Applying an equity lens to project stakeholder engagement: How organizations are embedding equitable stakeholder engagement in their project management processes

This thesis provides a portfolio of research that focuses on stakeholder management practices for engaging ethnically- and culturally-diverse local (ECDL) communities in project decisions. The aim of this thesis is to explore how local government project managers make sense of the experience of engaging ECDL communities. Additionally, the thesis explores how local government project managers apply a social equity lens to stakeholder engagement planning to ensure that historically underrepresented and marginalized stakeholder groups are included in project decision making processes.

The current coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is lifting the veil on the deep-seated social inequities that ethnically- and culturally-diverse communities, and historically underrepresented and marginalized groups have always known to affect their health and safety. Public sector infrastructure and construction (PIC) projects are accepted as an important strategy for economic and social development. However, this development often comes with negative economic, social, and environmental impacts on local communities and disproportionally affect ECDL communities.

As communities in the United States grow more culturally diverse, the one size-fits-all approach to project stakeholder engagement is no longer sufficient to confront these inequities and address the unique needs of ECDL communities and historically underrepresented and marginalized stakeholder groups. In the context of PIC projects, inclusive and equitable community engagement is an important component of public engagement which enables citizens to participate in project decisions. While there is a growing interest in local community as an important project stakeholder, there is currently limited understanding, agreement, and research on how organizations operationalize inclusive and equitable stakeholder engagement within the context of project stakeholder management.

This thesis extends previous research on inclusive stakeholder management and local community as a project stakeholder by first examining the factors that influence how project managers engage ECDL communities. This was accomplished by conducting a literature review that reveals the contentious relationship between project organizations and local community and the importance of adapting project management practices to the local and cultural context of the project. Secondly, an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis study, using semi-structured interviews with 13 project managers from one local government agency, examines the barriers and facilitators for engaging ECDL communities in projects. The study suggests the need for organizations to establish clearly defined policies and procedures to guide how Project Managers approach community engagement when ECDL communities are a project stakeholder group. Thirdly, a case study of a second local government agency examines how an organization applies a social equity lens to the project planning processes to ensure participation of historically underrepresented and marginalized stakeholder groups in project decision making process. Using thematic analysis of interviews and documents, the case study shows how the organization defines and integrates equitable stakeholder engagement into its policies, strategic plans, and project delivery processes.

The research is relevant to project management offices (PMO) in any organization that serve, directly affect, or support the interest of ECDL communities, and who are in the process of planning to start integrating inclusive and equitable stakeholder engagement in their project delivery processes. The findings from this research support readiness for change and adoption of social equity in projects and programs by informing (a) how project managers can enhance their capacity to effectively engage ethno-cultural minority communities, (b) the development of future training interventions, and (c) how organizations can advance social equity in PIC projects by embedding inclusive and equitable stakeholder engagement in their project delivery processes.