INCREASING EFFICIENCY IN STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT Avoiding cost and time overrun with efficient engagement
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Last Updated: 4-2020
A lot of projects experience cost and time overrun due to inefficient and ineffective
stakeholder engagement. This research tries to find a solution for this problem. This is done
with a Design Science Research (DSR). Meaning the solution for the problem is designed. The
steps followed within the DSR are to investigate the problem (literature study), design solution
(design propositions) and validate the design (expert interviews). The main objective of this
research is to develop a tool which increases effectiveness and efficiency in stakeholder
engagement to decrease cost and time overrun.
Within the literature the process of project management and stakeholder management are
analysed, as well as the relation between the two processes. From this it is concluded that
stakeholder management should always be executed at the start of each project stage, as well
as when changes occur. Furthermore the literature shows that there are different factors
influencing stakeholder engagement. These factors can be divided into three categories,
namely project characteristics, stakeholder/personal characteristics and management. The
statements made within the literature are validated by conducting interviews. From the
interviews it can be concluded that inefficient stakeholder engagement is not always seen as
a problem, since it is important to build a relationship with the stakeholder. Furthermore the
characteristics mentioned in the literature are not taken into account by stakeholder
managers. The tools mentioned by interviewees do not take any of the characteristics into
account either.
Based on the results of the literature and interviews, design propositions are made to try and
increase the effectiveness and efficiency of stakeholder engagement. It is discussed with
experts that from the four design propositions, the elaborated stakeholder analysis would be
the best solution. This tool consists of three phases. The first phase determines the
engagement need based on project characteristics. The second phase determined the priority
of the different stakeholders. The third phase determines an engagement strategy based on
stakeholder characteristics. The tool is not yet tested by case studies, but based on expert
opinions it is expected that the tool can be implanted in a project and will increase the
effectiveness and efficiency of stakeholder engagement.