PART A ASSESSMENT
STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR RAFFERTY'S COFFEE
Table of Content
1.0 Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….……..3
2.0 Context………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………….……..3
2.1 Stakeholder management plan……………………………………………………………………………………….5
2.2 Importance of stakeholder management plan…………………………………………………………….…..6
2.3 Benefits of stakeholder management plan……………………………………………………………………..6
2.4 Limitations of stakeholder management plan ……………………………………………………..…………6
2.5 Framework of stakeholder management plan…………………………………………………………………6
3.0 Stakeholder register ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….7
3.1 Stakeholder power and interest matrix…………………………………………………………………………..9
3.2 classifications of roles and responsibilities…………………………………………………………………….10
4.0 Stakeholder engagement plan……………………………………………………………………………….……..11
4.1 stakeholder monitoring and evaluation…………………………………………………………………………14
5.0 Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….15
References
1.0 INTRODUCTION
A stakeholder management plan is a structured approach to identify, engage, and manage
the interests of various stakeholders involved in a project or initiative. In the case of Rafferty's
Coffee, the stakeholder management plan is essential as the company undergoes a significant
transformation towards becoming a data-driven business. This plan aims to ensure effective
communication, collaboration, and alignment with stakeholders in order to achieve
successful implementation of data-driven initiatives. The project's primary goal is to build a
bespoke web-based software solution that integrates with the Point of Sales (PoS) system,
optimizes resource planning, and digitizes food hygiene and cleaning schedules. The plan will
follow a systematic approach to engage with stakeholders, address their concerns, and ensure
their support throughout the project lifecycle.
2.0 CONTEXT
Rafferty’s Coffee is an independent artisan coffee chain that roasts fresh coffee beans in store
each day. Rafferty’s Coffee was founded by coffee loving brothers, Michael, and Liam
Rafferty. They founded the company in spring 2012 having just returned from a motorcycling
tour of Central and South America, in search of the best locally sourced beans.
Shortly afterwards, they opened their first store in a small seaside town in Northern Ireland,
and within 12 months were able to move to a larger premises with a sea view. A year later
they opened their second store in Belfast.
Last year the company turnover was £5.4 million, generating a profit of £812,000. The
company operates 10 stores, 6 of which are in Northern Ireland (UK), with 4 in the Republic
of Ireland. They currently employ 45 full-time staff, plus additional part-time staff. Rafferty
Coffee is characterised by a strong emphasis on quality and ethics. Each store roasts their own
coffee each morning, creating a warm, rich aroma. Stores have an industrial design, with
polished concrete counters, steel and copper fixtures, and leather seating. Free WiFi is
provided, and music is mellow (often jazz) for the benefit of those who wish to work.
The company has a strong and loyal following on social media, and they have used this in their
promotion of fair trade and rights for farmers in Columbia. In response to customer
engagement, all take away cups will be compostable within the next year. The Rafferty
brothers have always believed in sustainability in everything they do and have thus far
resisted rapid expansion in favour of a more gradual model, with each brother taking
responsibility for one new store to ensure that consistency and quality are maintained.
Company review: Last year an opportunity presented to work with a major clothing retailer
who would like to incorporate Rafferty Coffee shops within 30 of their high-street retail stores
across the UK and Ireland. Talks are now in an advanced stage with the first in-store coffee
shop due to open in Belfast in 12 months’ time. To facilitate this rapid expansion, Rafferty
Coffee engaged Maxdon Consulting to determine the key issues that need addressed to
switch to a more rapid-growing business model. The report identified the following issues:
The Rafferty brothers are extremely hands-on in the business, working long hours. They need
to divest more responsibility for the day to day running of the company to concentrate on
overall business strategy and operations at a higher level. The company uses an HR consultant
on retainer for 20 hours a week. This only provides for specialist HR activities. A dedicated HR
department will be required that can also take on roles including duty rotas, booking parttime staff, and dealing with sick leave and cover. A large amount of time is spent by the
directors on maintaining quality, addressing inconsistencies between stores, and explaining
to staff why details matter. Staff don’t have a clear understanding of the main unique selling
point (USP) of the chain; left to their own devices, store managers will revert to roasting large
quantities of beans on a weekly basis rather than a daily basis. Furthermore, staff find it
difficult to anticipate how much coffee to roast to meet demand, but not exceed it. Record
keeping by staff is not consistent. There are continual battles with staff to ensure that records
are kept. For example, while food hygiene practices were being carried out to a high standard,
record keeping wasn’t always being completed properly, leading to a lower-than-expected
Food Hygiene Rating from the government in one store. In some cases, staff are justified in
saying that they were too busy serving a high volume of customers and that administrative
tasks such as paperwork were a secondary concern. Management needs to collect better
metrics on daily footfall to resource stores more adequately for peak times. Management
doesn’t have a good understanding of how well individual stores are running, while not on
site. This results in management continually shifting in focus from store to store rather than
being able to take a more holistic view of the entire business. Individual stores report that
there are frequent occasions where little food is available for customers to choose from late
in the day, or an excess of food left over.
The Board of Directors at Rafferty Coffee recognise that many of the issues could be
addressed through the introduction of new technologies and data science. They have set a
target that day-to-day operational decisions should be data-informed within 2 years and have
recently appointed a Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to bring these changes to fruition.
Building a data driven business
Over the past two months, the new CTO has been working with Maxdon Consulting to identify
areas where IT systems could be implemented to reduce the administrative load on senior
management and to begin implementing a data-driven approach to running the business.
An analysis has shown that the existing Point of Sales (PoS) system is adequate as a checkout,
but opportunities exist to utilise existing data. The current PoS provides an Application
Programming Interface (API) that the company could utilise better by writing bespoke
software to utilise the data that is already available: Sales data could be consumed for analysis
both on a store-by-store basis and from dashboards created with Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs). The PoS records a timestamp with each order. This data could be utilised to identify
busy periods in the store, to help with staff resourcing. The PoS records each order as ‘sit-in’
or ‘to go’. The data could also be used to estimate if seating capacity is adequate to meet
peak time demand. An inventory system could be built that integrates with the PoS sales data
to give real-time insight into stock levels. Machine Learning could be utilised to combine with
sales data and stock inventory data to make recommendations: for re-ordering food and for
predicting the correct quantity of coffee beans to roast each day.
To meet the obligations of the contract with the High Street retailer, Rafferty Coffee will be
required to share data concerning food hygiene standards and cleaning schedules. These
tasks have already been identified as an administrative burden for the coffee chain, and
they’re eager to digitise both as quickly as possible.
The advantages of doing this are:
Senior management will have real-time access to verify if record keeping is up to date.
A self-serve portal can be provided to the high-street retailer so that they can download the
information they require Periodic audits by the Food Standards Agency will be significantly
easier if all the records they request are digitised and reports easy to generate.
Additionally, the CTO would like the new system to manage staff rotas and set day-to-day
responsibilities. Therefore, the new system will need to integrate staff resourcing with food
hygiene record keeping and cleaning rotas. Detailed analysis of off-the-shelf software has
shown that no single solution provides all the functionality needed, and that the best
approach is to build a bespoke web-based software solution. Rafferty’s Coffee has allocated
a budget of up to £850,000 for this project. Deliverables are to include features that gather
and analyse data harvested from the PoS API implementing the new features for resource
planning, food hygiene and cleaning schedules. The project needs to be delivered within a
short time frame. Development is to start on the 1st of June 2020 and be completed 6 months
later. The project is in early stages of initiation. Maxdon Consulting has assigned a Product
Owner and User Experience Designer from one of their software development teams to work
with the client and gather detailed requirements, storyboard the application, and create
wireframes of the final web-based solution.
2.1 STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT PLAN
A Stakeholder Management Plan is a strategic document that outlines how an organization
will identify, engage, and communicate with its stakeholders throughout a project or
initiative. Stakeholders make up a wide range of individuals or groups who are directly or
indirectly impacted by a project or initiative. Stakeholders are vital to a project’s success or
failure, and vice versa (Johnson et al., 2019). Managing stakeholders effectively is crucial for
project success, as their support and cooperation can significantly impact the project's
progress and results.
2.2 IMPORTANCE OF STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT PLAN
A stakeholder management plan is crucial for several reasons:
I.
II.
III.
Alignment: Ensuring that stakeholders understand the project's objectives and align
their interests with the company's vision.
Minimizing Conflicts: Addressing concerns and issues proactively to minimize conflicts
and resistance to change.
Enhanced Decision-making: Engaging stakeholders provides valuable insights that can
influence better decision-making.
IV.
Successful Implementation: Collaborating with stakeholders ensures their support
and commitment, leading to the successful implementation of initiatives.
2.3 BENEFITS OF STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT PLAN
The stakeholder management plan offers several benefits:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
Effective Communication: Improved communication with stakeholders fosters a
shared understanding of goals, expectations, and progress.
Support and Commitment: Engaging stakeholders early in the process garners their
support and commitment to the project's success.
Mitigation of Risks: Identifying potential issues and concerns allows the company to
mitigate risks and obstacles.
Sustainable Relationships: Building positive relationships with stakeholders
contributes to long-term sustainability.
2.4 LIMITATIONS OF STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT PLAN
I.
II.
Time and Resources: Stakeholder engagement requires significant time and resources,
which could impact project timelines.
Complexity: Balancing the interests of diverse stakeholders can be challenging and
may lead to conflicting priorities.
2.5 FRAMEWORK USED
Figure 2.1 Stakeholder management process/framework (BCS)
Source: Debra Paul, James Cadle, Malcolm Eva, Craig Rollason, & Jonathan Hunsley. (P.144,
2020). Business Analysis: Fourth Edition, BCS Learning & Development Limited.
3.0 STAKEHOLDER REGISTER
Stakeholders are vital to a project’s success or failure, and vice versa (Johnson et al., 2019).
Rafferty's Coffee has several key stakeholders, including its founders Michael and Liam
Rafferty, Chief Technology Officer, etc. The stakeholder register prepared below shows details
of who the stakeholders are and analysis of their power and interest level, concerns, attitude,
and expectations.
Figure 3.1 Stakeholder Register for Rafferty’s Coffee
ID/Name
Type/Role
Power
(1-5)
Interest
(1-5)
Current
Attitude
Desired
Attitude
Concerns/ Issues
Expectations
001/ Michael
and Liam
Rafferty
Internal/C
o-Fou
5
5
Champio
n
Champio
n
Long working
hours,
Maintaining
quality and
consistency
Data-driven
approach
implementation,
efficient
expansion
Successful
implementation
of IT systems
Efficient and
successful
expansion,
Strategic
planning, reduced
workload.
Data-informed
operational
decisions
nders
002/Board of
Directors
Internal/S
enior
Managem
ent
5
5
Champio
n
Champio
n
003/Chief
Technology
Officer (CTO)
Internal/C 5
TO, IT
Managem
ent
Internal/IT 5
Consulting
Firm
Internal/B 5
usiness
Partner
4
Champio
n
Champi
on
4
Champio
n
Champi
on
4
Champio
n
Champio
n
006/Full time
staff
Internal/
4
Employees
2
Supporte Support
r
er
007/Part-time
Staff
Internal/E
mployees
4
2
Supporte Supporte Duty rotas, sick
r
r
leave, cover
008/HR
Consultant
Internal/H 4
R
Consultant
2
Supporte Supporte Transition to a
r
r
dedicated HR
department,
handling duty
rotas, part-time
004/Maxdon
Consulting
005/High
Street Retailer
Data-driven
decision-making,
Successful project
delivery
Successful project Effective project
delivery
implementation
Digitization of
food hygiene
standards and
cleaning
schedules for
compliance,
Access to
information,
Successful
integration of
coffee shops
within stores
Concerned about
administrative
tasks, customer
service workload
during peak
times, better
record-keeping
Effective
workload
management,
clear
communication,
understanding
USP, better
resource
allocation,
streamlined
processes
Clear
communication,
fair treatment
Smooth HR
operations and
better staff
management
staff, and sick
leave/cover
Supporte Supporte Clarification of
r
r
the unique selling
point,
understanding
how much coffee
to roast for daily
demand
Supporte Supporte Long-term
r
r
partnerships,
timely data
sharing
Supporte Supporte Food availability
r
r
late in the day,
value quality and
ethics
Neutral
Neutral
Focused on their
own business
strategies
009/Store
Managers
Internal/St 4
ore
Managers
2
010/Coffee
bean suppliers
Internal/S
uppliers
4
2
011/Custome
rs
External/
Consumer
s
2
2
012/Competit
ors
External
/Industry
competito
rs
External/R
egulatory
bodies
2
2
2
4
Critic
External/L
ocal
communit
y
members
External/R
egulating
Authority
2
4
Neutral
2
4
Neutral
013/Local
government
014/Local
communities
015/Food
Standards
Agency
Supporte Concerned about
r
compliance,
lower food
hygiene rating,
improper record
keeping
Support Concerned about
er
noise and traffic
impact
Supporte Digitization of
r
food hygiene
records for easier
audits
Clear guidance
and improved
decision-making
Sustainability
practices and
effective supply
costs
Consistency,
availability of
food and coffee
Market
competition,
differentiation
strategies
Compliance with
regulations,
maintain high
hygiene standards
Traffic impact,
community
engagement
Compliant with
food hygiene
standards
3.1 STAKEHOLDERS POWER AND INTEREST
To categorize the stakeholders under the Power and Interest Matrix grid, we need to assess
both their level of power and their level of interest in the project of implementing a datadriven business approach at Rafferty's Coffee. Based on the context, the stakeholders could
be categorised as follows.
Figure 3.2 Stakeholder Power and interest grid
High
High power/high
interest
Keep satisfied
Manage closely
Power
High power/low
interest
Low power/
high interest
Monitor
(Minimum effort)
Keep informed
Low
Lower power/
low interest
Low
Interest
High
1. High Power, High Interest (Manage Closely): These stakeholders have a significant impact
on the project's success, and they are highly interested in the outcomes. Their involvement
and management are crucial for the project's successful implementation.
Þ Rafferty Brothers
Þ Board of Directors
Þ Maxdon Consulting Firm
Þ High Street Retailer
Þ Chief Technology Officer
2. High Power, Low Interest (Keep Satisfied): While they may not be directly involved in the
project, keeping them satisfied and engaged is essential for smooth project execution.
Þ HR Consultant
Þ Store Manager
Þ Supplier
Þ Full-time Employees
Þ Part-time Employees
3. Low Power, High Interest (Keep Informed): These stakeholders have a high interest in the
project's outcomes. Keeping them informed and addressing their concerns is important for
maintaining a positive reputation and support.
Þ Local Community
Þ Local Government
Þ Food Standard Agency
4. Low Power, Low Interest (Monitor): These stakeholders have limited power and interest in
the specific project's execution.
Þ Customers (although they have a high interest in coffee quality, their direct
involvement in the project may be limited)
Þ Competitors (while they may be aware, they have a limited role in this specific
project)
3.2 CLASSIFICATION OF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
RACI matrix can help to define the roles of people and departments involved in the delivery
of a project. The acronym RACI is derived from responsibility types; R= Responsible, A=
Accountable, C= Consulted, and I= Informed.
Below is the RACI chart for Rafferty Coffee, showing the various roles responsible for the
delivery of key task(s) during the project execution and delivery.
Figure 3.3 RACI chart for Rafferty’s Coffee
Task/Activity
Product
Owner
User
Experience
Designer
Chief
Technology
Officer
(CTO)
Maxdon
Consulting
Team
Rafferty
Brothers
R
A
C
C
I
R
A
C
C
I
Create
Wireframes
R
A
C
C
I
Design User
Interface
A
R
I
C
A
R
C
C
R
A
A
C
R
A
A
C
C
Develop
Cleaning
Schedules
R
A
A
C
C
Implement
Software
R
A
A
C
A
R
I
C
A
R
I
C
A
A
R
I
C
A
Gather
Requirements
Storyboard
Application
Integrate with
PoS API
Develop
Resource
Planning
Develop Food
Hygiene
Verify Record
Keeping
Provide Selfserve Portal
Ensure
Periodic
Audits
High Street
Retailer
4.0 STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT PLAN
Stakeholder engagement plan is “the process used by an organisation to engage relevant
stakeholders for a purpose to achieve accepted outcomes (AccountAbility 2015, p. 5)”. The
stakeholder engagement plan outlines how the project team interact and communicate with
each stakeholder identified in the stakeholder register. The plan is tailored to address the
specific concerns and interests of each stakeholder group, ensuring their active involvement
and support throughout the project.
Figure 4.1 Stakeholder engagement plan for Rafferty’s Coffee
Stakeholder
Key Area of
Message/Aim Approach/Metho
Concerns/Issues to
d
be Addressed
Michael and
Reduce Workload,
Empowerment Regular meetings
Liam Rafferty Focus on Strategy,
and
with the Chief
Smooth and efficient Delegation,
Technology
expansion, focus on streamline
Officer (CTO) and
business strategy
operations,
management
and operations.
delegate
team, progress
responsibilities updates,
, and ensure
feedback loops,
consistency in strategic planning
quality across
sessions.
stores.
Board of
Directors
Chief
Technology
Officer (CTO)
Implementation of
data-driven
decision-making and
efficient expansion.
Communicate
the benefits of
data-driven
approach and
discuss
expansion
strategy.
Data-Driven Decision Technology
Making.
Implementatio
n and
Adoption
Maxdon
Consulting
Project Success
Collaboration
and
Communicatio
n.
High Street
Retailer
Timely Data Sharing,
Integration.
Cooperation
and
Collaboration.
Responsibili
ty
Expected Outcomes
Michael and
Liam
Rafferty,
Project
Team.
The Founders feels
less overwhelmed
with tasks, improved
operations,
delegation, Clear
business strategy.
Regular board
meetings,
presentations,
and progress
reports.
Chief
Technology
Officer
(CTO) and
Board
Members.
Data-informed
decisions and
successful expansion
strategy.
Regular status
meetings to track
project progress.
Involvement in
technologyrelated decisionmaking.
Providing
opportunities for
CTO to present
updates to the
board
Regular progress
meetings and
open
communication
with Maxdon
Consulting to
track project
milestones.
Holding joint
planning and
strategy
meetings,
CTO,
Project
Team.
Integration of datadriven approach in
operations.
CTO,
Project
Manager
and Team.
Smooth
collaboration, Highquality deliverables,
and timely project
delivery.
CTO,
Project
Team.
Successful
integration of coffee
shops.
Full-time
Staff
Uncertainty about
changes, workload,
Better Resource
Allocation.
Part-time
Staff
Duty rotas, sick
leave, cover.
HR
Consultant
Store
Managers.
Coffee bean
suppliers
Customers
Address
concerns,
explain
benefits,
Training and
Metrics
Implementatio
n.
Improve duty
rotas, fair
treatment.
Regular updates
on progress and
partnership
integration,
Collaboration on
marketing
campaigns and
promotions.
Group meetings,
clear
communication,
introduce metrics
for footfall and
demand analysis.
Introduce selfservice portal for
shift
management.
Transition to
Establish HR
Consultation
dedicated in-house
department,
meetings, HR
HR department,
responsibilities training, and
effective HR
, and
support for the
operations.
protocols.
consultant.
Clear understanding Understanding Conduct training
of the unique selling USP and
sessions to
point and coffee
Resource
educate store
roasting process.
Allocation.
managers on the
unique selling
point and datainformed
decisions.
Long-term
Effective
Regular
partnerships, regular supply chain
communication
communication.
management
to discuss
product quality
and availability.
Conduct supplier
meetings to
address any
concerns or
feedback.
Consistent Stock
Inventory and Social media,
Availability.
Demand
newsletters,
Forecasting.
feedback forms.
HR
Department
, CTO, Store
Managers.
Acceptance of
changes, reduced
workload, Improved
communication, and
resource allocation.
HR
Department
, Store
Managers.
CTO and HR
Consultant.
Better scheduling,
employee
satisfaction.
CTO, Store
Managers.
Improved
communication and
resource allocation.
Procureme
nt team,
store
managers.
Reliable supply,
improved quality,
strengthened
relationships.
CTO, Store
Managers
Improved stock
availability and less
wastage.
Smooth transition to
the new HR
department.
Competitors
Market monitoring,
industry
participation.
Local
government
Regular contact,
compliance
management.
Local
communities
Community events,
communication
channels.
Food
Standards
Agency
Compliance with
Food Hygiene
Standards.
Price and
Market
monitoring.
Monitoring
competitor
activities and
market trends,
analysing
competitor
strengths and
weaknesses to
inform business
strategy.
Compliance
Participating in
with
government
environmental initiatives and
and food
public
safety code of consultations,
conducts.
communication
with local
authorities
regarding
compliance and
regulations.
Jobs
Community
opportunities, information
education and Sessions,
training,
Quarterly
Community
community
cohesion and
newsletter,
social
Dedicated
opportunities, Community
dust and noise. Liaison Officer.
Digitization of Cooperate with
Food Hygiene
food safety
Records.
inspections and
audits.
Providing
necessary data
and reports
promptly.
Business
developme
nt team,
manageme
nt team.
Market positioning,
differentiation,
competitiveness.
Manageme
nt team,
compliance
officer.
Good standing,
compliance, positive
relationships.
Store
managers,
community
liaison
officer.
Positive
relationships, brand
loyalty, minimized
impact.
CTO, Store
Managers,
Project
Team.
Improved
compliance with
food hygiene
standards.
4.1 EVALUATION AND MONITORING
By continuously evaluating and monitoring stakeholder engagement efforts, Rafferty's Coffee
can adapt its strategies and ensure effective collaboration with stakeholders to achieve its
goal of becoming a successful data-driven business. Various monitoring and evaluation
methods that could be adopted are outlined in the table below;
Figure 4.2 Evaluation and Monitoring methods and timing
Stakeholder
Monitoring and Evaluation Methods/Strategies
Michael and
Liam Rafferty
Board of
Directors
Chief
Technology
Officer (CTO)
Maxdon
Consulting
Board Meetings to review business
performance, financial reports, and progress.
Key Performance Indicator (KPI) reviews,
financial reports, and management updates
High Street
Retailer
Partnership integration progress updates and
joint strategy meetings.
Full-time
Staff
Part-time
Staff
HR
Consultant
Store
Managers
Coffee bean
suppliers
Employee performance evaluations,
engagement surveys, and feedback sessions.
Staff meetings, feedback sessions, and
performance evaluations.
HR metrics review, employee feedback sessions,
and performance evaluations.
Performance evaluations, staff meetings, and
feedback sessions.
Product quality assessments, supply chain
performance evaluations.
Customers
Customer feedback surveys, social media
interactions, and reviews.
Project status meetings, milestone reviews, and
progress reports.
Project status updates, milestone reviews, and
progress reports.
Local
government
Market analysis, competitor reviews, and
tracking customer preferences
Compliance reviews, community outreach, and
communication.
Local
communities
Community event feedback, surveys, and
community meetings.
Food
Standards
Agency
Food safety inspections and audits.
Competitors
5. CONCLUSION
Timeline
Quarterly
Bi-annually
Monthly
Weekly during active
development phase
Monthly during the
initial phase of
partnership
Quarterly
Bi-annually
Quarterly
Bi-annually
Bi-annually
Ongoing and after
specific promotional
events
Quarterly
As needed and during
public consultations
Ongoing and after
specific community
events
As required by
regulatory schedule
The stakeholder management plan is a crucial component of the data-driven business project
at Rafferty’s coffee. By identifying and engaging with stakeholders effectively, the project
team can ensure smoother implementation, reduced resistance, and fostered support from
key individuals and groups. Regular evaluation and monitoring of stakeholder engagement
will enable adjustments to be made in real-time, enhancing the overall success of the project.
With this plan in place, Rafferty’s coffee is well-positioned to achieve its goal of becoming a
data-informed and rapidly growing business.
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Johnson, P., & Davis, P. (2020). Project Management Best Practices for Successful Stakeholder
Engagement. New York, NY: Routledge.
Kerzner, H. (2017). Project Management Best Practices: Achieving Global Excellence (4th ed.).
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.