AI Project Stakeholder Engagement Plan
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Purpose: Define how stakeholders will be engaged throughout the AI project lifecycle. Right engagement at the right time prevents costly resistance and rework.
Engagement Phases
- Discovery: Build trust, gather requirements, assess feasibility
- Design: Review sessions, ethics assessment, usability testing
- Testing: UAT, operations readiness, compliance reviews
- Deploy: Training, communications, go-live support
- Monitor: Performance reviews, feedback collection, continuous improvement
| Field | Details |
| Project Name | |
| Project Sponsor | |
| Project Manager | |
| Plan Owner | |
| Version | 1.0 |
| Last Updated | |
Engagement Objectives
- Build Trust: Establish confidence in the AI initiative through transparent communication
- Gather Requirements: Capture diverse perspectives to inform solution design
- Manage Expectations: Ensure stakeholders understand capabilities and limitations
- Enable Adoption: Prepare stakeholders for change and new ways of working
- Ensure Compliance: Meet consultation requirements for governance bodies
Stakeholder Engagement by Project Phase
Phase 1: Discovery & Planning
| Stakeholder Group | Engagement Activity | Timing | Owner | Deliverable |
| Executive Sponsors | Project initiation meeting | Week 1 | PM | Signed project charter |
| Business Users | Discovery workshops | Weeks 1-2 | BA | Requirements document |
| IT/Security | Technical feasibility review | Week 2 | Tech Lead | Feasibility assessment |
| Privacy Officer | Initial privacy screening | Week 2 | PM | Privacy screening form |
| Data Owners | Data availability assessment | Week 2 | Data Lead | Data inventory |
Phase 2: Design & Development
| Stakeholder Group | Engagement Activity | Timing | Owner | Deliverable |
| Business Users | Design review sessions | Sprint reviews | BA | Validated designs |
| IT Security | Security architecture review | Design phase | Tech Lead | Security assessment |
| Accessibility | Accessibility review | Design phase | UX Lead | WCAG compliance report |
| Ethics Committee | Ethics assessment submission | Mid-design | PM | Ethics clearance |
| End Users | Usability testing | Each sprint | UX Lead | User feedback report |
Phase 3: Testing & Validation
| Stakeholder Group | Engagement Activity | Timing | Owner | Deliverable |
| Business Users | UAT sessions | UAT phase | BA | UAT sign-off |
| IT Operations | Operations readiness review | Pre-deployment | Ops Lead | Ops readiness checklist |
| Privacy Officer | PIA review | Pre-deployment | PM | PIA clearance |
| Legal | Legal review | Pre-deployment | PM | Legal sign-off |
| Internal Audit | Controls review | Pre-deployment | PM | Audit readiness report |
Phase 4: Deployment & Operations
| Stakeholder Group | Engagement Activity | Timing | Owner | Deliverable |
| All Staff | Launch communications | Go-live | Comms Lead | Launch announcement |
| End Users | Training sessions | Pre/post go-live | Training Lead | Training completion |
| Support Teams | Handover briefings | Go-live | Tech Lead | Support documentation |
| Executive Sponsors | Go-live approval | Go-live | PM | Go-live sign-off |
Phase 5: Monitor & Optimise
| Stakeholder Group | Engagement Activity | Timing | Owner | Deliverable |
| Business Users | Performance reviews | Monthly | PM | Performance reports |
| Executive Sponsors | Steering committee | Quarterly | PM | Progress updates |
| End Users | Feedback collection | Ongoing | Product Owner | Enhancement backlog |
| Compliance Bodies | Compliance reporting | As required | PM | Compliance reports |
Communication Plan
Regular Communications
| Communication | Audience | Frequency | Channel | Owner |
| Project Status Report | Steering Committee | Fortnightly | Email + Meeting | PM |
| Sprint Updates | Project Team | Weekly | Teams/Slack | Scrum Master |
| Executive Dashboard | Exec Sponsors | Monthly | PowerPoint | PM |
| Staff Newsletter | All Impacted Staff | Monthly | Email/Intranet | Comms Lead |
| Technical Updates | IT Teams | Weekly | Technical forum | Tech Lead |
Milestone Communications
| Milestone | Communication | Audience | Channel |
| Project Kickoff | Announcement + Q&A | All stakeholders | Town hall |
| Design Complete | Design showcase | Business stakeholders | Workshop |
| UAT Start | UAT instructions | Test participants | Email + Training |
| Go-Live | Launch announcement | All stakeholders | All channels |
| Project Close | Lessons learned | Project team + sponsors | Workshop |
Engagement Methods
Workshops
- Purpose: Gather requirements, co-design solutions, validate approaches
- Frequency: As needed per phase
- Format: 2-3 hour facilitated sessions
- Documentation: Workshop notes, action items, decisions log
Steering Committee
- Purpose: Governance, major decisions, issue escalation
- Frequency: Monthly (or as needed)
- Attendees: Exec Sponsor, PM, Tech Lead, Business Lead
- Documentation: Minutes, decisions, action register
User Research
- Purpose: Understand user needs, test usability
- Frequency: Each sprint during design/build
- Methods: Interviews, observation, usability testing
- Documentation: Research findings, recommendations
Town Halls
- Purpose: Broad communication, Q&A, change readiness
- Frequency: Major milestones
- Format: 30-60 minute presentations with Q&A
- Documentation: Recording, FAQ document
Training Sessions
- Purpose: Build capability, prepare for adoption
- Frequency: Pre and post go-live
- Format: Instructor-led + self-paced materials
- Documentation: Training materials, completion records
Stakeholder-Specific Engagement Plans
High-Influence Stakeholders
| Stakeholder | Key Concerns | Engagement Approach | Success Measures |
| Executive Sponsor | ROI, risk, reputation | Monthly 1:1s, immediate escalation | Active sponsorship |
| CIO | Integration, security | Architecture board involvement | Technical endorsement |
| Business Director | Outcomes, adoption | Co-design participation | Business sign-off |
Potentially Resistant Stakeholders
| Stakeholder | Resistance Factors | Mitigation Approach | Owner |
| Fear of job loss | Communicate AI augmentation vs replacement | |
| Distrust of technology | Demonstrate transparency, involve in testing | |
| Compliance concerns | Early involvement, address concerns directly | |
Feedback Mechanisms
| Mechanism | Purpose | Access | Response Commitment |
| Project email inbox | General enquiries | All stakeholders | 2 business days |
| Feedback form | Structured input | All stakeholders | Acknowledged within 1 week |
| Regular surveys | Sentiment tracking | Selected groups | Report within 2 weeks |
| Open door sessions | Direct conversation | All stakeholders | Immediate |
Escalation Process
flowchart TD
L1["**Level 1: Project Manager**"]
L2["**Level 2: Project Sponsor**"]
L3["**Level 3: Executive Steering Committee**"]
L4["**Level 4: Portfolio/Program Board**"]
L1 -->|"Unresolved in 2 days"| L2
L2 -->|"Unresolved in 3 days"| L3
L3 -->|"Unresolved"| L4
Stakeholder Satisfaction Tracking
| Survey Point | Target Score | Actual | Actions if Below Target |
| Post-Discovery | 4.0/5.0 | | Review engagement approach |
| Mid-Project | 4.0/5.0 | | Intensive stakeholder recovery |
| Post-Go-Live | 4.0/5.0 | | Lessons learned, remediation |
Plan Governance
| Activity | Frequency | Responsible |
| Review engagement effectiveness | Monthly | PM |
| Update stakeholder list | As changes occur | PM |
| Revise engagement approaches | Quarterly | PM + Sponsor |
| Report on engagement metrics | Steering Committee | PM |
Version History
| Version | Date | Author | Changes |
| 1.0 | | | Initial plan |
| | | |