BUS605: Strategic Project Management

Negative iterations and conflicts caused by the limitations, constraints, or requirements of downstream systems cannot be prevented if the project stakeholders do not know the other stakeholders and their requirements or limitations. When problems or constraints are discovered late in the design or construction process, more upstream value will be wasted, and more decisions may have to be changed.

Early stakeholder identification and involvement are highlighted as two of the cornerstones of value creation in RPDMs. The key stakeholders should become involved at the appropriate time, when their involvement will benefit the project. This is almost always earlier than traditional delivery methods, and thus "early" points out this change in practice. Early involvement should take place during the project definition phase, when the project purposes are being developed and determined by the key stakeholders, who have their own needs and interests.

The project definition process in RPDM aims to facilitate the early involvement and creation of integrated project teams. In particular, it aims to optimize value creation and project outcomes by identifying and consolidating the different roles, responsibilities, and objectives of the stakeholders. The process provides a step-by-step procedure for gathering and analyzing the needs, objectives, and competencies of the customer and the other stakeholders and for preparing a contract.