The PMBOK v5 Refresh Is Right To Include Stakeholders

The long-awaited changes to A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—Fifth Edition are welcome, and much needed.

LA HABRA, Aug 1, 2013 – The recent release of A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide)—Fifth Edition finally addresses the issue of stakeholder management, providing much-needed guidance, according to Jason Westland, CEO of ProjectManager.com.

“Working with clients in many industries we are very aware of the issues that project managers have when dealing with stakeholders,” he says. “The lack of formal guidance on the topic of stakeholder engagement was a challenge for many people, and it’s great to see the latest PMBOK® Guide covering this in detail.”

The revised PMBOK® Guide includes the new Knowledge Area of Project Stakeholder Management. “We’ve always championed collaboration as the best way to get projects done, and the need for interaction is specifically mentioned in the guidance,” Westland adds. “Interactive communication, such as instant messaging and discussions, whether in person or online, means finding collaborative ways for team members to work together to achieve a successful outcome on a project.”

The new Knowledge Area covers planning and managing stakeholder engagement through a number of tools, techniques and processes. “Today, with so many teams working virtually, the old ways of stakeholder management no longer work,” Westland says. “Project managers have to be up-to-date with how online collaboration and project management software can help, as these are essential communication tools to ensure that everyone has one view of the truth on a project.”

About ProjectManager.com

ProjectManager.com was founded in 2008 by four guys who wanted to create a better toolset for managing projects. Within 12 months of going live, the company grew to 25 staff and produced a healthy revenue stream. Now with customers in more than 100 countries, ProjectManager.com is one of the fastest growing project management service providers on the net. More than 70% of customers are based in the USA with organizations like NASA, United Nations, Boeing and Volvo all managing projects using the ProjectManager.com platform.

Website: http://www.projectmanager.com/