“The Hidden Dissuaders”
(with apologies to Vance Packard)
Mary McKinlay FAPM
APM South-East Branch November 15th 2011
Mary McKinlay Projects Ltd
Vance Packard – Who?
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American 1914 – 1996
In 1957 published “The Hidden Persuaders”
Book about advertising techniques – often covert
Gave examples of their use in politics
Opened public eyes to what he called our “hidden
needs”
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The Hidden Dissuaders?
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Otherwise known as STAKEHOLDERS
Who?
What?
Where?
When?
How?
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Who Am I?
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Managing Director Mary McKinlay Projects Ltd
Adjunct Professor of PM at SKEMA
Teaching Fellow Middlesex University
30+ Years in Aerospace and Defence Business
Degree in Systems Engineering
Worked on Lifecycle Management and Project
Management Methodology
 “Problem” Project work
 Member of APM Board
 Member of ICCPM Board
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Agenda
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Introduction
Identifying and Understanding Stakeholders
Balancing their needs
Defining Project Success
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What is a Project?
 “A Project Is A Unique Transient Endeavour
Undertaken To Achieve A Desired Outcome”
(APM Body of Knowledge v5)
 Projects can be of any kind
 All Projects result in change
 What about Programmes?
 And Portfolios?
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Projects
 Have defined scope/deliverables – WHAT?
 Are time bounded – WHEN?
• Have clearly defined start and finish
 Have an element of uniqueness
 Are usually multidisciplinary
• Involve integration
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Require specialist management techniques
Have single-point responsibility (the PM)
Have a strong implementation bias
Contain risk
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The “Iron” Triangle
TIME
SCOPE
COST
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QUALITY
The Change Management Iceberg
C T Q/S
Pr
PP
P&B
Ho
Op
P&P
Negative
Positive
Under the surface – Management of perceptions and beliefs
Management of power and politics
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Who are the Stakeholders?
 “Any person or group who may affect or be affected
by the project”
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Project Stakeholders
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Customer
Project Sponsor
User
Project Team Members
Suppliers
Subcontractors
Service Departments/Functions
Senior Management
Shareholders
Society
Local Communities
Government
???????
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Systems View of a Project
 Primary Stakeholders within the system
Secondary
Stakeholders
Secondary
Stakeholders
Primary
Stakeholders
 Secondary Stakeholders in the Environment
• They are not part of the system but can affect it
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Secondary
Stakeholders
Primary Stakeholders
Some examples
Project Manager
Customer
Project Team
Suppliers and Sub-Contractors
Company and Management
Shareholders
End Users???
may affect the project directly
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Questions to be answered
Project Manager
Why are you doing this job? What do
you want as your outcome?
Project Team
What does the team want? Are there
issues on development and careers?
Company and Management Why is the Company taking on this
job? Is it Strategic? What is the desired
outcome? Margin? Further work?
Shareholders
Is increase in Shareholder value the
main issue?
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More Questions
Customer
Suppliers and Sub-Contractors
End Users
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Why are you undertaking this
project? What is the most
important element of the job? Key
requirement? Is the project
sensitive to cost/time/quality
issues…….????
Why have they accepted the job?
How important is it to them?
Who are they? Do they have the
same view as the Customer?
What are their expectations?
Secondary Stakeholders
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Government Bodies
Political Groups / Pressure Groups
National and International influences
Local people
• Affected by development
• Related to employees
Project Management should seek to
understand the potential impact both on
them and the project
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Stakeholder Matrix
B – High Interest / Importance,
Low Influence
A – High Interest / Importance,
High Influence
They will require special
initiatives if their interests are to
be protected
They are the basis for an effective
coalition of support for the project
D – Low Interest / Importance,
Low Influence
C – Low Interest / Importance,
High Influence
Stakeholders are of less
importance to the project, but
monitoring of their influence must
be maintained.
Stakeholders can influence the
outcomes of the project, but their
priorities are not those of the
project. They may be a risk or
obstacle to the project
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Force Field Analysis
 Kurt Lewin
Driving
NO CHANGE
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Restraining
CHANGE
Defining Project Objectives
 Formal Sources
• Requirement Specification
• Contract
• Plan
IS THIS ENOUGH?
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Project Objectives
 Formal Sources
• Requirement Specification
• Contract
• Plan
 PLUS…….
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Identification of Stakeholders
Understanding needs
Asking questions
Recording results
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“The Beholders”
Stakeholders – Their Objectives
HARD OBJECTIVES
 usually (but not
always)
documented
SOFT OBJECTIVES
 rarely documented
 often not even
articulated
Examples:
Contract
 stakeholders soft
Scope of work
objectives may
Work Package Description
conflict
Mission Statement
 often change during
Policy Document
White Paper
project
For projects to be perceived a success, we
must know these objectives, and meet as
many as possible
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Critical Success Factors
 …those (measurable) factors, that, when present in
the project’s environment, are most conducive to the
achievement of a successful project (APM BoK)
 Key Performance Indicators
Are project management indicators that are determined
at project start and reflect directly on the key
objectives of the project
(APM BoK)
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The Project
 The Critical Success Factor on any project is
Understanding the Stakeholders needs and delivering the
right balance
 Stakeholder Analysis should be undertaken at Project
Inception
 With this understanding Critical Success Criteria can
be defined
• This will enable the success of the project to be judged at the
end
• These should be recorded and retained with all other project
information
 Key Performance Indicators can be derived from the
Critical Success Criteria and they are used to monitor
progress.
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More uses of Critical Success
Criteria
 Risk Assessment
• If you know what success looks like – it is easier to assess
threats
• Risk can be better focussed, more realistic
 Assign Priorities
 Help to the Project Manager to understand and
predict behaviour
 Definition of Key Performance Indicators – help to
monitor project
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The vital links………….
identify (key) stakeholders
identify stakeholder
objectives/expectations
define project objectives
identify critical success factors
identify & analyse risks
define key performance indicators
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quote from Sir John Harvey-Jones:
"Planning is an unnatural process - it's
much more fun to get on with it.
The real benefit of not planning is that
failure comes as a complete surprise
and is not preceded by months of worry"
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Project Manager Roles
Accountant
Business Man
Diplomat
MIND READER
Social Worker
Magician
Mentor
Coach
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Success?
Is in the eye of
the beholder?
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Project Management
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