Delivering infrastructure projects involves many stakeholders. Their responsibilities and authorities vary over the course of the project lifecycle - from establishing the project parameters and performance requirements, to operating and maintaining the completed infrastructure. To ensure the successful delivery of infrastructure projects, it is important for the project management team to identify and manage the stakeholders and their requirements. This chapter discusses the management of stakeholders in delivering infrastructure projects, from their conception to completion. It includes managing the stakeholders for project selection and involving them to improve project constructability, operability and maintainability
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Infrastructure development is the engine of economic growth. Roads, railways, ports, dams, irrigation works, houses, schools and others infrastructures are the physical foundations on which development efforts and improved living standards are established. In developing the infrastructure, it is important to maintain not only the economic and financial sustainability, but also the environmental and social sustainability. In other words, the infrastructure should be built to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987).
Sustainable infrastructures need to be planned, designed and constructed to achieve their intended use and be maintained effectively and efficiently. In delivering sustainable infrastructure, many stakeholders will be involved. Their responsibilities and authorities vary over the course of the project lifecycle – from establishing the project parameters and performance requirements, to operating and maintaining the completed infrastructure. To ensure the successful delivery of sustainable infrastructure projects, it is important for the project management team to identify and manage the stakeholders and their requirements.
This chapter discusses the management of stakeholders in delivering infrastructure projects from their conception to completion. It starts with the description of infrastructure project lifecycle, which consist of five project phases of planning, designing, construction, operations, and disposal and recycling. This is followed by the discussion of three critical factors for successful completion of infrastructure projects: constructability, operability and maintainability. The impact of stakeholders on these three critical factors is then discussed; and this, in turn, is followed by a discussion of stakeholder management in order to improve these critical factors.