Strategy Survival Guide

Strategy Survival Guide Version 2.1
Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit
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Strategy Skills > Managing Stakeholders
Developing a stakeholder engagement plan
> template
The process of identifying stakeholders, their issues and how the team will engage with each should occur
early on in the project, and the results should be documented in a stakeholder engagement plan. The plan
should specify the intended approach to engaging with stakeholders throughout the four stages of the
project. It should be integrated with the overall project plan, and include details of:
• the proposed actions
• the proposed timing of those actions
• the team members responsible for each engagement.
For example, the plan might include the timing and proposed aim of meetings with individuals or working
groups and the proposed dates and nature of particular communications. This stakeholder engagement
plan template may provide a useful start.
The stakeholder management plan should be a living document that is referred to on a regular basis, and
updated according to developments during the project. At key points during the project it is also advisable to
update the stakeholder assessment as positions do change and this will require the stakeholder
management plan to be revised accordingly.
Developing and regularly revisiting the plan is a time consuming process, and as such often neglected.
However, it will be extremely beneficial to the final outcome of the project if key stakeholders are bought into
the process and are willing to implement the strategy.
Strengths
• Drawing together a clear plan for stakeholder engagement is crucial to the success of the project. It
will help ensure buy-in to the strategy, and will also help secure commitment to implementation.
Weaknesses
• It can be a very time-consuming exercise, however, which can be neglected given the pressures to
undertake analytical work etc.
Strategy Survival Guide – Strategy Skills
Page 82