By the beginning of the 21st century, stakeholders have been considered more and more as the crucial human factor that defines the perception of success of a project, particularly the
beneficiaries of the project's outcomes. This has increased the focus on
stakeholder management within the general topic of
project management. Rather than focusing on one subset of stakeholders, Lynda Bourne advocates prioritizing all stakeholders and focusing your attention on the "most important" at this point in time. Her view of importance encompasses an assessment of the power, proximity and urgency associated with each stakeholder. She calls her methodology a "Stakeholder Circle". The rationale for this emphasis on
decision makers is part of project stakeholder management and a key component in affecting change in an organization.
John Hotter describes
stakeholder analysis and stakeholder management as essential components of
change management. == See also ==