Paper Title
NAVIGATING STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS IN IT PROJECTS: A FRAMEWORK FOR IDENTIFYING AND PROFILING KEY PLAYERS

Abstract
IT implementation studies have long acknowledged the importance of user participation, rooted in early IT research emphasizing the involvement of managers, developers, and users. The positive impact of participation on system success, user acceptance, and reduced resistance was especially highlighted in past research. However, evolving trends in IT development—such as AI, enterprise systems, and outsourcing—have significantly broadened the stakeholder landscape. Modern IT projects now influence and are influenced by a diverse array of stakeholders, including suppliers, customers, business partners, regulatory agencies, and even the public. This complexity necessitates a redefinition of stakeholder management beyond traditional user-focused approaches. This paper argues that effective IT project implementation in contemporary environments requires a systematic and adaptive stakeholder management framework. A method grounded in established literature enables project managers and analysts to identify, categorize, and engage stakeholders in a dynamic and structured manner. The framework comprises seven core activities: identifying stakeholders, determining their involvement phases, clarifying their roles, mapping their interests and objects of involvement, assessing their relative importance, deciding on appropriate levels of engagement, and formulating a targeted action plan. The method integrates theoretical insights from stakeholder theory, network theory, and IT life cycle models. For stakeholder identification, a combination of checklist-based approaches, role-oriented questioning, and network analysis to capture both obvious and less visible actors are recommended. Recognizing the evolving nature of stakeholder involvement across a system's life cycle—from conception to termination— emphasizes the importance of reassessing stakeholders' influence, roles, and interests over time. Roles are defined not only by formal responsibilities but also by informal influence and representation, with recognition that individuals may occupy multiple or shifting roles. Keywords - Stakeholders; IT; Relations; Technochange; Life Cycle.