Just my two cents...
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1 reply by Mohammad Khan
Dec 10, 2019 1:17 AM
Mohammad Khan
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Hi Anthony,
I do disagree with you.
When a project is being initiated you know there is at least one stakeholder, apart from the sponsor, who will be impacted by the project. For example, if you are initiating a technological or process improvement project for HR department, then HR department is the major stakeholder identified although the project charter is not created yet.
Saving Changes...
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
Good Points . When you are creating the Project Charter (Whether it's the sponsor creating or the Project Manager), You really need to know - The Business Case for doing the project, The Statement of Work for the Project , Any contractual obligations, any Regulations or Environmental conditions that the project should be chartered under and any Organizational assets , processes or adherence to some policy requirements, high level risks, schedule and Budget. At the same time , you would also know the key departments or Stakeholders that will be affected.
One of the main reasons projects fail and PMBOK emphasizes this is the incomplete Identification of Stakeholders. Mind you , stakeholders are the people and groups whose interests may be POSITIVELY or NEGATIVELY impacted by the products, services or results of the Project . Whilst the Project Charter may allude to the Principal Stakeholder who will receive positive benefits of the program, It is not likely to identify ALL THE POSSIBLE stakeholders, their interests, their influence, Their Powers etc.
The next initiation Process of IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS is really an elaboration of the stakeholders already identified through the charter and identifying the others who can provide inputs to the Project. And this doesn't mean the identification ends here. The Project Manager is a Human Being and is likely to miss a few stakeholders during Initiation . These may be found out during Execution , Monitoring or Controlling or Planning. Hence the Emphasis on Planning.. if you fail to Plan , You plan to fail.....
For Example, You may not do a Make Versus Buy Decision at the Project Charter Stage. You will be most possibly doing it in the Planning stage.
Lo and Behold ! you have a new Stakeholder . the Supplier ! and now you iterate through the Process of Identify stakeholder, do the analysis, update the Communication Plan and the Register and then continue to Engage with the Stakeholder.
Now to answer the question ....Which Comes first.....?? Without a charter there is no project . And charter identifies who the project is initiated by.....By the principal Stakeholder.... The Sponsor ........but once you know who is the primary stakeholder, you need to know Who is the project for.....You may know who the primary Affected department stakeholder is , but then you need to know who the customer is , who the vendor is , who the subcontractor is , who the legislator is , who the consumer is , who will be in your project team, who is the person against your project....... Saving Changes...
I think Deepesh has summed this up beautifully. Lets not forget communication is key, poor communication is often cited as the biggest single cause of project failure. Saving Changes...
Wade HarshmanScrum Master| GDITIndianapolis, In, United States
Like most PM processes, "Identify Stakeholders" is iterative. You need stakeholders to create the project charter, but you'll need the charter to finish identifying who all the stakeholders.
So to answer the question of which comes first, the answer is "Yes." Saving Changes...
Develop Charter is initiated first. However, Identify Stakeholders process complements it as well, that is why the stakeholder register serves as an input to it. Probably from previous projects or somewhere, but a project is always initiated by someone who is considered a stakeholder. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
Without a well-defined charter you won't know for sure which stakeholders you'll need.
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1 reply by Mohammad Khan
Dec 10, 2019 1:18 AM
Mohammad Khan
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Hi Eric,
I do disagree with you.
When a project is being initiated you know there is at least one stakeholder, apart from the sponsor, who will be impacted by the project. For example, if you are initiating a technological or process improvement project for HR department, then HR department is the major stakeholder identified although the project charter is not created yet.
Saving Changes...
NOHELY COLINALider de Proyecto| PETROPIARLecheria, Anzoategui, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)
First develop proyect Charter . Get the formal autorization to use resources in other activities and get more understanding of the business case and project goal so, then Identify Stakeholder , Should be a continuous(iterative) activity during other phases. Project Charter inform you about "some" stakeholders but probably you will identify most of them with a deeply stakeholder analysis activity
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1 reply by George Lewis
Aug 17, 2017 7:25 AM
George Lewis
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Nohely - it shows you have the total understanding of the PMBOK processes and the way they iterates...
It's fairly simple and you showed it a few words... thanks for your input...
