Stakeholders and uncertainty management in projects

Stephen Ward and Chris Chapman

Construction Management and Economics, 2008, vol. 26, issue 6, 563-577

Abstract: Stakeholders are a major source of uncertainty in projects. This uncertainty encompasses who relevant stakeholders are, how they could influence a project, and what their motives are in so far as their actions affect project activity. A generic project uncertainty management process framework is employed to provide a structure for a review of approaches to analysing stakeholders and related uncertainty management issues. This framework, the SHAMPU (Shape, Harness, and Manage Project Uncertainty) process, consists of nine phases: project definition, focusing the uncertainty management process, identifying sources of uncertainty, structuring issues, clarifying ownership, estimating variability, evaluating implications of uncertainty, harnessing plans, and managing implementation. A variety of approaches to stakeholder analysis are considered in relation to these phases. In particular, characterizing projects on a 'hard-soft' spectrum suggests generic strategies for managing stakeholder expectations and fostering trust between stakeholders. An important conclusion is that a systematic approach to stakeholder management is facilitated by the use of project uncertainty management processes that distinguish different stages of the project life cycle.

Keywords: Project management; risk management; stakeholder; uncertainty (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

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DOI: 10.1080/01446190801998708

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