Programme Stakeholder Management

Programme stakeholder management operates at a strategic level, engaging diverse stakeholder groups across organisational boundaries to build coalitions for transformation success.

Programme vs Project Stakeholder Management

Aspect Project Level Programme Level
Scope Project-specific stakeholders Cross-organisational, strategic
Complexity Defined group Multiple, overlapping groups
Focus Delivery support Strategic alignment, change adoption
Duration Project timeline Extended, evolving
Politics Limited Significant
Change impact Contained Widespread

Stakeholder Categories

Programme Stakeholder Groups

Category Examples Engagement Focus
Sponsors SRO, Investment Board Advocacy, resources, decisions
Business leaders Directors, heads of function Alignment, change adoption
Users End users, customers Adoption, feedback, benefits
Delivery Programme team, projects Coordination, motivation
Enablers IT, HR, Finance, Legal Support, dependencies
External Regulators, suppliers, partners Compliance, collaboration
Influencers Unions, opinion leaders Support, resistance mitigation

Stakeholder Mapping

flowchart TD A[Programme] --> B[Internal] A --> C[External] B --> D[Senior Leaders] B --> E[Business Units] B --> F[Support Functions] B --> G[Delivery Teams] C --> H[Customers] C --> I[Regulators] C --> J[Partners] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J blue

Strategic Stakeholder Analysis

Power/Interest at Programme Level

Quadrant Stakeholders Strategy
High Power, High Interest SRO, Business Directors Close partnership, co-creation
High Power, Low Interest CEO, Board members Targeted updates, escalation path
Low Power, High Interest User groups, unions Engagement, address concerns
Low Power, Low Interest Peripheral teams Awareness communications

Stakeholder Influence Network

Map how stakeholders influence each other:

Stakeholder Influences Influenced By
CEO Board, Directors Chairman, Market
Operations Director Operations teams CEO, Customers
IT Director IT teams CEO, Vendors
Union Rep Frontline staff Members, Directors

Engagement Planning

Engagement Levels

Level Description Activities
Lead Active advocacy Design input, champion role
Support Willing to help Regular involvement, feedback
Neutral Neither for nor against Awareness, information
Resistant Concerns or opposition Address concerns, negotiate
Blocker Active opposition Direct engagement, escalation

Current to Target State

Stakeholder Current Target Actions
Operations Director Neutral Lead Involve in design, show benefits
IT Director Support Lead Address concerns, partnership
Finance Director Resistant Support Business case clarity, cost control
Union Representative Blocker Neutral Early engagement, consultation

Engagement Strategies

By Stakeholder Type

Type Strategy Tactics
Executives Strategic partnership One-to-one briefings, steering group
Business leaders Co-creation Workshops, working groups
Middle management Enable and support Training, resources, recognition
Frontline staff Communicate and involve Town halls, feedback channels
Customers Listen and inform Surveys, user groups, updates
Unions Consult and negotiate Formal consultation, agreements

Engagement Methods

Method Best For Frequency
Executive briefing Senior sponsors Monthly
Steering committee Cross-functional leaders Monthly
Working groups Design and planning Weekly
Town halls All staff Quarterly
Newsletters Broad audience Monthly
Drop-in sessions Q&A, concerns As needed
One-to-ones Key individuals As needed
Surveys Feedback at scale Periodic

Communication Strategy

Key Messages

Audience Key Messages
All Vision, why change, benefits, timeline
Leaders Strategic rationale, role expectations
Managers How to support teams, resources
Staff What changes, what stays, support available
Customers Improvements coming, transition support

Communication Channels

Channel Reach Richness Best For
Face-to-face Low High Complex messages, concerns
Video call Medium High Remote engagement
Town hall High Medium Updates, Q&A
Email High Low Information, documentation
Intranet High Low Resources, FAQs
Video High Medium Vision, stories
Newsletter High Low Regular updates

Building Coalitions

Identifying Allies

Potential Ally Value Approach
Change champions Peer influence Recruit, support, recognise
Subject experts Credibility Involve in design
Informal leaders Network influence Early engagement
Success stories Proof points Publicise, celebrate

Coalition Building Process

flowchart LR A[Identify
Potential Allies] --> B[Build
Relationships] B --> C[Align
Interests] C --> D[Coordinate
Actions] D --> E[Sustain
Coalition] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E blue

Managing Resistance

Sources of Resistance

Source Manifestation Response
Fear of unknown Anxiety, questions Clear communication, support
Loss of control Defensiveness Involvement in design
Past experience Cynicism Acknowledge, show difference
Workload concerns Avoidance Resource support
Political interests Opposition Address interests, negotiate
Genuine concerns Critique Listen, adapt if valid

Resistance Response

flowchart TD A[Resistance
Identified] --> B[Understand
Root Cause] B --> C{Valid
Concern?} C -->|Yes| D[Adapt
Approach] C -->|No| E[Address
Perception] D --> F[Communicate
Change] E --> F F --> G[Monitor
Response] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F,G blue

Senior Stakeholder Management

SRO Relationship

Activity Purpose Frequency
One-to-one Updates, guidance, support Weekly
Briefing prep Align messaging for board Before meetings
Issue escalation Resolve blockers As needed
Stakeholder support Peer influence As needed

Managing the Board

Tactic Benefit
Pre-meetings Socialise issues before formal meeting
Individual briefings Understand concerns, build support
Clear asks Specific decisions required
Options Present alternatives, not problems
Allies Leverage supportive members

Stakeholder Engagement Plan

Plan Components

Section Content
Stakeholder register Who, role, interest, attitude
Analysis Power/interest, influence network
Strategy Current to target state by stakeholder
Key messages Core messages by audience
Activities Engagement activities and timing
Channels Communication channels
Responsibilities Who manages each stakeholder
Metrics How success is measured

Activity Calendar

Stakeholder Group Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Executive team Briefing Steering Steering Steering
Business leaders Workshop Updates Workshop Updates
All staff Town hall Newsletter Town hall Newsletter
Customers Survey   Survey Launch

Measuring Engagement

Engagement Metrics

Metric How to Measure
Awareness Survey: % aware of programme
Understanding Survey: % understand impact
Support Survey: % supportive of change
Adoption Usage data, compliance
Advocacy Champions active, referrals
Satisfaction Engagement satisfaction score

Engagement Health Check

Question Red Amber Green
Do stakeholders understand the vision? <50% 50-75% >75%
Is there executive support? Wavering Adequate Strong
Are concerns being addressed? Mounting Managing Minimal
Is resistance decreasing? Increasing Stable Decreasing
Are champions active? None Few Many

Stakeholder Risks

Risk Mitigation
Key sponsor leaves Cultivate multiple sponsors
Stakeholder fatigue Targeted, efficient engagement
Conflicting messages Single source of truth
Unaddressed concerns Feedback mechanisms, response
Political opposition Early engagement, negotiation
Change resistance Change management approach

Stakeholder Management Checklist

Setup

  • All stakeholder groups identified?
  • Stakeholder register created?
  • Analysis complete (power/interest)?
  • Current and target states defined?
  • Engagement strategies documented?
  • Key messages developed?
  • Communication plan in place?
  • Responsibilities assigned?

Ongoing

  • Regular engagement happening?
  • Concerns being captured and addressed?
  • Resistance being managed?
  • Coalition building progressing?
  • Metrics being tracked?
  • Plan being updated?
Last updated: 13 January 2026