You quickly realize that you need to identify the root cause of the issue and develop a strategy to address the Executive Sponsors issue quickly and effectively. As you struggle with Tom and Dianes demand of what a satisfactory strategy would be, you decide to focus on some questions that first need to be answered. They are as follows:

1. Did Rebecca make an error in omitting David from the XYZ Corp. Stakeholder Register? Why?
2. Is the issue with David an operational issue, a project issue or something else altogether?
3. Is Earned Value Analysis an appropriate request from the client, given the performance issues on the project? Why or why not?
4. What strategy would you propose to rectify project issues for the remainder of the project?
5. To avoid these issues in the future is there something that could be documented or done as part of a process or a procedure which would stop this before it happens?

Forward: Business Insight as the consulting organization tries to deal with some client's issues. The events within the case study took place amongst the full-time resources of the consulting firm. Here, this example is used as the breakthrough event that exposes the continuing problem of stakeholder engagement and work prioritization, specifically through the Monitoring \& Control Process Group. Project Management usually focuses on cost, scope, and schedule; however, the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK@ Guide) consists of many other aspects, or knowledge areas, such as the management of Procurements, Risks, Stakeholders, and Requirements. Stakeholder Management is not an area to be treated lightly nor should it be neglected. The intersectionality of skills and personalities of the people working on your project can create issues that a project manager may ignore, to the detriment of the project. The Case Study: The VP of Operations and CEO of Business Insight have called you into the office boardroom for a closeddoor meeting. You have been feeling stressed lately juggling stakeholders across 5 different projects. Resourcing has been a challenge in your small firm, and you feel as though there are "too many cooks in the kitchen." Deliverables have been missed on multiple projects and the key stakeholders are beginning to show signs of resistance to the project objectives. The CEO closes the door behind you as you walk in. "Good morning, Rebecca, I received a note from our Executive Sponsor at XYZ Corp. They are disappointed with project delivery and want an Earned Value analysis on the project work completed to date." You take a sip of your coffee as you reflect on this specific project and client. When you first began managing this project for this client 18 months ago, your stakeholder analysis showed that all stakeholders were actively engaged, and senior leaders supported the strategic initiative. As work began on the project deliverables, you noticed that the key Subject Matter Expert (SME) on the project, David Black, was spending more time than necessary with the client, and refused to report in on the "work accomplished" during that time. There is currently six months remaining in the project. "Well Tom, firstly I would like to thank you for bringing this to my attention. Secondly, I would like to be briefed on the escalation and the specific request for Earned Value analysis." Your brain starts spinning as Tom describes the nature of the escalation. "Our executive sponsor at XYZ Corp. has received complaints from managers within their company. The managers feel that their time is being wasted in meetings with David, and that specific tasks agreed to during these meetings never get implemented - what have you seen?" You falter in your initial response because David is not only a SME on this project, but a VP in your firm as well. It is not your responsibility to tell David how to do his job, but rather monitor his work according to the agreed upon plan. Immediately you realize that you have not appropriately managed the work on this project, nor the effort being expensed on David's behalf. Without clear identification of the time spent and the work accomplish by David, your timeline is potentially in jeopardy. "Tom, I do not believe that Earned Value Analysis would be beneficial on this project. Let me tell you why..." Tom cuts you off, stating that, as the project manager, it is your professional duty to manage the planning and implementation of our clients' projects. You are stunned. Technically Tom is correct, but surely, he understands that this situation is more delicate than currently perceived. You try to understand the CEO's need for bottom-line information, but your expertise in project management prompts you to say: "Yes absolutely, it is my duty to plan and implement our client projects. Above that, it is my job to successfully manage each person working on the project. David has proved time and again to be resistant to project management methodology and my position in ensuring effective project delivery." Tom scans through notes and opens his laptop to review emails, while you sit in silence. Tom turns to the VP of Operations, Diana, and asks: "I don't see any notes from Rebecca on issues with David. Seeing as she reports into you, do you have anything on record that shows David's resistance to this project with XYZ Corp?" You and Diana exchange looks because you both know that there had been an abundance of informal discussions between the two of you regarding David's performance with XYZ Corp. The issue running through your mind right now is whether Diana ever took the discussions seriously, or whether she thought you were just blowing off steam. Before Diana could respond, Tom bellows: "You were both hired because you hold your PMP@ designation. From my understanding, this means that you can professionally manage projects and resources to successfully complete projects. It is your responsibility to successfully manage client projects and all people who work on them. I don't care if David is a VP. Get this under control!" As David stands to signify yours and Diana's exit, you reflect upon your earlier feeling of inefficient project management. You tell yourself that you shouldn't feel discouraged, especially when your initial stakeholder analysis showed all stakeholders as engaged and supportive. Furthermore, you are having a challenging time trying to reconcile the client's request for Earned Value Analysis on what appears to be an internal operations issue. You hurry to your desk with the hope that there will be an e-mail in your sent mailbox to Diana detailing the specific issues with David regarding XYZ Corp. Surely there has to be something that shows you've been raising this risk for months. Within minutes of your e-mail scan, Diana drops the Project Management Plan on your desk and asks you to refer to the stakeholder register. Your heartrate increases as you realize that Diana is planning to point out another error in the management of this project with XYZ Corp. You review your stakeholder register as carefully as you can with Diana standing over your shoulder. Each element is seemingly in order: - Name - Title - Role - Description - Status (all actively engaged) - Power/ Influence - Contact information - Management strategy You turn to Diana ready to argue your point about how this issue is operational in nature and how Earned Value Analysis is irrelevant to addressing the client's issue when Diana points out that David does not appear on the stakeholder register. You stumble in your response, as you believe that David's performance issues are an operational issue, and thus Diana's responsibility. You tread carefully: "Diana, as a full-time employee of our company, it is my understanding that David's performance is an operational issue. His personality and resistance to project management methodology far transcends the issue with XYZ Corp. I don't believe that David should be included in this Stakeholder Register. Any performance issue that has been exacerbated as a part of this project is a larger issue that cannot be addressed by me as a project manager." Diana disagrees. "Rebecca, we both know that a project stakeholder is anyone who stands to be impacted, negatively or positively, by the project. David certainly falls into this category as a VP in this firm, but also as a lead SME for the project. I notice that in the plan you did not identify any internal stakeholders. I take partial responsibility for not reviewing and identifying additional stakeholders, but you need to understand that this is not strictly an operational issue." This prompts you to use the Earned Value Analysis to further defend your position. "I understand where you are coming from. However, the pertinent issue right now is that the client has requested Earned Value Analysis. As I've mentioned, David is a full-time operational resource, and his salary is not directly attributable to this project. How can I quantify David's impact on the schedule and budget if I don't know his contribution in dollar figures?" Again, you and Diana exchange looks as you realize that the solution to the client's issue may not be as clear as you originally thought. Diane instructs you that at her judgment, this is a project issue and needs to be handled by you. As the VP of Operations, her time needs to be spent elsewhere. It is your responsibility to effectively manage the project and client relationship at XYZ Corp. You quickly realize that you need to identify the root cause of the issue and develop a strategy to address the Executive Sponsor's issue quickly and effectively. As you struggle with Tom and Diane's demand of what a satisfactory strategy would be, you decide to focus on some questions that first need to be answered. They are as follows: 1. Did Rebecca make an error in omitting David from the XYZ Corp. Stakeholder Register? Why? 2. Is the issue with David an operational issue, a project issue or something else altogether? 3. Is Earned Value Analysis an appropriate request from the client, given the performance issues on the project? Why or why not? 4. What strategy would you propose to rectify project issues for the remainder of the project? 5. To avoid these issues in the future is there something that could be documented or done as part of a process or a procedure which would stop this before it happens