BP-A.1: Identify stakeholders

This practice spans several phases of software development, but with diverse intensity. Below, we evaluate the intensity in the most distinct phases:

• Crucial: Initiation (project definition) phase
• Important: when major decisions concerning the scope and flow of the project are made
• Minor: other phases, in particular at requirements gathering and analysis, and releasing the project.

The practice applies to all projects, but in particular to the ones that cross-cut various areas of impact or interest, and that need to be negotiated.

1.1. Identification and overall management of stakeholders

1. Identify an initial group of stakeholders
   1. Consider teams, NRENs or individuals that could be affected or could impact the project.
   2. Look for similarities to other projects, either previous or current.
   3. Look for a dominant stakeholder, who is mostly interested in the outcome of the project.
2. Maintain (update) the group of stakeholders
   1. Publish the list of stakeholders and their representatives.
   2. Periodically update (involve and retire) the group of stakeholders.
   3. Apply snowballing to identify new stakeholders.
   4. Categorize the stakeholders with respect to their relevance for the project (e.g., key stakeholders, who are vitally interested in the project, and the remaining stakeholders)
   5. Identify possible relationships between stakeholders

1. The group does not include all relevant stakeholders
   
   1. The project may be subject to tensions, sudden changes or drifting;
   2. The decisions could be actually made/affected by people not officially involved in the project
   3. The project would be not driven by stakeholders, but rather by the project team
2. The group of stakeholders is not updated properly
   1. The group may not reflect the actual balance of interests

• BP-A.2: Establish communications with stakeholders