managing stakeholders (ls2010, session 804)

Who Gets the Final Say?

Managing Project Stakeholders

Session 804

John Feser & Jeff Idleman, The Iona Group

The Iona Group, Inc.

620 W Jackson Street

Morton, IL 61550

Ph:309.263.4662

www.ionagroup.com

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Introduction

• John Feser, Managing Partner, Learn Practice Area

• Jeff Idleman, Director, Learn Practice Area

• Participant Mix

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Participant Mix

• Internal vs. External

• Role

• Typical Size of Project

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Agenda

• Who is a stakeholder?

• Stakeholders Roles and responsibilities

• Managing the process

• Conclusion – 7 Rules

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Session Objectives

• Understand and recognize who the stakeholders are on your project and the roles they play

• Provide management tips to keep stakeholders contributing and not derailing

• Confidence through process

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Who are Project Stakeholders?

• Anyone who can say “No”

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Why is Stakeholder Management Important?

• Maintaining project

– Scope

– Schedule

– Budget

– Quality

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Project Stakeholders

Other Key Influencers

Project Sponsor

Steering Committee

Project Manager

ContentDevelopers

Technical Assistance

InstructionalDesign

Subject Matter Experts

ProjectChampion

StrategicDecisions

ContentDecisions

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Project Stakeholders

• The Project Sponsor has overall responsibility for the success of the project.

Project Sponsor

Other Key InfluencersSteering Committee

Project Manager

ContentDevelopers

Technical AssistanceInstructional

Design

Subject

Matter

Experts

ProjectChampion

Project Sponsor

- Business goals- Ultimate decision maker- Control

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Project Stakeholders

• The Steering Committee is responsible for setting project direction.

Steering Committee

Other Key Influencers

Project Manager

ContentDevelopers

Technical AssistanceInstructional

Design

Subject

Matter

Experts

ProjectChampion

Steering Committee

- Detailed goals and objectives- Project requirements- Measure success

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Project Stakeholders

• The Project Champion is the main cheerleader for the project.

Project Champion

Other Key Influencers

Project Manager

ContentDevelopers

Technical AssistanceInstructional

Design

Subject

Matter

Experts

ProjectChampion

- Provides motivation- Communicates benefits- Reaps direct benefits

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Project Stakeholders

• Other key influencers act as liaisons between the project and other impacted areas of the organization.

Other Key Influencers

Project Manager

ContentDevelopers

Technical AssistanceInstructional

Design

Subject

Matter

Experts

Other Key Influencers

- Legal- Information Technology (IT)- Marketing/Branding

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Project Stakeholders

• The Project Manager is responsible for the overseeing the day to day efforts on the project and making sure the project stays on track

Project Manger

ContentDevelopers

Technical AssistanceInstructional

Design

Subject

Matter

Experts

Project Manager

- Day-to-day management• Scope• Schedule• Budget• Quality

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Project Stakeholders

• Instructional designers define the learning objectives and ensure the learning objectives are met.

Instructional Designers

ContentDevelopers

Technical Assistance

Subject

Matter

Experts

InstructionalDesigners

- Audience analysis- Environment analysis- Establish learning objectives- Design course structure

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Project Stakeholders

• Subject matter experts provide the content expertise for the course.

Subject Matter Experts

ContentDevelopers

Technical Assistance

Subject MatterExperts

- Ensure Learning Objectives are met

- Determine content - Content presentation

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Project Stakeholders

• Content developers create the content for the course

Content Developers

Technical Assistance

Subject

Matter

Experts

ContentDevelopers

- Write copy- Media preparation- Program interactions- Create assessments

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Project Stakeholders

• Technical assistance is often required to assist in determining how best to provide learners access to the course

Technical Assistance

ContentDevelopers

Subject

Matter

Experts

TechnicalAssistance

- LMS integration- SCORM compliance- Delivery approach

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Project Stakeholders

• More skills involved

• Longevity

• Formality and permanence

Why is this important?

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Questions

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Jeff Idleman Intro

• Director of the Learn Practice Area

• Help frame up the front end of this process – definition and design

• Have worked with ADM, Caterpillar, John Deere, large insurance companies, the Museum of Science and Industry and many others. Managed up to 150 employees and have been a consultant for the past 15 years.

• Will show you the process we use to do this consistently. Time after time.

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Managing the Process

•Managing stakeholders is the cause of and solution to all of life’s problems

• Painting Pictures

– Painting one picture as a group

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Rules to live by

• No one knows exactly what they want

• Each stakeholder has a different vision

• Obsessed with FAST and CHEAP but can’t tell you WHAT

• “I don’t know what I want and I won’t be happy until I get it. “

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Lessons Learned

• It is your job to set up and manage a process that helps your stakeholders discover what they want

• If you don’t do this, you will fail.

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Managing Expectations

• Show your solution methodology early and often

• Focus on the Define, Design phases

– If these are flawed, you’re in trouble

• Have a project plan that spells out:

– Plan of Work

– Strategic Plan

– Content Outline

– High-level Design

– Navigation Outline

– Final Storyboards

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Project Plan

• This defines your playing field

– Park “great ideas” for working on later

– Or, basis for change order

• Rules of No

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Summary

• Rules of “No”

– No going out of bounds (stay within the process)

– No approval amnesia (document decisions)

– No bullying (build consensus)

– No communication breakdowns (if approvals stall, stop the train)

– No big steps (lots of little steps)

– No sightseers (everyone should have skin in the game)

– No last minute stakeholders (identify up front)

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Solution-Methodology

• Understand key objectives and learning points• Understand current environment• Analyze end user requirements• Agreement on work plan, personnel and milestones

• Create media content• Programming • Assemble components• Alpha and Beta test – includes collaborative review

Define1 è

Design2 è

Develop3 è

Deliver4 è

• Determine key functional and technical components

• Design interface/user interaction• Create scripts or storyboards• Develop a “blueprint”

• Implement solution• Measure results• Gather feedback• Modify as appropriate

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Initial Definition

• What is the overall goal/purpose of the project?  

• What are the specific learning objectives?

• What are the entertainment objectives?

• Are there any additional sponsors/stakeholders who should be included in the design process?

• Who is the target audience?

•  What is the creative direction?

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Initial Definition

• What are the takeaway beliefs or understanding that you would like to create?  

• When is the project due?

• Is there existing content that should be preserved?

• Will certain programs be translated?  Into what languages?

• What reference materials/content materials already exist? 

• Who is the client contact?  Who has the authority to make decisions?

• Does the client have a budget limitation?  

• How will success of the project be measured?

• (Continued)

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Initial Definition

• Help stakeholders discover what they want to do

• Paint a picture on the wall of what it looks like when it’s done

• No trainwrecks

• Why?

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Tough Love

• Organization and timely decision making will be critical to success

• This will be a TEAM effort

– Will require work from both groups

– Will require a sharing of knowledge, experience and vision

– We all “own” the project

• No committees, no sightseers, no bullies

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More Tough Love

• Who provides the momentum?

– Who is the “champion” for this project?

• When will we make critical decisions?

– Major decision milestones will be noted in the project schedules

– Timely responses by the stakeholders will be critical to maintaining progress

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More Tough Love

• Who will make decisions

– Who is the head approval stakeholder?

– Who are supporting approval stakeholders?

– Who is the head content stakeholder?

– Who are supporting content stakeholders?

– Who are the implementation stakeholders?

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Consequences

• What happens if we fail to make decisions on a timely basis?

– Miss deadlines

– Lose momentum

– Unable to develop the focus and creative energy necessary to be successful

– You will take the blame for this

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Richland CC • Case Study

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Shedd Aquarium • Case Study

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Schedule

• Plan of Work & Strategic Plan 8 days

• Content Outline 12 days

• Navigation Outline & Wireframes 10 days

• High-Level Design 11 days

• Storyboards 11 days

• (2 months) Total 52 days

•

(*See Full Sized Printed Document)

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Plan of Work

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Strategic Plan

• Messages

– Richland is educating, innovating and sustainable

– Richland is a player and a leader

– Takeaway message for the student “I can do this.”

– Can tell the story quickly to visitors and donors in accessible locations

• (Continued)

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Strategic Plan (cont.)

• Audiences

– Students (secondary and elementary)

– Donors

– Career Fair attendees

– People in work force who return to college to upgrade their skills

– Agrication – agricultural education as it ties in to this building

– Community

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Content Outline

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Content Outline (Continued)

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Conceptual Design

• First, ask for examples of things that they like

• Then (using the content outline) identify learning content that will be developed

– Let the picture tell the story

• What “look and feel” should be used?

– Be sure to follow graphic standards

• Develop examples of how it could be approached

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Conceptual Design (Continued)

• Images of the construction process that relate to the interviewers and shows them working on the project so that potential students can see the process could be created

• Dramatic perspectives could be used to entice users and create a feeling of depth for growth

• A schematic wireframe of the building can be used as a basis for the design and functionality.

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Graphical User Interface Navigational Flow Chart

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Content Outline

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Graphical User Interface Wireframes

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Graphical User Interface Designs

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Graphical User Interface Designs (Continued)

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The Result

• There were very few changes when the final storyboards were presented

• The stakeholders “owned” the content and look and feel at that point

– We “painted the picture.”

• They have also been able to use the Design material to generate financial support and excitement for the finished product

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Summary

• Rules of “No”

– No going out of bounds (stay within the process)

– No approval amnesia (document decisions)

– No bullying (build consensus)

– No communication breakdowns (if approvals stall, stop the train)

– No big steps (lots of little steps)

– No sightseers (everyone should have skin in the game)

– No last minute stakeholders (identify up front)

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The Payoff

• The Rules of No build a culture of Yes