Presentation: Building a Better Tomorrow by Engaging Stakeholders
Abstract: All projects must consider, design, budget, schedule, quality, availability of resources and method of project execution to accomplish a capital construction project. Stakeholder engagement is often a missed opportunity when planning these projects. Overlooking the importance of stakeholder engagement not only creates multiple challenges on meeting the project objectives, but also falls short of maximizing the project outcome beyond the bricks and sticks.
To be successful in project management, one must have a full and complete understanding of every aspect influencing the outcome. Many factors are glaringly considered direct and are a no brainer when it comes to creating a project schedule and budget. For example, most construction projects require an architect, a variety of engineering subconsultants, a contractor, subcontractors, materials and a labor force. Other direct influences to consider are permitting, approvals, coordination of utility providers and logistics around the site. You may even take it a step further and consider how materials will access the site, especially in tight urban setting.
The indirect factors having influence over the success of a project, involve stakeholder engagement and management. Who are the stakeholders? This should be one of the first questions a project team should consider. In fact, prior to winning the contract for a project, one should understand the stakeholder landscape. Stakeholders are any person, organization, government or business potentially benefitting or being affected by the delivery of this capital project.
In this presentation, we will explore identifying, engaging and managing stakeholders to maximize outcomes, not only to meet project goals, but also enhance the community the project serves. The key take-aways are: 1) Meeting project goals requires coordination and collaboration among direct and indirect stakeholders; 2) Importance of understanding the community expectations; and 3) Maximizing economic development opportunities via the project.
PMI Talent Triangle: Leadership
Biography: Lisa Anders has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Howard University and an MBA from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business. Lisa combines her 30 years of construction experience with the knowledge she gained from the Smith School, to provide the firm and her clients with a comprehensive and collaborative approach to successfully executing capital projects.
Ms. Anders serves in a business development capacity, helping MCN Build grow beyond their current geographic and market sector footprint, and is instrumental in helping to define MCN Build’s strategic direction. Her expertise and background in construction has proven invaluable to clients as they seek to understand and strategize on the execution of their programmatic needs related to new ventures and capital improvement projects. Lisa also collaborates with the marketing team to increase brand awareness and develop key staff into technical thought leaders.
Prior to joining MCN Build, Ms. Anders worked for McKissack & McKissack and served as the Project Executive for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. She led a technically diverse team of professionals that managed the design and construction activities on behalf of the Smithsonian. This $450 million museum, located on the National Mall, opened in September of 2016. Ms. Anders was also the Sr. Project Manager for the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial project, also located on the National Mall in Washington, DC. This $52M design-build project was technically complex and required strategic political and logistical stakeholder management to deliver this national treasure.
Early in her career, Ms. Anders worked her way up through the ranks, serving in various capacities in the construction industry. She spent her first seven years in the industry with Clark Construction, followed by taking a position with Turner Construction. Ms. Anders has acquired extensive hands-on project management and field experience in all phases of programming preconstruction, purchasing, construction administration, cost estimating, scheduling, contract negotiations, and project closeout.
Ms. Anders holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from Howard University and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Maryland. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Smith School of Business and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
