Running Head: Lab 4 STAT User Manual User Manual Prepared by: 411 Blue Team Date: 19 November, 2013 Version 1
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 2 Contents 1. Introduction... 4 1.1 Background... 4 1.2 Methodology... 5 2. GUI Elements... 8 2.1 Menu Bar... 8 2.2 Main Window... 9 2.2.1 The Stakeholders Tab... 10 2.2.2 The Classifications Tab... 11 2.2.3 The Actions Tab... 11 2.2.4 The Influences Tab... 12 2.2.5 The Relationship Map Tab... 12 2.2.5 The Management Plan Tab... 13 3. Getting Started... 14 4. STAT Tasks... 15 4.1 Create a new project... 15 4.2 Open a project... 15 4.3 Save a project... 15 4.4 Encrypt a project... 15 4.5 Export part of the project... 15 4.6 Exit the program... 16 4.7 Show help topics... 16 4.8 Add a stakeholder... 16 4.9 Edit a stakeholder... 16 4.10 Remove a stakeholder... 16 4.11 View the classification diagram... 16 4.12 View the recommended action matrix... 16 4.13 Set stakeholder relationships... 16 4.14 View the relationship map... 17 4.15 Using the management plan... 17 5. Glossary... 18
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 3 List of Figures Figure 1. Manual Stakeholder Analysis... 5 Figure 2. Stakeholder Classifications... 6 Figure 3. Stakeholder Attitudes... 7 Figure 4. The Menu Bar... 8 Figure 5. File Menu Functions... 8 Figure 6. Edit Menu Functions... 8 Figure 7. Main Window Elements... 9 Figure 8. Stakeholder Tab Elements... 10 Figure 9. Edit Window Elements... 10 Figure 10. Classification Diagram Elements... 11 Figure 11. Action Diagram Elements... 11 Figure 12. Influence Table Elements... 12 Figure 13. Relationship Diagram Elements... 12 Figure 14. Management Plan Elements... 13 Figure 15. Opening a Project File... 15 [This space intentionally left blank]
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 4 1. Introduction STAT (Stakeholder Analysis Tool) is a program to analyze and manage stakeholders during project development. It is a standalone tool programmed in Java that is compatible with multiple operating systems. It was commissioned in 2013 by NCSOSE (National Center for Systems of Systems Engineering) and built by computer science students from Old Dominion University. STAT has been designed to incorporate the concepts of stakeholder analysis that have evolved over the last century and have been perfected by NCSOSE. 1.1 Background When taking on a project, problems will arise. Where problems exist, stakeholders are involved. Stakeholders are defined as Someone who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization s objectives. This someone can be anybody or any entity that is involved in the project. CEO s, transportation companies, chip manufacturers, and politicians are all examples of various stakeholders that could affect possible outcomes. The key to success is to analyze the various stakeholders involved and engage them accordingly until project completion. The current method of common stakeholder analysis is very primitive. It is done manually, with teams brainstorming and analyzing the stakeholders of a project while physically copying their thoughts down on paper or whiteboards. As you can imagine, this scenario can get very hectic and information may easily get lost in a flood of thoughts and ideas. Another problem lies in the consistency of maintaining stakeholder information. Throughout a project s duration, stakeholder information will change and new potential stakeholders may be recognized. Trying to keep an evolving project organized is not impossible, but accuracy can prove to be very difficult.
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 5 Figure 1. Manual Stakeholder Analysis STAT looks to alleviate the currently primitive physical methods of stakeholder analysis by applying an electronic solution to emulate these methods in an organized fashion. This solution encompasses identifying, prioritizing, and managing stakeholders in a user friendly, graphical environment. The dynamic essence of stakeholder analysis is easily maintained in this simple, intuitive program. STAT provides a dynamically changing visual environment that portrays the various stakeholders as the project progresses. The design is non-linear and creates a workflow where identification and attribute editing does not compromise precision. Most important of all, STAT implements the stakeholder analysis research of NCSOSE that feeds into a proprietary algorithm which determines a stakeholder s overall influence on the project. 1.2 Methodology STAT s analysis and management methodology is comprised of five key areas. They are stakeholder identification, individual classification, attitude recognition, relationship association, and stakeholder management. Although some of the steps are dependent upon one another, the
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 6 entire SAM (stakeholder analysis and management) process is basically non-linear. STAT allows modification of any step as changes occur. Obviously, to analyze and manage stakeholders, they must first be identified. This is the initial step and must be at least partially completed to continue the other portions of the process. The identification of stakeholders may become chaotic (see figure 1) so ideas must be able to be recorded quickly. Second guesses and edits should be set aside to gather all potential stakeholders while they re still fresh thoughts. Further refining of the list of stakeholders can always be completed later. Once project stakeholders have been identified, they are placed in one of eight categories based on three criteria. They are whether the stakeholder has power, legitimacy, or urgency towards the project. For simplicity purposes, either a stakeholder has an attribute, or does not. Throughout the project, these factors can change and must be able to be reflected in a manner where the classification will remain accurate as further SAM steps will utilize the classification a stakeholder has been labeled. One small undocumented change of an attribute can alter the outcome of the project s analysis. Figure 2. Stakeholder Classifications
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 7 To be a stakeholder of a project does not necessarily mean the stakeholder supports the objective. The way a stakeholder feels towards the project is best defined as the stakeholder s attitude. In the SAM process, this is based on two criteria with either a high or low potential. These criteria are: the stakeholder s potential of cooperation towards the project and the stakeholder s potential of threat towards the project. Knowing a stakeholder s attitude is essential to project management in regards to the future actions that should be taken in order for the project to succeed. Attitude Cooperation Threat Supportive High Low Mixed High High Marginal Low Low Non-supportive Low High Figure 3. Stakeholder Attitudes As projects are comprised of multiple stakeholders, it is safe to assume that many of these stakeholders will have associations with one another. Affecting one stakeholder may start a chain reaction that indirectly affects others. Therefore, it is important to recognize the relationships that exist between them. Relationships have influence directions as well as strength. A stakeholder with multiple strong relationships with others may require extra attention as a positive project attitude may spread among its constituents. On the same note, a negative attitude may kill a project in the same manner. The management portion of the SAM process is the step that will continue on until the success or demise of the project. Stakeholders will need to be engaged to accomplish objectives. Changes in stakeholder statuses will change and project accuracy is imperative. Information needs to be organized and up to date to ensure prompt effective responses to project obstacles.
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 8 2. GUI Elements STAT is GUI (Graphic User Interface) driven. All operations will be performed through various mouse clicks and labeled text entry areas. This section will define the different GUI elements of STAT. 2.1 Menu Bar Figure 4. The Menu Bar The menu bar is at the top of the frame and is present throughout the project. It has two options: File and Edit. When clicked, each will display drop downs with other functions. The functions performed are identified in figure 5 and figure 6. Figure 5. File Menu Functions Create a new project Open a recent project Open a project from file Save the current project Save project at desired location Encrypt a project file Export a part of the project Exit STAT Display STAT help tips Figure 6. Edit Menu Functions
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 9 2.2 Main Window STAT is set to an automatic size that can be expanded to full screen or minimized just like any other desktop program. This section defines the various GUI elements found in the main window. The program opens with the Stakeholders tab selected by default. STAT view tabs Figure 7. Main Window Elements Minimize window Maximize window Close window [This space intentionally left blank]
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 10 2.2.1 The Stakeholders Tab Stakeholder editing window Add new stakeholder button New stakeholder attributes Current list of project stakeholders New stakeholder wants text box New stakeholder name text box Figure 8. Stakeholder Tab Elements Edit selected stakeholder button Save changes button Selected stakeholder s attributes Selected stakeholder s wants Selected stakeholder s name Figure 9. Edit Window Elements Remove stakeholder from list button
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 11 2.2.2 The Classifications Tab Classification diagram key 2.2.3 The Actions Tab Classification category drop down Figure 10. Classification Diagram Elements Action category drop down Action diagram key Figure 11. Action Diagram Elements
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 12 2.2.4 The Influences Tab Save influence changes button The stakeholders being influenced The influencing stakeholders The strength of the relationship drop down 2.2.5 The Relationship Map Tab Figure 12. Influence Table Elements Stakeholder representation Relationship diagram key Influence representation Figure 13. Relationship Diagram Elements
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 13 2.2.5 The Management Plan Tab Non-editable columns Editable columns Figure 14. Management Plan Elements Columns: Name Name of the stakeholder Wants Wants of the stakeholder Classification Classification of the stakeholder based on attributes Attitude Attitude of the stakeholder based on attributes Influence The overall amount of influence the stakeholder has on the project Strategy Recommended action towards stakeholder based on classification and attitude Method of Engagement The manner in which the stakeholder will be engaged Last Engaged The most recent date the stakeholder was engaged Responsible Party The team member(s) tasked with engaging the stakeholder Notes Any other notes a project member may want to add about the stakeholder [This space intentionally left blank]
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 14 3. Getting Started When the STAT program is opened, the main window is displayed with the Stakeholders Tab selected (Figure 7). The project file will be empty and a cursor will blink in the text area of stakeholder name. You can choose to open a project file (Refer to section 4.2) or continue on to create a new project. When creating a new project, be sure to follow these steps: 1. Identify stakeholders in the stakeholders tab 2. Confirm stakeholder attributes in the stakeholders tab 3. Associate stakeholder relationships in the influences tab 4. Proceed with project management in the management tab These steps can be revisited and edited at any time. The classification tab, action tab, and relationship map tab are all for informational purposes only. Although they cannot be directly modified, they will reflect any changes made in the stakeholders tab and influences tab. To better understand the SAM (Stakeholder Analysis and Management) methodology, please refer to section 1.2. Be sure to save the project before exiting the program. [This space intentionally left blank]
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 15 4. STAT Tasks 4.1 Create a new project From the menu bar, choose File >> New. This will clear any project data currently in STAT. 4.2 Open a project From the menu bar, choose File >> Open. This will prompt a window where a STAT project file can be selected. Figure 15. Opening a Project File 4.3 Save a project From the menu bar, choose File >> Save. This will save the current project. If this is the first time saving the project, a window will open to choose the save location. To save in a different location or as a new file different than the currently saved file, choose File >> Save As from the menu bar. This will prompt a window where a STAT project file can be saved. 4.4 Encrypt a project From the menu bar, choose File >> Encrypt. This will prompt a window where the encrypted STAT project file can be saved. 4.5 Export part of the project From the menu bar, choose File >> Export. A window will pop up with a diagram selector. Choosing a diagram will prompt a window where the diagram can be saved.
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 16 4.6 Exit the program From the menu bar, choose File >> Exit. This will exit the program. 4.7 Show help topics From the menu bar, choose Edit >> Help. This will prompt a window that contains various help topics. 4.8 Add a stakeholder Click the Stakeholder Tab view (Figure 8): 1. In the name text box, enter the stakeholder s name. 2. In the wants text box, enter the stakeholder s wants (optional). 3. Below the wants text box, choose the attributes that best describe the stakeholder. 4. Click the add stakeholder button. 4.9 Edit a stakeholder Click the Stakeholder Tab view (Figure 8) and choose a stakeholder from the stakeholder list. The stakeholder information will appear in the edit window (Figure 9). In that window: 1. Click the edit button. 2. Change the stakeholder s information (name, wants, attributes) 3. Click the save button to save any changes. 4.10 Remove a stakeholder Click the Stakeholder Tab view (Figure 8) and choose a stakeholder from the stakeholder list. The stakeholder information will appear in the edit window (Figure 9). In that window click the remove button. 4.11 View the classification diagram Click the Classifications Tab view (Figure 10). Click the drop down arrows to view the stakeholders of that classification. Note: if no stakeholders exist in the project, the classification diagram drop downs will all be empty. 4.12 View the recommended action matrix Click the Actions Tab view (Figure 11). Click the drop down arrows to view the stakeholders of that recommended action. Note: if no stakeholders exist in the project, the recommended action matrix drop downs will all be empty. 4.13 Set stakeholder relationships Click the Influences Tab view (Figure 12). Keep in mind, the leftmost column lists the stakeholders that influence the stakeholders listed in the topmost row. Click the intersection point where the influencer (row) meets the stakeholder being influenced (column). A drop down will appear with the options of 0, low, med, or high. Click the magnitude that best describes the
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 17 relationship. If 0 is chosen, this means that the two stakeholders have no relationship. All cells are set to 0 by default. Click the save button to save any changes to the Influence Table. 4.14 View the relationship map Click the Relationship Map Tab view (Figure 13). Scroll bars will appear if the Relationship Map is too large to fit in the viewing window. 4.15 Using the management plan Click the Management Plan Tab view (Figure 14). The first six columns (name, wants, classification, attitude, influence, and strategy cannot be modified. They dynamically change as the project changes. The rightmost four columns can be edited. To edit, simply click on the cell. The contents will be highlighted with a cursor. New text information can be added. Simply click away from the cell to finish editing. [This space intentionally left blank]
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 18 5. Glossary Attributes: Qualities that describe the stakeholder. In the NCSOSE methodology stakeholders attributes are power, legitimacy, urgency, potential cooperation towards a project, and potential threat towards a project. GUI: Graphical User Interface NCSOSE: National Center for Systems of Systems Engineering Project: A collaborative effort to accomplish a common goal. Relationship: The manner in which two entities are associated. SAM: Stakeholder analysis and management. Stakeholder: An entity who can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organization's objectives. STAT: Stakeholder Analysis Tool. [This space intentionally left blank]
Lab 4: STAT User Manual 19 Note from the Blue Team: This user manual was created while the STAT program is still in development. The contents of this manual are based on STAT prototype version 1.9. As the project is developed and refined, some contents and visuals may change. The STAT user manual will be updated to reflect these changes. [This space intentionally left blank]