Gather the Right Stakeholders

The main purpose of interviewing stakeholders is to gain an understanding of relevant project-related ideas, needs, knowledge, and frustrations from various points of view, which can then feed into the project requirements.

There’s also the sometimes-unstated benefit of involving many different groups so that each one feels like it’s had its say in the project—and as a result will buy into the final solution. Although involving people to get their buy-in may seem more political than practical, it’s often a key step that puts you in touch with a network that will support you throughout the project. It may also help you avoid eleventh-hour changes, which can occur when someone you didn’t talk to raises an issue late in the process. So involving a large variety of people is frequently a good idea.