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This post is on the tools and techniques of the final process for this knowledge, that of monitoring stakeholder management.

13.4.2 Monitor Stakeholder Engagement:  Tools and Techniques

13.4.2.1 Data Analysis

• Stakeholder analysis–helps determine the current position of stakeholders with regards to their engagement level.

Let’s say that the current position of a stakeholder’s engagement is not yet aligned with the desired level.   How do you decide what to do to make them aligned?

• Root cause analysis–used to determine the basic underlying reason that stakeholder engagement is not yet having the planned effect.

Okay, now that you’ve analyzed the cause, let’s say you come up with a few options on how to respond to the variance between the current position and the desired position of a stakeholder’s engagement.   How do you decide among them?

• Alternatives analysis–used to evaluate options to respond to variances in the desired results of stakeholder engagement.

13.4.2.2  Decision Making

Let’s say you’re doing the alternatives analysis mentioned above.   How do you finally make the decision about which option to go with?

• Multicriteria decision analysis–several factors for successful stakeholder engagement are prioritized and weighted in order to help identify the most appropriate choice.
• Voting–used to select the best response for a variance in stakeholder engagement.

13.4.2.3  Data Representation

The stakeholder engagement assessment matrix, introduced as an output of 13.2 Plan Stakeholder Engagement, is used to chart the progress in bringing the current level of stakeholder engagement (usually marked “C” for “current”) to the desired level of stakeholder engagement (usually marked “D” for “desired”).

13.4.2.4 Communication Skills

• Feedback–ensuring that information given to stakeholders is received and understood
• Presentation–presentations provide clear information to stakeholders, and more effective than e-mails, newsletters, etc., because they provide an opportunity for real-time reaction from stakeholders in the form of a question-and-answer section at the end of the presentation.

13.4.2.5 Interpersonal and Team Skills

• Active listening–used to reduce misunderstandings and other miscommunication
• Cultural awareness–cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity help the project manager to plan communications based on the cultural differences and requirements of stakeholders and team members.  For more information on cultural awareness, read The Culture Map by Erin Meyer.
• Leadership–strong leadership skills will help communicate the vision of your project to stakeholders and inspire them to support the work and outcomes of the project.
• Networking–ensures access to information about levels of engagement of stakeholders.
• Political awareness–used to understand the strategies of the organization, understand who wields power and influence, and to develop an ability to communicate with these stakeholders.

And finally, the generic tool and technique used for a lot of processes:

• Meetings–status meetings, standup meetings, retrospectives, or other meetings used to assess current stakeholder engagement levels and compare them to desired (planned) levels, and to use the data analysis and data representation techniques mentioned in the above paragraphs to come up with options to align them.

And finally, the last post about the outputs for this process!

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