Why Projects Fail (Part 1):
The Critical Role of Stakeholder Engagement
Projects fail for many reasons, but the same underlying issues appear repeatedly across industries and organisations. The good news is that many of these problems can be prevented by applying sound project management principles from the outset.
Among the most common reasons projects fail are:
- Ineffective stakeholder engagement
- Lack of a systematic project management process or methodology
- Starting the Execution Phase while the project scope is still immature
- Poor management of changes to the project scope (scope creep)
These common causes of project failure—and practical ways to prevent them—are explored in the Online Short Course on Project Management Principles, Practices and Scheduling. This article is the first in a series and focuses on the first cause: ineffective stakeholder engagement.
Stakeholder Engagement
When a project manager is appointed, one of the first steps they should take is to identify and engage with stakeholders. Some stakeholders may hinder the project, while others may help it (and some may be neutral). While all stakeholders should be engaged throughout the project lifecycle, initial engagement is critical. Likewise, when a project manager takes over responsibility for an existing project, they should verify that the initial stakeholder engagement was conducted correctly.
Although all stakeholders should be considered during the early stages of the project, not all stakeholders have the same influence on project success. Stakeholders should therefore be classified to identify those who are most critical to achieving the project's objectives.
Two useful criteria for classifying stakeholders are:
- Their level of influence on the project
- Their level of interest in the project
Stakeholders with both high influence and high interest require the greatest attention. They should be closely involved in defining the project's scope and should remain actively engaged throughout the project. While engagement strategies should also be developed for stakeholders with other profiles, those with high influence and high interest deserve the project manager's closest attention.
The Online Short Course on Project Management Principles, Practices and Scheduling explores stakeholder identification, classification, and engagement strategies in greater depth, providing practical tools that project managers can apply immediately in their own organisations.
Learn More About the Course
The Online Short Course on Project Management Principles, Practices and Scheduling has helped project professionals build practical project management skills for more than 30 years and is regularly updated to reflect current project management practices.
Successful delegates receive:
- 20 Professional Development Units (PDUs) recognised by the Project Management Institute (PMI)
- 5 CPD points recognised by ECSA
- 5 CPD points recognised by SACNASP
- A University of Pretoria Certificate upon successful completion
- Recognition by the University of Pretoria as Module 1 of the eight-module Programme in Project Management (PPM)
The course is also available face-to-face for delegates who prefer classroom-based learning.
The course is presented by Prof Herman Steyn, one of South Africa's leading project management academics. He is Emeritus Professor of Project Management at the Graduate School of Technology Management, University of Pretoria, and Founder of the Programme in Project Management (PPM).
Find out more about the course: Online Short Course on Project Management Principles, Practices and Scheduling
