A project stakeholder is an employee, contractor, client, or other stakeholder who has influence on, or who has interest in, a project and its results. It is important to confirm all the key stakeholders on a project, prior to starting the project, so that you know who to engage with on the project and can minimize all risks and issues related to stakeholder engagement.
A stakeholder register includes the name and role for all employees, contractors, client, and other stakeholders on a project, as well as their influence and their interest on a project, so that you know how to best engage with them on a project.
The project sponsor, who is typically the account manager or senior manager who assigned you to manage the project, may share a list of stakeholders with you in the project charter, and you may need to ask the project sponsor questions to further identify the stakeholders' engagement needs and to create a stakeholder register.
Access our Stakeholder Register Template (including examples)!
Sections of a Stakeholder Register
Keep reading to learn about the information to include in a stakeholder register:
- Stakeholder Name and Role
- Stakeholder Influence and Interest
- Stakeholder Engagement Needs
Stakeholder Name and Role
A stakeholder register should include each stakeholder's full name, title, and role on the project.
Ask these questions to collect stakeholders’ name and role:
- What roles do we need on this project team?
- What employees are on the project team and what is their role?
- What contractors are on the project team and what is their role?
- What client stakeholders are involved and what is their role?
- Do we need to keep any other stakeholders in the loop?
Stakeholder Influence and Interest
A stakeholder register should also include each stakeholder's influence (or power) on the project, as well as their interest in the project, both rated as high or low.
Note that a stakeholder's influence (or power) can have a positive impact (e.g., sharing input to approve a deliverable) or a negative impact (e.g., sharing input that delays or stops a deliverable).
Ask these questions to collect stakeholders' influence and interest:
- What influence (or power) does each stakeholder have on the project? High or low?
- What is the interest level of each stakeholder on the project? High or low? And what are they interested in?
Stakeholder Engagement Needs
Once you have collected each stakeholder's name, role, influence, and interest, you can use a power interest grid to rate each of the stakeholder's engagement needs to "minimize potential negative impacts and maximize positive impacts" PMBOK® Guide (2021).
- Monitor (minimum effort): If they have low power and low interest, engage with them minimally and monitor their communication needs.
- Keep Informed: If they have low power and high interest, keep them informed on project status.
- Keep Satisfied: If they have high power and low interest, keep them informed on project status and collect their input on the deliverables and project.
- Manage Closely: If they have high power and high interest, engage them in all project activities.
What's Next?
Once you create a stakeholder register, you are ready to manage stakeholder engagement. Always refer to the stakeholder register throughout the project, so that you and your team know how to best engage with the stakeholders on the project and can minimize all risks and issues related to stakeholder engagement.
Check out How to Manage Stakeholder Engagement (coming soon) for more information on how to manage stakeholder engagement.