How to See Connections Between Stakeholders Using Systems Thinking

Stakeholder engagement is a critical element of successful project management, helping ensure that key individuals and groups are aligned with project goals and outcomes. This guide supports project professionals in understanding the complexities of stakeholder engagement and how to approach it effectively using systems thinking. It covers:

• Why effective stakeholder engagement can be challenging, including differing perspectives, interests and levels of influence.
• How systems thinking can help address these challenges by providing a clearer view of relationships and interdependencies.
• Approaches to identifying stakeholders and understanding their roles within the project environment.
• Techniques for analysing stakeholders, including their interests, influence and connections.
• Ways to maximise stakeholder relationships and use these connections to support project success.

By applying these insights, project managers can improve their understanding of stakeholder dynamics, leading to more effective engagement, stronger relationships and better overall project outcomes.

ISBN: 978-1-913305-63-5
Price: £8
Available as A5 and can be viewed on APM Learning to members. 

Author bios:
Phil Macey is a Chatered Project Professional (ChPP) and a retired programme manager. His varied career includes extensive client facing international programmes predominately in the defence sector. He has also led international project teams to deliver complex IT capabilities to thousands of users. It was here that he began to appreciate the complexity of engaging stakeholders, realising that a failure to understand the differing perspectives and, in particular, values of stakeholder groups can quickly impact project success.

Ian Cribbes is an experienced Chartered Project Professional (ChPP) and a Fellow of APM with circa 40 years in the project management field at both UK and international locations. His experience covers a vast range of sectors from civil aviation through military aviation to local and central government organisations, higher education and leisure industries. Establishing his own consultancy company in 2013, he has engaged in furthering the project managing profession through mentoring colleagues and fellow project managers. His main focus is on the importance of stakeholder engagement and the roles and responsibilities of the project sponsor.