Stakeholders and Communication in Defense Project Management: The Human Factor

All the Gantt charts in the world will not lead to project success unless you have defense senior leadership and major stakeholders committed, and keep them informed and involved with meaningful communication. Identifying stakeholders in defense projects can be even more difficult and politically important than in other private sector projects due to classification, interests of the industrial base, visibility to Congress, and potential for international participation.Once identified, those same factors can make unified messaging challenging. However, effective communication is a key ingredient in making the people impacted by the project, from senators to soldiers and sailors, feel involved, heard, and respected. Stakeholders who are engaged are more likely to be committed to the project goals, leading to improved performance and outcomes.This chapter identifies best practices in both stakeholder identification and analysis, as well as stakeholder engagement and communication within the defense project management field, and challenges to these practices, along with ways to overcome them.