Forget a project stakeholder and you’re toast. We mean it. Understanding the needs, expectations, and potential issues of project stakeholders is crucial to the success of any project.

Ask the right questions and you will find stakeholders in all sorts of places you wouldn’t expect. We came up with with these must-not-forget stakeholders for a major community construction project:

But what if you’re working in another industry? We’ve prepared a list to determine who you are forgetting and how you are going to communicate:

• Whose agreement will we need to proceed?
• Who will receive the output of your project?
• Who is the client or customer?
• Who will be working with you to execute your project?
• Who from the general public will be affected by your project
• What lines of communication exist among interfaces?
• Who are the subject matter experts that you should consult
• What resources can I use for the project?
• How does the stakeholder see their role in the project?
• What worries the stakeholder about the project?
• What information does the stakeholder need about the project?

We bet you’ve encountered stakeholders in surprising places. Tell us below.

Trouble with stakeholders? Try our Practice PMP® exam.