Explanation
According to the PMBOK Guide, stakeholder engagement is the systematic identification, analysis, planning and implementation of actions designed to influence stakeholders. It is a key practice of project management that helps to achieve the project's business needs and goals. Stakeholder engagement helps organizations to proactively consider the needs and desires of anyone who has a stake in their organization, which can foster connections, trust, confidence, and buy-in for the organization's key initiatives. When done well, stakeholder engagement can mitigate potential risks and conflicts with stakeholder groups, including uncertainty, dissatisfaction, misalignment, disengagement, and resistance to change. In a highly politicized organizational environment, the stakeholders are driven by their own operational or business goals, which results in conflicting interests regarding the project. To steer the stakeholders toward the collective project goal, the project manager should promote, inspire, and follow the stakeholder engagement process. This involves identifying, mapping and prioritizing stakeholders to determine the best tactics for effective communication while making the best use of available resources. The project manager should also use various techniques to engage stakeholders, such as brainstorming, workshops, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and feedback mechanisms. The project manager should monitor and control the stakeholder engagement throughout the project life cycle, and adjust the engagement strategies as needed to ensure stakeholder satisfaction and alignment. References: PMBOK Guide, Sixth Edition, pages 513-536. Asana. SME Strategy. APM.