Communications and Stakeholder Management
Communications and Stakeholder Management
This domain tests how you plan communication, analyze stakeholders, and keep engagement appropriate. Expect questions on stakeholder registers, power/interest analysis, engagement levels, and communication channels.
Core rules
- The stakeholder register records identification, influence, interest, expectations, and engagement classification. It is a living document.
- Power/interest grids guide strategy: high power/high interest manage closely; high power/low interest keep satisfied; low power/high interest keep informed; low power/low interest monitor.
- Engagement levels run from unaware and resistant through neutral and supportive to leading. The plan should target the level needed for success.
- Communication channels = n(n − 1)/2 for n stakeholders. More channels increase coordination load, not automatically communication quality.
- The communication plan defines who needs what information, when, in what format, and through which channel.
Worked example
A project has 10 stakeholders, so there are 10 × 9 / 2 = 45 channels. Adding two stakeholders creates 12 × 11 / 2 = 66 channels, an increase of 21. The project manager adds a weekly written status update and a monthly steering meeting instead of relying on ad hoc conversations. Reasoning: growth in stakeholders increases complexity; planned, targeted communication reduces noise.
Traps that cost marks
- Assuming more communication is always better.
- Performing stakeholder analysis once and never updating it.
- Ignoring informal influencers who are not on the organization chart.
- Sending the same detail to every audience instead of tailoring.