Course Description

The BCS Professional Certificate in Stakeholder Engagement focuses on essential frameworks and techniques for effective stakeholder management in business change projects. It is particularly valuable for business analysts, project managers, and IS consultants.

This certification helps professionals:

1. Implement key strategies to ensure business acceptance of projects
2. Develop skills to support successful organisational change programmes
3. Build and nurture productive relationships with stakeholders

The course covers crucial areas such as:

• Working with stakeholder groups
• Creative problem-solving
• Conflict management

As a standalone qualification, it enhances stakeholder engagement skills. Additionally, it forms one of four modules required for the BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis, making it a valuable step for career advancement in business change roles.

Pre-requisites

There are no entry requirements for this certification.

Target Audience

The BCS Professional Certificate in Stakeholder Engagement is ideal for professionals who need to work effectively with stakeholders, particularly in business change environments. It's especially beneficial for:

• Business analysts
• Project managers
• Customer journey managers
• Business change practitioners
• Professionals responsible for stakeholder relationships

This certification provides key concepts and techniques for effective stakeholder management. It also serves as a People Skills module for the BCS Advanced Diploma in Business Analysis, offering additional value for career progression.

Course Materials

We'll send a printed copy of the latest comprehensive course manual to your home address well before your course begins. Additionally, you'll receive an email with a link to access a digital version of the same manual, ensuring you have both physical and electronic references for your convenience and future use.

Exam

The course prepares delegates for the BCS Professional Certificate in Stakeholder Engagement examination. If this course is part of your BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis programme you have three further modules to choose in addition to already having completed the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis.

The exam is accessible only at the registered date and time. Candidates with disabilities or special considerations, including English as a second language, may request adjustments or additional time in line with BCS reasonable adjustments policy.

Learning Objectives

You'll gain a broad understanding of stakeholder engagement, including:

• Stakeholder communication
• Working with stakeholder groups
• Facilitated workshop techniques
• How to build rapport
• Creative problem-solving
• Managing expectations
• Negotiating with stakeholders
• Managing conflict

Course Content

Understanding stakeholders

• Analysing stakeholders
• Stakeholder planning
• Stakeholder perspectives

Communication

• The communication process
• Barriers to communication
• Active listening

Working with stakeholder groups

• Group development process
• Learning styles

Facilitated workshops - introduction

• The benefits of facilitated workshops
• Main workshop roles – facilitator, scribe, participants, sponsor
• Stages of a workshop
• Workshop preparation
• Conduct of the workshop
• Facilitation techniques
• Adaptability in the workshop

Rapport

• Rapport defined
• Making an impact
• Building rapport
• Body language

Creative problem solving

• A model for creative problem solving
• Techniques for generating ideas
• Rich pictures
• Mind-maps
• Fishbone diagrams
• Stimulating creative thinking
• Edward de Bono's 'Six Thinking Hats'

Managing expectations

• Sources of expectations
• Controllable expectation creators
• Uncontrollable expectation creators
• Process for managing expectations

Negotiation

• Negotiating positions
• Principled negotiation approach
• The people problem
• Principled negotiation stages – interests, options, criteria
• Blocks to creative options in negotiation
• Integrative and distributive negotiation

Managing conflict

• The difference between negotiation and conflict situations
• Root causes of conflict – goals, judgements, values
• Options for conflict resolution
• Conflict resolution process
• Handling conflict