Check real stakeholder engagement
APM has published a research report called AI-Driven Governance: Intelligent Stakeholder Strategy for Mega-Infrastructure Projects.
The useful point for everyday projects is that you can learn from the biggest and most complex work.
The report looked at three major infrastructure projects and compared two things: the engagement project teams thought was needed, and the engagement that could actually be seen in project records.
The practical action is to compare planned engagement with evidence of what is really happening.
Key observations
The report found examples of alignment, over-engagement, and under-engagement.
In simple terms, some areas were getting the right level of attention. Some were getting too much. Others were not getting enough.
the issue arose. From where? Actual stakeholder engagement differed from the plan and therefore those that were under engaged. Did not get anywhere near enough attention.
Implication for the reader
The lesson for our own projects is clear.
Stakeholder engagement is not just about having a plan or a register. It is about checking whether the plan is working in practice.
One quick action
This week, pick one important stakeholder group and check the gap between planned engagement and actual engagement.
- Look for evidence of what has actually happened.
- Decide whether the group is aligned, over-engaged, or under-engaged.
- If they are under-engaged, shift attention there.
Further reading
- Context: APM: AI-Driven Governance: Intelligent Stakeholder Strategy for Mega-Infrastructure Projects
- What: Make Friends and Keep Them Friendly
- How: Engage Key People
Check the evidence.
Greg
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