A stakeholder engagement plan template is a component of the project management plan that describes the strategies, actions, and communication approaches needed to engage each stakeholder or stakeholder group at the level required for project success. According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), the stakeholder engagement plan is a key output of the Plan Stakeholder Engagement process in PMBOK 8 and is the operational instrument that turns the stakeholder register's identification data into concrete engagement actions. A project with an excellent stakeholder register but no engagement plan is identifying stakeholders without doing anything about them.

What is a Stakeholder Engagement Plan?

A stakeholder engagement plan template defines the specific strategies, messages, communication approaches, timing, and responsible parties for engaging each identified stakeholder based on their current engagement level, their desired engagement level, and their potential impact on the project. In PMBOK 8, the stakeholder engagement plan is a confidential document used by the project manager and core team — it contains political analysis and strategic communication approaches that should not be shared broadly. It is updated continuously as stakeholder positions evolve and as new stakeholders are identified.

What's Included in This Stakeholder Engagement Plan Template?

• Engagement Level Gap Analysis - For each key stakeholder, a comparison of their current engagement level (unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive, leading) against the desired engagement level required for project success, identifying the gap to be closed.
• Engagement Strategies by Stakeholder - Tailored approaches for each stakeholder group, including the key messages to communicate, the relationship-building activities to undertake, and the specific actions to shift engagement from current to desired level.
• Communication Approach - The preferred channels, formats, frequency, and timing of communications for each stakeholder, derived from the stakeholder register's communication preferences and tailored to the engagement strategy.
• Key Messages by Stakeholder - The specific messages that need to be delivered to each stakeholder to build understanding, address concerns, and reinforce commitment to the project.
• Resistance Management Strategies - For stakeholders who are resistant or whose resistance could threaten the project, specific strategies for understanding the source of resistance and addressing it constructively.
• Roles and Responsibilities for Engagement - Who on the project team is responsible for managing the relationship with each key stakeholder, and the escalation path when engagement issues exceed the project manager's authority.
• Engagement Timeline and Milestones - Key engagement activities, their timing relative to the project schedule, and the expected outcomes, ensuring engagement activities are planned proactively rather than reactively.
• Monitoring and Adaptation - How stakeholder engagement effectiveness will be assessed, when the plan will be reviewed and updated, and the indicators that signal a stakeholder's engagement level has changed.

How to Use This Stakeholder Engagement Plan Template (PMBOK 8)

1. Focus effort on the gap, not on all stakeholders equally - Not all stakeholders require the same engagement investment. Focus the most intensive engagement activities on stakeholders who are both highly influential and currently under-engaged or resistant.
2. Treat resistance as information, not as a problem - Resistant stakeholders have concerns that are not being addressed. Investigate the source of resistance before designing a response. Engagement strategies that ignore the underlying concern rarely succeed.
3. Keep the plan confidential - The stakeholder engagement plan contains candid assessments of individuals' positions and political dynamics. Sharing it broadly can damage relationships and undermine the engagement strategies it contains.
4. Update the plan after significant project events - Stakeholder positions change after key decisions, scope changes, and project events. Review the engagement plan after each major milestone to assess whether strategies need to be adapted.
5. Involve the sponsor in high-stakes engagement - Some stakeholder relationships are beyond the project manager's authority to manage alone. The plan should identify which stakeholder engagements require sponsor involvement and what the sponsor's role will be.
6. Integrate engagement activities into the project schedule - Engagement activities that are not in the schedule do not get done. Add key engagement milestones (briefings, workshops, reviews, approval meetings) to the project schedule as formal activities.

When to Create This Document (PMBOK 8)

The stakeholder engagement plan is created during the Plan Stakeholder Engagement process, after the stakeholder register has been established and stakeholders have been assessed. In PMBOK 8, it should be created early in the planning focus area so that engagement activities can be integrated into the project schedule and communications management plan from the start. It is updated continuously as stakeholder positions evolve throughout the project.

Related Templates

• Stakeholder Register Template
• Project Communications Template
• Issue Log Template
• Risk Register Template
• Project Management Plan Template

Complete Guide & Filled-In Example

Get the most out of this template with the two companion resources below:

• Stakeholder Engagement Plan in PMBOK 8 - Complete Guide - Understand the purpose, key elements, and best practices before filling in the template.
• Download the Filled-In Example - Project Phoenix - See exactly how this document was completed for a real $72K website launch project.