Stakeholder Vision Involvement
This metric tracks the percentage of stakeholders who have read the project vision lately.
Main Description

Purpose

The vision document defines the stakeholder view of the technical solution to be developed. Stakeholder concurrence is critical for project success, therefore the vision must be kept current and reviewed by stakeholders in each iteration.

Definition

For each iteration, count the number of stakeholders who have read the vision. Calculate the percentage as follows:

Stakeholder Vision Involvement = (Number of Stakeholders Who Have Read The Vision / Total Number of Stakeholders) * 100

Analysis

A good way to monitor Stakeholder Vision Involvement over time is to use a trend line. Plot the number of stakeholders who have read the vision on the Y axis and iterations on the X axis. Group stakeholders by roles (e.g. users, sponsors) to ensure that all key stakeholder roles are covered.

Expected trend - The team should see a steady, high percentage throughout inception and elaboration. When stakeholders remain involved in the evolution of the vision, the risk to the project of misaligned expectations is significantly reduced.

Declining stakeholder vision involvement - When the number of stakeholders who read the vision declines after the initial iterations, the project is at risk. If the vision is not evolving and/ or not being reviewed, the stakeholders and the team may not have a shared understanding of the system to be developed. The team may deliver a solution that is unacceptable to one or more of its stakeholders. Confirm that the vision is easily accessible, brief, and written in non-technical terms so that it is easy for all stakeholders to understand. Ensure that a simple process is in place to alert stakeholders to vision updates requiring review.

Ongoing low stakeholder vision involvement - This trend indicates a serious problem and requires immediate attention. Stakeholders may not be involved because they do not support the project. Or, the team may have incorrectly identified the list of stakeholders. It could be that the team has not put in place a consistent process for collaborating with stakeholders. The team should reach out to stakeholders to confirm their support and participation. Implement a consistent process for stakeholder review of the vision as it evolves.

Frequency and reporting

Data should be collected at the end of each iteration so that the team lead can analyze trends.

Collection and reporting tools

Data can be captured in a simple spreadsheet with charting capabilities.

Assumptions and prerequisites

  • A vision has is developed and is maintained throughout the lifecycle
  • A list of project stakeholders is confirmed and correct.
  • Stakeholders have confirmed their commitment to the project and understand what participation is required.
  • The vision is stored in an easily accessible location

Pitfalls, advice, and countermeasures

  • If the vision is not maintained, and does not evolve, stakeholders will not be incented to review it.
  • When requests for review are sent to stakeholders, summarize any changes to the vision in the communication to encourage stakeholders to review the updates.
  • It is good practice to keep this artifact brief, so you can release it to stakeholders as soon as possible, and to make the artifact easy for stakeholders to read and understand.
  • Stakeholder involvement may taper off earlier for some stakeholder roles. For example, senior management may be most involved early in the project.