Stakeholder engagement outside the supply chain

The importance of effective stakeholder management inside and outside the supply chain is recognised across the industry. It is underpinned by ‘soft skills’ and behaviours that sound deceptively simple yet are often executed poorly. This section follows RICS’ project management guidance in making the benefits of effective external stakeholder engagement clear while complying with the government’s Construction Industry Training Board, the Health and Safety Executive and the Construction Leadership Council’s Roadmap to Recovery. It will also outline the risks of poor execution and the potential repercussions for projects when engagement is not effective.

This section discusses the importance of identifying the objectives of the stakeholder management programme before examining how stakeholders outside the supply chain can be categorised and engaged with. The main emphasis is then on the key principles of effective stakeholder messaging, and the methods – both traditional and electronic – by which the right kind of engagement may be achieved during and following the COVID-19 pandemic.

A 30-point summary checklist for effective stakeholder management is then provided. This section focuses on stakeholder management outside the supply chain, although it should be read closely with Stakeholder management inside the supply chain given the strong crossover between these areas. 

This section is maintained by Charlotte Crake of Assystem.

RICS standards: Appointing a project manager

RICS standards: Lessons learned

RICS standards: Stakeholder engagement