ANSWER

Business Analysts use powerful tools to get the right information from the relevant stakeholders, an example of a tool could be a workshop. To make the most of it, you need to select and engage the right stakeholders. But how do you know which stakeholders to select?

Start with Fact Finding

In order to identify the right stakeholders for the activity, you need to be aware of the ins and outs of the task/project/problem. Fact finding should start with resource gathering (this could be a list of related documents, lessons learnt from previous projects, project deliverables from previous projects, etc.), document analysis, systems analysis.  

Talk to Other People

Discussing your findings can offer more insights. Talk to your fellow Business Analysts that were involved during previous activities or previous projects. Understand different perspectives by talking to your team members, people assigned to the project, or people with an interest in the project.

Perform Stakeholder Analysis 

The stakeholder analysis process serves as an exercise to find relevant stakeholders and evaluate their involvement,  influence, and impact on the project. By simply performing this activity  you will gain an understanding of what the stakeholder’s interests in the project are, what are their objectives, how and who they may influence, what is the best way of managing their involvement and how to keep them happy. This information is key to identifying the right stakeholders for any business analysis activity.

Confirm Your Assumptions

Lastly, turn your assumptions and findings into facts. Engage with stakeholders (based on your analysis) prior to the workshop and discuss their involvement and interest in the project. By initiating a conversation with the stakeholder, you will start to build rapport. You will be able to confirm your assumptions from stakeholder analysis, explain the objectives of the workshop, and ask them for their input. It is possible that they will refer you to another person or appoint a representative. By doing this, you will ensure that stakeholders that will participate in your activity will be the right people and that they will be engaged.

The process of facilitating a successful workshop (or any other business analysis activity for this matter) comes down to how you prepare. Bad prep can lead to the risk of people not turning up for the activity, creating obstacles due to lack of engagement or interest or understanding, and potentially risking the success of the activity or even the project.

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Kristyna Samcova
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