Influencers: Your People

Who else might have an impact on your project: academic advisors, ethics boards, elders, advisors, funding bodies? If you are involving an individual who is part of a governmental institution, non-profit, or indigenous community, who do they need to consult? Have you planned enough time for a proper consultation? Who needs to vet the project at different stages? What happens if there is a change in the project design or outcomes? Who needs to know? If you received funding or are accountable to an advisory board, are you clear of their expectations? At what stage will different team members, advisors, or stake holders be brought in? Is it possible the nature of their involvement could change over time? How will you manage the relationship between the influencers and your project? Partners and influencers can be disappointed if they perceive that their feedback was not taken into account. How might you clearly explain the limits of their role?