My CAPM® Training with ROSEMET LLC – Day 4: Laying the Foundation and Managing Stakeholders
By: Ryan Malaluan; Editor: Geram Lompon; Alvin Villanueva, PMP
Day 4 of my ROSEMET CAPM® training took a different approach than the previous lessons. Today’s session focused on understanding why certain projects are selected and managing the people involved throughout the project lifecycle—key aspects of
If there’s one thing I’ve learned so far, it’s that projects don’t fail because of bad ideas—they fail because of poor planning and misaligned stakeholders.
For entry-level project managers preparing for the Certified Associate in
As someone who transitioned from SEO backlink specialist to content writer, I’ve seen firsthand how choosing the right strategies and ensuring stakeholders are engaged early on can mean the difference between a thriving project and one that struggles to get off the ground. In
Today’s session was broken into two major lessons:
- Laying the Foundation for Project Success – Exploring how projects are selected, justified, and strategically planned to align with business goals.
- Stakeholder Management – Learning how to identify, engage, and manage key players throughout the project lifecycle to ensure alignment and minimize resistance.
What really stood out to me was how project success isn’t just about execution—it’s about making the right decisions before the work even begins.
Lesson 1: Laying the Foundation for Project Success
I used to think
I also learned why the Project Charter is essential for defining scope, objectives, and stakeholder roles. By the end of this session, it was clear that if a project isn’t strategically aligned from the start, even the best execution will not save it.
Value-Driven Delivery: Choosing the Right Projects
One of the biggest takeaways from today’s session was that not all projects are worth pursuing. It’s easy to assume that every good idea should be executed, but as I learned in my ROSEMET CAPM® training, project success isn’t just about execution—it’s about picking the right projects to begin with, a principle often emphasized in
Two Approaches to Delivering Value
- Predictive (Plan-Driven) Projects follow a structured, sequential approach, with all planning completed before execution begins. These projects deliver value at the end and are ideal for construction and manufacturing, where mid-project changes are costly. With a fixed scope and rigid timelines, they rely on extensive documentation, risk assessment, and planning to prevent unexpected deviations.
- Adaptive (Agile) Projects prioritize flexibility and continuous improvement, delivering value in smaller increments. This approach suits software development, marketing, and fast-changing industries. By working in iterative cycles, teams can quickly adapt to feedback, adjust priorities, and refine deliverables in real time. Agile focuses on collaboration, customer involvement, and adaptability, ensuring the final outcome meets evolving business needs.
I’ve always worked in fast-paced, iterative environments, so the Agile approach felt more familiar. But what stood out was how plan-driven projects are essential in industries where stability and structure are non-negotiable, like construction or large-scale manufacturing.
Project management makes sense when there is a balance between business benefits and costs. Whether using Agile (Minimum Viable Product) or Predictive (fully planned execution), the goal is to maximize impact while minimizing risks.
Project Selection: Choosing the Right Investment
Before today, I had never considered how companies decide which projects to approve. However, I quickly learned that business analysts and project managers don’t pick projects randomly; they rely on structured decision-making methods to ensure financial and strategic alignment.
According to the
Key Financial Metrics Used in Selection
- Return on Investment (ROI) – Measures profitability vs. project costs.
- Net Present Value (NPV) – Evaluate whether the project generates more value than it costs.
- Internal Rate of Return (IRR) – Compares the project’s profitability to other investment options.
I appreciated that my confusion about IRR, NPV, and ROI from Day 3 was addressed today—clarifying common
Before, financial metrics seemed like abstract concepts that only finance professionals needed to understand. However, they made sense when I saw how business analysts use them to compare projects and determine long-term value.
Developing the Project Charter: The Official Start of a Project
Once a project is selected, it must be formally authorized through the Project Charter.
Key Elements of a Project Charter
- Project Objectives – What the project aims to achieve.
- Scope Definition – What work is included (and what isn’t).
- Key Stakeholders – Individuals and groups impacted by the project.
- Constraints & Assumptions – Any limiting factors or expectations.
A project lacks direction without a clear project charter, just as an SEO campaign would fall apart without a well-defined strategy brief. This document is crucial for anyone preparing for the CAPM® exam, as it tests knowledge of formal authorization processes.
Predictive vs. Adaptive Charters
- Predictive Projects: The charter is highly structured and detailed, drawing from business case documents and feasibility studies. It defines the scope, budget, and timeline upfront to minimize uncertainty and control risks, making it ideal for projects where stability is essential.
- Agile Projects: Agile charters prioritize flexibility, allowing scope and requirements to evolve as business needs change. Instead of rigid plans, they focus on high-value objectives with room for iteration and continuous improvement.
Reflection
I immediately related this to my previous experience in SEO and content marketing. When working with clients, we always start with a content strategy brief defining the target audience, keywords, and goals. However, we keep the brief flexible in adaptive campaigns, knowing we’ll need to adjust based on engagement data.
That’s exactly how Agile
Before today, I thought of
Now that I’ve learned how projects are selected and planned, the next step is to explore how to engage stakeholders and keep them aligned throughout the project lifecycle. That’s where Stakeholder Management comes in.
Lesson 2: Stakeholder Management – Engaging the Right People
After planning a project, keeping the right people engaged throughout its lifecycle is just as important as execution. I quickly realized that even the best-planned projects can fail if key stakeholders lose interest, feel unheard, or resist changes—a lesson I’ll carry forward in my
In this lesson, I learned that stakeholder engagement isn’t just about communication, influence, alignment, and trust. If properly engaged, stakeholders can help secure funding, remove roadblocks, and ensure the project stays on track. If they’re not? Well, that’s when things can spiral into delays, budget overruns, or even outright failure.
The Stakeholder Engagement Process
One of the biggest takeaways from this lesson was that stakeholder management isn’t a one-time task but an ongoing process. I used to think the job was done once you identified the key players. But today, I learned that engagement levels change over time, and it’s up to the project manager to adjust strategies accordingly.
1. Identification: Recognizing Key Stakeholders
Before deciding how to communicate with stakeholders, I had to determine their identities and roles in the project.
- The Project Charter: This document lists key stakeholders but is not always complete. Some key players emerge later in the project, so the list needs to be updated regularly, just as general educational development courses emphasize continuous learning and adaptation.
- Stakeholder Mapping – Categorizing stakeholders based on influence and interest helped me prioritize who needs the most engagement.
When I worked in SEO, my primary stakeholders were clients and marketing managers. But there were always hidden stakeholders, like the IT team (who needed to approve website changes) and legal teams (who had to review content compliance). I realized that missing these key players early on could cause major roadblocks later.
2. Planning: Defining Engagement Strategies
After identifying stakeholders, the next step was figuring out how to engage with them. I learned that not all stakeholders need the same level of involvement—some want detailed reports, while others just need high-level summaries.
- Communication Preferences – Some stakeholders prefer one-on-one meetings, while others prefer quick email updates.
- The Power-Interest Grid – Helps prioritize engagement by categorizing stakeholders into four groups.
How the Power-Interest Grid Works
- High Power, High Interest—These are the key decision-makers (e.g., executives and project sponsors). They need active engagement.
- High Power, Low Interest – These stakeholders must be kept satisfied, but they don’t need constant updates.
- Low Power, High Interest – These stakeholders are engaged but don’t have decision-making authority. They need to be kept informed.
- Low Power, Low Interest – These stakeholders don’t need much involvement but should receive occasional updates.
This made me think about clients in digital marketing. Some CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers) need regular, detailed reports, while some CEOs just want a quick summary once a quarter. Misjudging who needs what level of communication can lead to frustration or misalignment, which is why stakeholder management is a crucial aspect of a
3. Managing Engagement: Keeping Stakeholders Involved
One of my biggest mistakes was assuming that once a stakeholder is engaged, they’ll stay engaged. Today, I learned that engagement is something that has to be maintained continuously.
- Workshops & Walkthroughs – These help align teams and ensure stakeholders stay informed about project progress.
- Kanban Boards (Agile) – In Agile projects, Kanban boards help visualize stakeholder involvement and track progress.
Agile vs. Predictive Engagement
- Agile Projects: Stakeholders are involved throughout the process, giving continuous feedback.
- Predictive Projects: Stakeholder engagement is planned upfront, with structured check-ins.
The Agile approach reminded me of how SEO campaigns work. Clients expect regular updates and iterative changes—not just a final report months later. In contrast, a website redesign (which follows a more predictive approach) requires structured approvals and milestone check-ins.
4. Monitoring Engagement: Adapting Strategies to Keep Stakeholders Aligned
Even with a solid engagement plan, stakeholder priorities can change. I learned that monitoring engagement is just as important as the initial planning phase.
How Do Project Managers Monitor Engagement?
- Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix – This tool compares actual vs. planned engagement levels and helps identify disengaged stakeholders.
- Issue Logs – Used to track stakeholder concerns, feedback, and how they were addressed.
What to Do if Stakeholders Lose Interest?
- If a high-influence stakeholder disengages, schedule a one-on-one meeting to re-engage them.
- If a low-power but highly interested stakeholder becomes disruptive, limit their involvement in high-level decision-making but keep them informed through reports.
I’ve worked on marketing campaigns where clients became disengaged mid-way—only to return at the last minute and request major changes. Had I monitored their engagement earlier, I could have prevented last-minute disruptions. Project managers face the same challenge—if a stakeholder stops responding, it’s a warning sign that something needs to be adjusted.
This lesson completely changed my perspective on stakeholder management. I used to think it was just about keeping people informed, but I now understand that it’s about building relationships, maintaining trust, and ensuring alignment throughout the project.
Final Thoughts: Strategy + People = Project Success
After today’s session, I realized that choosing the right projects and managing the right people are two of the most critical factors in project success. This understanding is vital for professionals looking to advance in their
One of my biggest takeaways is that project selection and stakeholder engagement go hand in hand. Choosing the right projects ensures alignment with business goals while engaging the right stakeholders secures the support needed for execution—both essential to improving one’s job outlook in
I’ve seen this play out in digital marketing. If a client isn’t fully invested in a campaign, no matter how well-executed it is, it won’t get the traction or approval it needs to succeed. The same applies to
Biggest Takeaways from Today:
- Project selection is just as important as execution—not all ideas are worth pursuing, and projects must align with business objectives and feasibility criteria.
- Stakeholder engagement isn’t a one-time effort—it has to be continuously monitored and adapted as priorities shift. If stakeholders lose interest, the project risks losing funding or direction.
- Financial feasibility determines what gets approved—even the best ideas can be shut down if they don’t make financial sense. Today’s lesson really helped me understand how ROI, NPV, and IRR affect project selection decisions.
- Agile and predictive projects require different engagement strategies—Agile thrives on continuous collaboration and iterative feedback, while predictive projects rely on structured check-ins at key milestones to maintain alignment.
Looking Ahead: Tomorrow, I’ll be diving into Communication Management—how to ensure the right people get the correct information at the right time. Today’s lesson clarified that engagement is key, but communication keeps everyone aligned. I’m looking forward to exploring how different communication strategies impact project success!
