TOPIC: Identify Stakeholders

Stakeholders can be identified in which project management process?

1. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling.
2. Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing.
3. Initiating, Planning, Executing.
4. Initiating, Planning.


Also, provide explanation for your answer

I would like to go with option 1 (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling).

Stakeholders can be identified during initiation of a project and while putting together the various project plans.

Execution is definitely a possible stage for identifying stakeholders. Let us say you are laying a road and come across a buried pipeline which needs to be isolated before the job can progress. In that case the Public Works Department becomes a stakeholder in the project.

M&C is also a possible stage. In my organization, jobs below $1Million need to be approved by a Contracts Committee whereas anything above that goes to a Tender Committee. However, it is quite possible that due to various factors there is a significant increase in costs and what was originally estimated to be Contract now needs to be treated as a Tender. This is also a case of stakeholder identification.

I am unable to see how stakeholders would be newly identified at the closing stage, since any such stakeholders would have been previously identified.


Any thoughts on the above?

Hi Synetech,
The correct answer is Number 1 which is Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling.

we identify stakeholders through the different stakeholder knowledge area processes as below:

1- Identify Stakeholders: which is from the initiating process group. the main output of this activity is the stakeholder register.
2- Plan Stakeholder Management: which belongs to the planning process group. The stakeholder register gets updated in this process as part of the Project Documents Updates output.
3- Manage Stakeholder Engagement: which belongs to the executing process group. The stakeholder register gets updated in this process as part of the Project Documents Updates output.
4- Control Stakeholder Engagement: which belongs to the monitoring and controlling process group. The stakeholder register gets updated in this process as part of the Project Documents Updates output.


Basically, one of the main jobs of a project manager is to identify and manage stakeholder expectations. this takes place during the whole life cycle of the project.
Closing process group is excluded as it is mainly about delivering the project's end result or service and updating the organization process assets (project files, closure documents and historical information).

I hope this answers your question.

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Hi Ahmed,

really good explanation which i like to follow completely.
BUT, like the questions is formulated (" ...can be identified ...") i think Stakeholders also could be identified throughout the closing process (may be cause there are forgotten throughout the previous processes).

Hi Markus,

I agree with you that the stakeholders could be identified throughout the closing process and i would go further that stake holders could be identified even after project closure.
but i would count this as a lesson learnt, why we didn't identify that stakeholder earlier, what opportunities have we missed by not identifying that stakeholder, etc.

for the PMP exam, identify stakeholders is performed for the sake of managing their expectations to achieve project success. that is why i excluded project closure. what do you think ?

i do absolutly agree with you, Ahmed

thx for contribution

Initiating and planning