IO Program Management Essential 2: Stakeholder Engagement

In my earlier post, I talked of Governance - the first essential of IO program management. But who are the stakeholders of an IO program? Understanding the complicated stakeholder landscape—and the stakeholder landscape is inevitably complicated—and managing it effectively is critical to successful program implementation.

Stakeholder management is a high-priority component on complex IO programs. The solutions that comprise the larger program impact many stakeholder groups. Proactive stakeholder focus is essential from the very beginning of program design.

What Could Go Wrong?

Even if there is focus on stakeholders from the beginning, challenges can arise if there is failure to attend to key factors. In our experience, there are three primary factors that can turn stakeholders into “program accelerators” or turn them into “program inhibitors.”

Definition of stakeholder types – Thorough understanding of all stakeholders touched by the program is essential. This is not simply an identification process; it involves “walking a mile in their shoes,” seeing the program from their eyes. What advantages does the program offer them in terms of how they do their jobs? What obstacles to acceptance may arise (e.g., the time it will take to learn new processes, additional tasks in their function due to changes in another function)? Failure to clearly define each stakeholder type is highly likely to result in slowdowns and other issues as the program rolls out.
Stakeholder representation – Understanding the stakeholders is one thing. Making sure that their concerns, interests and ideas are represented is another. This may seem an insurmountable task, but it is not. There may be a multitude of stakeholders voices, but it is possible, and necessary, to account for them all.
Communication to stakeholders – It is as important to communicate to stakeholders, in terms that are applicable to them and their roles in the organization, as it is to listen to them. It is not uncommon for an IO initiative to fall short in its communication to stakeholders. Treat communication as a project within the program management office and resource it appropriately. Then implement the project as soon as possible, preferably as soon as program design begins.

Happy Stakeholders = Happy IO

There are many ways to engage stakeholders in each phase of an IO program, and the ways you choose to do so will depend on your own situation. Make sure the three key factors are covered, and then design initiatives that will work well in the organization. Successful stakeholder engagement will go a long way toward a successful IO program.

In my next post, I’ll discuss the third essential, management processes.

About the Author

Mr. Bart Stafford leads the Wipro oil & gas upstream solution group focused on Production Optimization & Integrated Operations. He previously led SAIC's global digital oilfield solution until the Wipro acquisition of SAIC's oil & gas practice.

As a part of his responsibilities at SAIC and Wipro, he has worked directly with the Digital Oilfield/Integrated Operations programs at Chevron, ZADCO, Shell, PTTEP and Qatar Petroleum. In addition he has been an active participant in industry discussions and conferences focused on these topics. He has also worked with joint industry/academic initiatives focused on providing an educational foundation for college graduates who wish to pursue careers in this domain.

Prior to joining SAIC, he was vice president of product marketing and sales for upstream oil & gas software companies OpenSpirit and Petris Technologies. As account director at CSC Mr. Stafford managed a large outsourcing engagement for a U.S. based oil & gas major as well as delivering management consulting projects for oilfield services clients.

Mr. Stafford started his professional career with Mobil Oil and later moved to Burlington Resources where he progressed through technology management roles. Bart holds a degree in business data processing from Stephen F. Austin State University and a management certificate in energy from Rice University. Bart is a member of the SPE where he is a frequent speaker and conference committee participant.

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