\Start your audience list by developing a hierarchical grouping of categories like the one

shown here that covers the universe of people who may be affected by, needed to
support, or interested in your project:
Internal: People and groups inside your organization

Upper management: Executive-level management responsible for the

general oversight of all organization operations

Requesters: The person who came up with the idea for your project and
all the people through whom the request passed before you received it

Project manager: The person with overall responsibility for successfully

completing the project

End users: People who will use the goods or services the project will
produce

Team members: People assigned to the project whose work the project
manager directs

Groups normally involved: Groups typically involved in most projects in

the organization, such as the human resources, finance, contracts, and legal
departments

Groups needed just for this project: Groups or people with special
knowledge related to this project
External: People and groups outside your organization

Clients or customers: People or groups that buy or use your

organizations products or services

Collaborators: Groups or organizations with whom you may pursue joint

ventures related to your project

Vendors, suppliers, and contractors: Organizations that provide

personnel, raw materials, equipment, or other resources required to perform
your projects work

Regulators: Government agencies that establish regulations and

guidelines that govern some aspect of your project work

Professional societies: Groups of professionals that may influence or be

interested in your project

The public: The local, national, and international community of people

who may be affected by or interested in your project

Continue to subdivide these categories until you arrive at position descriptions and the
names of the people who occupy them.
As you develop your audience list, be sure not to overlook the following potential
audiences:
Support groups: These people dont tell you what you should do; instead, they

help you accomplish the projects goals. Such groups include:

o

Facilities

Finance

Human resources

Information services

Legal services

Procurement or contracting

Quality

Security

Project management office

End users of your projects products: People or groups who will use
the goods and services your project produces.

People who will maintain or support the final product: People who will
service your projects final products affect the continuing success of these products.

Many different groups of people may influence the success of or have an interest in
your project. Knowing who these people are allows you to plan to involve them at the
appropriate times during your project. Therefore, identifying all project audiences as
soon as possible and reflecting any changes in those audiences as soon as you find out
about them are important steps to take as you manage your project.