Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Flashcards

What is the PRIMARY purpose of stakeholder analysis in business analysis?

Answer: To understand stakeholders' needs, influences, and attitudes to plan effective engagement

Stakeholder analysis examines stakeholders' interests, influence, impact, and attitude toward the change to enable the business analyst to plan appropriately tailored engagement strategies.

Which of the following BEST describes the role of a business analyst in stakeholder communication?

Answer: Acting as a bridge between business and technical stakeholders by translating requirements into language appropriate for each audience

A key business analyst role is translating between business and technical domains — ensuring that business stakeholders' needs are understood by technical teams and that technical realities are communicated in business terms.

An influential stakeholder is resistant to a proposed change. What is the MOST effective first step for the business analyst?

Answer: Seek to understand the stakeholder's concerns and address them through dialogue

Understanding the root of resistance is the first step — the business analyst should engage the stakeholder to understand their concerns before attempting to resolve or escalate the situation.

What is an 'influence/interest grid' used for in stakeholder engagement planning?

Answer: Categorizing stakeholders by their level of influence and interest to prioritize engagement effort

An influence/interest grid categorizes stakeholders into quadrants based on their level of influence and interest, helping the business analyst determine how much engagement effort to invest with each group.

What is the key difference between a 'push' and 'pull' communication strategy?

Answer: Push communication sends information to stakeholders; pull communication allows stakeholders to access information on demand

Push communication actively distributes information to stakeholders (emails, reports, presentations), while pull communication makes information available for stakeholders to access when needed (portals, wikis, shared drives).

When should a business analyst escalate a stakeholder issue rather than resolve it independently?

Answer: When the issue involves authority, resources, or decisions beyond the business analyst's scope

Escalation is appropriate when the issue involves authority, resource allocation, or strategic decisions that exceed the business analyst's mandate — these require decision-makers with the appropriate authority.