Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholder analysis.
A technique of systematically gathering and analyzing quantitative and qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account throughout the project.

Stakeholder analysis results in a list of stakeholders and relevant information about them:

• Their positions in the organization, 
• Roles on the project, 
• “Stakes,” 
• Expectations, 
• Attitudes (their levels of support for the project), 
• Interest in information about the project. 

Stakeholders’ stakes can include:

• Interest.  A person or group can be affected by a decision related to the project or its outcomes.
• Rights   (legal  or  moral  rights).  Legal  rights,  such  as  occupational  health  and  safety,  may  be  defined  in  the  legislation  framework  of  a  country.  Moral  rights  may  involve  concepts  of  protection  of  historical  sites  or  environmental sustainability.
• Ownership. A person or group has a legal title to an asset or a property. 
• Knowledge. Specialist knowledge, which can benefit the project through more effective delivery of project objectives, organizational outcomes, or knowledge of the power structures of the organization.
• Contribution. Provision of funds or other resources, including human resources, or providing support for the project in more intangible ways, such as advocacy in the form of promoting the objectives of the project or acting as a buffer between the project and the power structures of the organization and its politics.

Key Concepts of Project Stakeholder Management

Project stakeholder:
Person or entity, getting impacted or impacts, Positively or Negatively the project or its outcome.

Effective stakeholder management:
Begin the management from the beginning
Focus on continuous communication
Understand needs, pain points, expectations
Address issues early and as they occur
Manage conflicting requirements
Nurture and foster network within project stakeholders
This is an iterative process across the life cycle of project.

Trends & emerging practices:
Identify all stakeholders
All project team members should engage in stakeholder management activities
Consultative engagement with most impacted stakeholder(s) for the deliverable being produced.
Monitoring & Controlling and measuring the impact of positive & negative stakeholder engagement.

Adoption for Adaptive/Agile environments:
Adaptive/Agile teams ideally directly engage with stakeholder instead of intermediate roles.
Aggressive transparency
Highly iterative engagement.

Q&A Stakeholder Management

What are the dimensions measured on a stakeholder grid?

A. Access and availability
B. Expertise and influence
C. Interest and power
D. Motive and opportunity

2.  Which of the following is not a tool used to manage the stakeholder engagement?

A. Communication methods
B. Interpersonal skills
C. Management skills
D. Issue log

3. The primary purpose of the stakeholder register is:

A. To keep a list of all project stakeholders
B. To record stakeholder issues on the project
C. ​To map functional requirements but to the originate in stakeholder
D. To serve as a project directory

4. The most important element in project success is:

A. Stakeholder satisfaction
B. How the product meets the requirements
C. ​Overall product quality
D. ​Overall project quality

5. Which of the following does not identify someone as a stakeholder during stakeholder analysis?

A. Someone who proposes a solution
B. Someone who creates a need
C. ​Someone who is affected by the need
D. Someone who would be affected by the solution

6. Identified stakeholder needs should all be:

A. Addressed by the project product
B. Qualified
C. Ranked from greatest to least
D. Documented in the stakeholder management plan

7. Which of the following is not a classification of stakeholder engagement?

A. ​Unaware
B. Resistant
C. Leading
D. ​Participating

8. Dave is working on a matrix where he is measuring the stakeholder engagement on the project.  What dimension would he likely to be assessing and plotting?

A. ​Power and interest to influence the project
B. Ability and urgency to influence the project
C. ​Current and desired levels of interest
D. ​Expertise and availability to engage with the project

9. Which of the following statements is false regarding stakeholders?

A. Stakeholders may have a positive or negative interest in the success of the project
B. All stakeholders should be identified before the project execution begins
C. Stakeholders may not be affected by the outcome but may perceive that they could be affected by the outcome
D. Stakeholders may be people, or organizations

10. Which of the following is true concerning work performance data and work performance information?

A. ​Work performance data is used at the organizational level, while work performance information is used at the project-level
B. Work performance information is more useful than work performance data
C. Work performance data is collected from monitoring and controlling processes
D. Work performance information represents raw observations and measurements

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ANSWERS.

1.  C. When plotting stakeholder interest on a matrix, interest and influence, and sometimes involvement, are measured

2.  D. This may have looked hard, but it was not so difficult to reason out.  The issue log is the primary output of manage stakeholder engagement, so it could not also be a tool. A, B, and C are all tools used in that process

3.  A. The stakeholder register is a list of the stakeholders with their assessment and classification as it relates to the project

4.  A. This one should have been easy given the topic of the quiz, but you may well see questions like this on the PMP Exam.  While all of the elements are important, stakeholder satisfaction is the most important

5.  B. The term stakeholder is very broad and generally includes quite a few groups.  However, someone who creates a need is ambiguous enough to not fit well within this list. There will always be people who create needs or problems on your project, and that does not automatically qualify them as a stakeholder.

6.  C. Stakeholder needs are to be ranked from greatest to least.  This is key for determining project priorities. “A” would be wonderful, but it is not realistic to think that every need a stakeholder raises will be addressed by the project. ”B” is not a bad answer, but by the time they are identified, they are essentially qualified as stakeholders. ”D” may sound like a good answer, but the stakeholder management plan is created before the stakeholders have been identified.

7.  D. The five states of stakeholder engagement are Unaware, Resistant, Neutral, Supportive, and Leading. “Participating” might seem to make sense, but it is not a classification since the project manager does not typically need to measure the engagement of team members participating on the project.

8.  C. The stakeholder engagement matrix plots the current and desired levels of engagement by stakeholders.

9.  B. If you missed this one, don’t feel bad.  It is best to identify stakeholders early, but the key to getting it right is the word “all”.  Many of them may not emerge until late in the project.

10.  B. WPI and WPD show up in Control Stakeholder Engagement.  Remember that work performance data is raw, while work performance information has been analyzed and made more useful. “A” has no grounding in reality at all, and “C” and “D” are opposite of the truth

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In the stakeholder register the stakeholders can be classified into the following.

a.       Internal/external

b.      Supporter

c.       Neutral

d.      All of the above

2.      Influence/ Impact grid classify the stakeholder based on the following

a.       Power and Influence

b.      Influence and Impact

c.       Power and Urgency

d.      Power and Interest

3.      Which of the following is not input to Identify Stakeholders process

a.       Project Management Plan

b.      Project Charter

c.       Procurement  Documents

d.      Organizational Process Assets

4.      Organizational Process Assets that an influence the Identify stakeholder process include.

a.       Stakeholder register from the current project

b.      Issue log from previous projects

c.       Stakeholder register from Previous project

d.      None of the above

5.      The engagement level of the stakeholders can be classified as

a.       Unaware

b.      Resistant

c.       Neutral

d.      All of the above

6.       In a highway construction project the planning was complete and execution was about to begin.  The villagers living in vicinity came out and stopped the execution. They demanded a very high compensation that adversely impacted the budget and timelines of the project. Which process from PMBOK would have helped in preventing this problem from occurring?

a.       Identify Stakeholders

b.      Plan communication

c.       Plan Budget

d.      Develop Schedule

7.      Which of the following processes do not use meetings as a tools and techniques?

a.       Identify Stakeholders

b.      Plan Stakeholder Management

c.       Manage Stakeholder Engagement

d.      Control Stakeholder Engagement

8.      Project plan updates during  Manage Stakeholder Engagement Process  can be due to

a.       Change in the scope baseline

b.      Change in the schedule baseline

c.       Change in the cost performance baseline

d.      Replacement of an ineffective communication method by a new method

9.      Which of the following statement about the issue log is correct

a.       The Issue log contains Risks and is created during Manage Stakeholder Engagement Process

b.      The Issue log contains Issues and is created during Plan Stakeholder Engagement Process

c.       The Issue log contains Issues and Risks and is created during Control Stakeholder Engagement process

d.      The Issue log  is updates as new issues are identified and current issues are resolved during Manage Stakeholder Engagement Process

10.  Which of the following are output of Manage Stakeholder Engagement process

a.       Project Management Plan Updates

b.      Organizational Process Asset Update

c.       Change Request

d.      All of the above

11.  Which of the following is the process of monitoring overall project relationships and adjusting the strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders?

a.       Control Stakeholder Engagement

b.      Plan Stakeholder Engagement

c.       Manage Stakeholder Engagement

d.      Identify Stakeholders

12.  Work Performance Data is  input to which of the following process

a.       Control Stakeholder Engagement

b.      Plan Stakeholder Engagement

c.       Manage Stakeholder Engagement

d.      Identify Stakeholders

13.  Which of the following processes is used to process the change requests generated from analysis of project performance and interaction with the project stakeholders?

a.       Control Stakeholder Engagement

b.      Perform Integrated Change Control

c.       Manage Stakeholder Engagement

d.      Plan Stakeholder Engagement

14.  Who of the following are project stakeholders?

a.       Someone who thinks that they are impacted by the outcome of the project

b.      Competitors

c.       Team members

d.      Government

15.  Fill in the blank

Projects stakeholders are individuals, groups, or                     who may effect, be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by a decision, activity, or outcome of the project. 

a.       Team

b.      Team Members

c.       Sponsors

d.      Organization

16.  The number of stakeholders in a project depends upon

a.       Size of the Project

b.      Type  of the Project

c.       Complexity  of the Project

d.      All of the above

17.  Project Charter is an input in the Identify stakeholders process and it provides information related to

a.       Project Budget

b.      Major Risk

c.       Project Timelines

d.      Internal and External parties related with the project

18.  Which of the following document provides guidance in managing stakeholder’s expectations?

a.       Stakeholder Register

b.      Stakeholder Management plan

c.       Communication Management Plan

d.      Project Management Plan

19.  For a project that is a result of a procurement activity, which of the following is a key stakeholder?

a.       Suppliers

b.      Parties in the Contract

c.       Competitors

d.      Customers

20.  Which of the following are the contents of the Stakeholder Management Plan

a.       Desired and current engagement levels of key stakeholders

b.      Identified Interrelationship and Potential overlap between stakeholders

c.       Stakeholder communication requirements for the current phase

d.      All of the above

21.  Which of the following are true about  activities related to the process Manage Stakeholder Engagement

a.       Engaging stakeholders at appropriate project stages to obtain or confirm their continued commitment to the success of the project

b.      Clarifying and resolving issues that have been identified

The correct answers are:

a.       a & b

b.      a only

c.       b only

d.      None of the above

22.  Which of the following process has Interpersonal skills as a tools and techniques?

a.       Identify Stakeholders

b.      Plan Stakeholder Management

c.       Manage Stakeholder Engagement

d.      Control Stakeholder Engagement

23.  Which  document  provides the  information related to needs and techniques for communication among stakeholders

a.       Project Management Plan

b.      Stakeholder Register

c.       Stakeholder Management Plan

d.      Communication Plan

24.  Percentage work completed, technical performance measures , start and finish dates of scheduled activities , number of change requests, number of defects , actual costs and actual duration etc are included in

a.       Work Performance Information

b.      Work Performance Data

c.       Performance Reports

d.      Forecasting

25.   Which of the following process uses Information Management System as a tool and technique

a.       Identify Stakeholder

b.       Plan Stakeholder Engagement

c.       Manage Stakeholder Engagement

d.      Control Stakeholder Engagement

Answer Key – Project Stakeholder Management

1.      d

2.      b

3.      a

4.      c

5.      d

6.      a

7.      c

8.      d

9.      d

10.  d

11.  a

12.  a

13.  b

14.  c

15.  d

16.  d

17.  d

18.  c

19.  b

20.  d

21.  a

22.  c

23.  a

24.  b

25.  d

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Strategies for Stakeholder Management

How to manage Stakeholders and handle difficult Stakeholders?

Trust is identified as particularly important in obtaining support for and participation in change efforts. To increase the chance of successful project outcomes, we’ve identified seven considerations and actions that can be taken to reduce the chance of unwanted behavior.

1. Identify them and watch them closely.
This should be an ongoing action on your part. Like I said, an active champion might become a roadblock overnight. But if you’re monitoring your stakeholders’ email messages or comments on the latest status reviews, you’ll know when the tide is turning. In fact, ensuring communication channels are always open may even serve to head off some possible negativity.

2. Listen to what they’re saying.
Don’t close off communication channels just because you don’t like what you’re hearing. Try to see where they’re coming from and put yourself in their shoes. This way, you can better understand their motivation and goals.

Really put effort into understanding their point of view. And if what they’re saying is frustrating, ask yourself: Are their needs opposed to your project’s objectives? Do they simply want things done a different way? See if you can meet on common ground.

3. Meet them one on one.
Find a way to meet with difficult stakeholders individually. This way they don’t feel like they’re being put on the spot with other stakeholders as an audience — it might help take them off the defensive so you can communicate calmly. It’s important to take this time to get their viewpoint and what they feel could be a solution to the problem. Note: don’t just come out and ask why they aren’t supportive of your plan. Instead, ask an open-ended question about their opinion and how they feel the project is coming along.

4. Timing is everything
At the beginning of the project, identify key stakeholders and identify the “what’s in it for them” proposition in order to gain their buy-in and commitment. Aside from management direction, stakeholders will want to know their contributions and time are of true value to the project success and that they too will derive a benefit from it.

5. Establish trust
Remain accessible and engage in open and frequent communication with stakeholders, allowing them opportunity to voice concerns, be heard, and address important issues in a timely manner. Ensuring ongoing, and inclusive dialog with stakeholders creates an atmosphere of trust and allows for faster identification and resolution to issues as they arise. To gain stakeholder trust, as a project manager (PM) you must demonstrate you are trustworthy, respect stakeholder’s ideas and abilities, and resist the urge to micromanage.

Remember buy-in can additionally be influenced by secondary parties; allow project leads to convey the project’s purpose and importance to their own teams to ensure ancillary support, as needed, since workloads may also increase indirectly for other team members.

6. Clarify purpose, roles and expectations in advance
Be clear when conveying the purpose and scope of the project, establishing roles and expectations, and identifying deliverables and final outcomes. Provide stakeholders with an awareness of how their contributions directly and indirectly impact the success or failure of the project, and ultimately company goals.

Provide stakeholders with as much information and resources to enable them to be successful. Again, remain available to them for guidance as needed, and continually solidify objectives, expectations, timing and any changes to the scope of the project.

7. How to address difficult stakeholders
Despite all efforts to mitigate disputes with difficult stakeholders, there will be times when issues will crop up. In response, there are things that can be done to resolve issues, regain support and buy-in, and move ahead in a positive way.

These may be just a few of the stakeholder behaviors that can be encountered within various stages of the project lifecycle.

Types of stakeholder behaviors
The passive aggressive stakeholder may say they are in support of the project, yet object or create obstacles to derail or delay it at every opportunity. They may consistently and unnecessarily find issue with other stakeholder’s input or contributions; creating additional unnecessary work all the while verbalizing their commitment to the project.
The antagonist or intimidator may initiate arguments with other stakeholders or subtly or overtly put down their contributions, creating an environment of animosity and mistrust among team members.
The saboteur can be just as devastating, if not more because the damage is done behind the scenes and it’s harder to isolate and resolve. Stakeholders can be quietly manipulated long before the effects are noticed and identified.
The victim of circumstance may look to blame others for work not completed or missed deadlines and unsuccessful outcomes. It is important to note, that there may be times where missed outcomes can be due to the fault of others, but it’s important to know when this is really the case.An Important

Reminder: Don’t Burn Bridges

Four Strategies for Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders
use body language or underlying tones that indicate they are not satisfied, even if their words say otherwise
send emails that question elements of the project, but do not discuss these concerns in meetings
play “the devil’s advocate” to such an extreme that it discourages team members to voice their ideas or opinions
feign support in person, but openly diminish the team ‘behind closed doors’

Call Them on It – When you suspect there is an issue, simply say something to the stakeholder in a one-on-one kind of way. That alone might allow him to be more honest.
Prioritize Concerns – Once you understand what they are really struggling with, help her understand the prioritization of her concerns in relation to project goals. Maybe you can prioritize her issues, and maybe not.
Ask for a Helping Hand – Ask for help on specific tasks that highlight his strengths; this emphasizes that you value his input, as well as underscoring the importance of the project. Active engagement in developing pieces of the solution can help refocus one’s effort and support of the project.


7a. Confront Them - If you hate conflict like me, then this is a strategy you’ll be dreading, especially if they are more senior in the organisation than you are. In fact, the authors advise that you don’t publicly confront people who do wield more power than you. Stick to other, less career-destructive ways to discuss their behaviour with them.

If they are negative but you generally have a good working relationship with them, you could still try this approach: in private tell them that you are finding it hard to work with them because they seem negative. Are you reading it wrong or is there something at play here that you don’t understand? Then stand back…

You may have encountered other non-productive behaviors – or even been guilty of some of these yourself at one time or another. It’s important to note that stakeholders often bring valuable knowledge and experience to the table. Some opposition can be a great thing, if the purpose is to offer up different perspectives, present alternatives and mitigate risks for the good of the project. The difficult part is being able to determine the stakeholder’s true intent.

8. Determine the root cause
Identify stakeholder motivations for the difficult behavior. It’s also important to identify the root cause of the issue, discuss it with the stakeholder directly and gain their feedback. Sometimes the cause may be something that impacts only one stakeholder, or it may impact other stakeholders.

The only way to come to a solution or even just to contain the situation is to figure out what’s causing their sudden resistance. Are they worried about going over the budget? Anxious that the project isn’t turning out exactly how they envisioned it? Are they answering to a board of directors perhaps, who may have a different point of view on the project? If you can help address the underlying motivations behind their resistance you might be able to create a win/win situation and continue, despite difficulties.
When you don’t understand their odd point of view, take the time to watch their behaviour and try to get to the bottom of it. They could be negative about your project for a number of reasons including:
They don’t understand the benefits
They don’t think there will be any benefits
There is no advantage to them in completing the project
There is a disadvantage to them in completing the project.

You can also observe how they are with other people. In other words, are they grumpy and negative about everything or is it just your project? Armed with that information you can make decisions about where to go next.

Work on a resolution with the stakeholder that does not negatively impact others or impede the success of the project. It is important to note, there will not always be a solution that meets with the approval of a difficult stakeholder, and during those situations it’s critical to respectfully convey the reason for another decision in order to enlist their continued support and commitment to the overall business objectives.

9. Deal with it now, be direct
Ignoring difficult stakeholder behavior is not a strategy that will work; this is not the time to be indirect either. The behavior may be a sign of bigger underlying issues may have existed from the beginning and may snowball later. Take the time to immediately and directly determine the cause with the stakeholder, find an appropriate resolution and move ahead. Remain fair, respectful, objective, and professional, and remember to keep the project objectives within focus.

10. Involve the stakeholder in the resolution
In order for a resolution to be successful, the stakeholder will need to be accountable for their past and future behavior and actions, in relation to their contributions, and how they impact the team and the project. Have the stakeholder assist you in coming up with some solutions that will enable them to re-establish buy-in and commitment to the project. It will also be important to ensure the solutions are implemented and measured, and do not change the desired goals and objectives of the business.

11. Do not deal with issues when you are upset or feel like you are losing control. Conversations can derail quickly and emotions can run high, whether you are discussing with stakeholders from the business or technical team. To avoid doing or saying what you will regret later, reschedule the meeting for another time. This will give you enough time to calm down, reassess the situation and identify the best way forward.

12. Re-align Them - Ah, that’s more like it. This is the kind of gentle negotiation that I can get onboard with. It involves name dropping them in conversations about success, and pointing out how you couldn’t have done it alone. Get them on the winning team, not the opposite team. This is another take on flattery, really.
13. Choose your battles wisely. In some cases, confrontation with a difficult stakeholder can be beneficial and help to iron out issues for good. In other cases, it’s just not necessary. I’ll go further to say, “Choose whom you fight with wisely”. It is possible that the stakeholder you are dealing with does not have a final say on the contentious issue. Don’t spend precious time and energy debating issues if nothing will come out of it. Instead, save the debate for someone who can actually make a difference to the situation.

14. Do not take things personally. Do not take responsibility for another person’s behaviour. A difficult person may have become so due to a series of bad experiences. First of all, don’t take it personally. It might be hard to do – but, however distressing the impact of the behaviour, treat it as a work-related issue that requires management. It’s about the project, not you. If you become embroiled in a personality-driven winner-takes-all battle, the outcome will always be better for the side which has more authority and power. Even if that’s your side, you will have wasted a lot of energy and time, and lost the opportunity of a supportive stakeholder for a long time.

Detach yourself from the situation to be able to assess it objectively. People act difficult for different reasons and this is not necessarily a reflection of your shortcomings. Try to understand what the underlying reason is for their lack of cooperation and address it.

14. Setting deadlines for support and/or information keeps your team from getting down to the wire, only to discover they’re missing vital resources that are necessary to successfully complete the project. Name droppers and vanishers will more reliably hold up their end of the bargain if there’s a formal deadline for them to deliver the support and/or resources they initially promised. Bossers are less likely to interfere with the team’s project activities when clear deadlines have been set, since it keeps you on the controlling end of the relationship.

15. Explain the why. It’s possible that our project decisions make perfect sense to us, but we don’t take the time to communicate the rationale to stakeholders. The result can be confusion and conflict. In Robert Cialdini’s book Influence,he suggests that “because” is the most influential word in the English language because people are more likely to comply when they know the basis of a decision.

16. Escalate when necessary. If the stakeholder issue is causing your project to delay, you may need to escalate. Dr. Allan Cohen, author of Influence Without Authority, recommends you never blind-side someone by escalating an issue without a warning. For example, "We need to resolve this by Friday. Otherwise the project will slip, which means I will need to escalate it to the sponsor." Escalation need not be your first strategy, but it may be one you need to employ after unsuccessfully trying to resolve the issues yourself.


Without understanding why a stakeholder has become difficult or why buy-in has been lost, it’s impossible to successfully proceed with a project without continued friction. That said, there may be times when despite all efforts by a PM to resolve issues, the stakeholder may simply have no intention of working cohesively with the team. In situations like this, difficult decisions may need to be made.

Don’t take resistance personally and remember that business is business. No matter what, you cannot burn your bridges and dismiss the difficult ones just because they like they’re blocking your work from getting done. You will have to find a way to work with them (or around them) and defuse the situation.

One way to detach yourself is through the use of humor. Learn to use humor wisely to defuse tension.

Plan stakeholder management

Plan stakeholder management:
How to manage stakeholder engagement based on their needs, interests, communication needs, influence and impacts.
How to build a constructive relationship between project team

Salience model

Salience:
The degree to which a project manager prioritizes a Stakeholders need or expectation.


A problem facing project managers, especially in large projects, is how to communicate effectively with all the different stakeholders, who all have competing communication needs that they expect you, as the project manager, to fulfil. The Salience Model attempts to solve this problem by categorizing stakeholders according to their prominence. It works by rankingh stakeholders according to their power, legitimacy, and urgency.

Power: to influence the project deliverables or the organization
Legitimacy: of their interaction with the project and it’s appropriateness
Urgency: of their communication requirements
These categories overlap, and we acknowledge this by placing our stakeholders into the following Venn diagram:
As you can see, we have 7 categories of stakeholders in total (excluding non-stakeholders). We can write these groups in order of there prominence and the amount of attention you need to give each type of stakeholder as follows:

The classes of stakeholder which need special attention are those that overlap in the Venn diagram – 4, 5, 6 and 7. Class 4 (Dominant) stakeholders not only have the power but also have a legitimate claim for communication and thus their needs should be taken into account. Class 5 (Dangerous) stakeholders have the power, the need for time critical updates, but not the legitimacy. You need to pay special attention to these stakeholders and their needs as they could be dangerous to your project otherwise, possibly using their power and influence to build a concensus perception that your project is a failure. Class 6 (Dependent) stakeholders have the urgency and legitimacy but not the power – perhaps these stakeholders are part of your project team. These need to be kept informed. Their urgency and legitimacy can be a great asset to the project.

Class 7 (Definitive) stakeholders are the most important of all. They have the power, the right to demand urgency from you or the organization, and the legitimacy to demand the communication.

As a final note, remember that the different classes of stakeholder can be gained or lost over time, they are not static, so you may need to change how you communicate with different stakeholders as the project progresses.


Description  of each Stakeholder type or class

Dormant Stakeholders (Have Power - but No Legitimacy or Urgency)

The stakeholders who only possess power but have no legitimacy or urgency are known as Dormant Stakeholders.
Dormant stakeholders do not require active engagement. However, Project Managers need to recognize them because if these stakeholders acquire legitimacy or urgency, they can acquire more prominence (salience) for the project.
For example, employees who were laid off from the job could be a dormant stakeholders. But these stakeholder make acquire salience if they file a law suit against the company.

Discretionary Stakeholders (Have Legitimacy - but No Power or Urgency)

The stakeholders who are legitimate but have no power, and their interests are not urgent are considered Discretionary Stakeholders. A stakeholder may be legitimate but unless the stakeholder has power or need urgent attention, they would not receive the attention of the project manager.
The charity organizations, schools and hospitals that receive funding from the organization are examples of discretionary stakeholders. They possess no power or urgency to their claims.

Demanding Stakeholders (Have Urgency - but No Power or Legitimacy)

Demanding stakeholders are those who have urgent demands, but no power or legitimacy. They create “noise” and can be irritants, but are not dangerous to the project as they lack the power and legitimacy (which together equals authority), and unlikely to command much attention.
An employee asking for frequent raises outside of organization’s established policies is an example of a demanding stakeholder.

Expectant Stakeholders (Have any 2 or the 3 attributes)

Expectant stakeholders are those who possess any 2 of the 3 attributes - Power, Legitimacy, and Urgency. These are stakeholders who are “expecting something” from the project. Such stakeholders usually have an “active” stance to the project, compared to the “passive” stance of dormant stakeholders.
These are stakeholders that require active stakeholder engagement on the part of the project manager and the organization.
Expectant stakeholders can also be of 3 types - Dominant, Dependent, Dangerous- depending upon the combination of attributes - Power, Legitimacy, and Urgency - that they possess.

Dominant Stakeholders (Have Power and Legitimacy - but No Urgency)

Dominant stakeholders are those who possess both power and legitimacy, but not urgency. These stakeholder have legitimate stakes in the project and also possess the power to act on those stakes. These are stakeholder that “matter” to the project manager. The project manager needs to actively engage these stakeholders and have a strategy to manage these stakeholders.
For example, in case of our large manufacturing plant setup, the local government is a dominant stakeholder in the project. They have the power and legitimacy, but no urgency as such.

Dependent Stakeholders (Have Urgent and Legitimacy - but No Power)

Dependent stakeholders lack power but have urgent and legitimate stakes in the project.
For example, if the manufacturing plant is causing displacement of the local farmers in the area, then those farmers are “dependent” stakeholders in the project. They rely on other “powerful” stakeholders to uphold their interests. In our example, these powerful stakeholders could be non-profit NGOs, or even management of the company who are sensitive to the needs of the displaced farmers and offer them adequate compensation.
Though dependent stakeholders lack power, they can form coalitions with other groups of stakeholders and achieve power.

Dangerous Stakeholders (Have Power and Urgency - but no Legitimacy)

Stakeholder who possess power and urgency but do not possess the legitimacy to their claims, are considered dangerous stakeholders. Such stakeholders can be coercive or even violent in some cases.
For example, a local mafia or terrorist organization may seek to sabotage the development in the region that the new manufacturing facility may bring.
The project team needs to recognize these dangerous stakeholders and the threat they bring, and devise a plan to mitigate the threat posed by these dangerous stakeholders to the project.

Definitive Stakeholders (Have Power, Legitimacy and Urgency)

Stakeholders who possess power and legitimacy, and have an urgent need are known as definitive stakeholders. They demand the utmost attention from the project manager and need to be attended to in a timely manner.
For example, the stockholders of the organization who are powerful and legitimate feel that the new manufacturing plant is going to adversely effect the stock prices (urgency), they may oppose the project.

Source: Stakeholder Salience https://www.stakeholdermap.com/stakeholder-analysis/stakeholder-salience.html