Stakeholder Negotiation
How to negotiate with stakeholders

Prioritization of Business Requirements must be a joint effort among all stakeholders. Since a stakeholder's role determines her perception of a project's priorities, there will be disagreements.

The overriding concern during negotiation must be finding a solution that best serves the needs of the organization. Egos must be set aside in favor of the greater good.

A good negotiator enters into negotiations with a full understanding of the project's overall goals and how each Business Requirement contributes to the whole. Only by placing all the elements in context can the negotiator understand where compromises may be made without endangering the project's success. Everyone involved in Stakeholder Negotiation must be willing to compromise.

Not every Stakeholder can participate in the negotiation process. Just as we saw with Requirements Gathering Interviews, it is best to limit participation to representatives from each Stakeholder group. Each representative serves the needs of her group and makes decisions on their behalf. For this reason, representatives should be the most influential members of each group.

If early consultation with Stakeholders was conducted properly, the negotiation process will likely run more smoothly. Consultation provides an organization with the opportunity to demonstrate its trustworthiness. Stakeholders must feel that their concerns have been taken into consideration. If they feel ignored in any way, they may view negotiation as a wasted effort.

Stakeholder Negotiation is a controlled process that proceeds on a fixed agenda. Timetables and deadlines keep the process on track. The negotiator's thorough understanding of the individual Business Requirements as well as the overall project scope allow him to take a strategic approach to negotiations.

ClearlyPUT's Requirementing process uses stakeholder negotiation as part of it's process.

Summary

The overriding concern during Stakeholder Negotiation must be finding a solution that best serves the needs of the organization. Everyone involved in the process must be willing to compromise. Stakeholders should be represented by the most influential member of each stakeholder group. A fixed agenda must be followed.

Requirementing Steps