Navigating Stakeholder Engagement
in the AI-Powered Era
FEATURED PAPER
By Massimo Pirozzi, Francesca Apponi, Emanuela Liburdi, Alessandro Quagliarini, Emanuele Remediani
Italy
ABSTRACT
Communication is the behavior by which we connect and relate to others and as such inherently adds value to the content which we wish to convey and/or exchange. Within a project context, effective communication has time after time been demonstrated as a key factor in the success of a project. Data indicates that organizations with high effectiveness in communication also report significantly better outcomes, such as higher stakeholder satisfaction with requirements and expectations, improved adherence to time, budget, and quality constraints, and better control of “scope creep” phenomena.
Furthermore, in project management, communication – although not given the attention it deserves – is a basic element of every process group. In this paper, an overview of effective communication, reporting, team collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and the management of requirements and expectations will be provided. We will also consider how the digital world and artificial intelligence can act as transformative enablers of communication “automation” and “augmentation.” This includes their role in facilitating predictive analyses to enhance decision-making and addressing the multicultural and ethical challenges intrinsic to AI-driven project communication.
PRIMER: FROM INFORMATION TO AUGMENTED COMMUNICATION IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
“One cannot not communicate” (Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson, 1967). This one eternal and fundamental axiom of communication, if nothing else, underlines the importance of communication in our lives, both at a personal and professional level. We communicate with and relate to our environment-first the immediate one, then the distant one, and today, with the help of technology, we go beyond not only the spatial and temporal barriers but also, through online communication and artificial intelligence, some cognitive barriers. Communication is, by its very nature, conveyed through our behaviors: “In the perspective of pragmatics, all behavior, not only speech, is communication, and all communication (even the communicational clues in an impersonal context) affects behavior” (Watzlawick, Beavin, and Jackson, 1967). Consequently, our relations with others depend on what we do and not, as often perhaps we might wish, upon what we intend or upon motive which for the most part remain unknown to them and, in general count far less than outward resultants themselves. Ultimately, communication is rooted in action, though it can be modified by subjective perceptions. The axiom “one cannot not communicate” is also evidenced by the fact that even lack of communication is itself perceived as a form of communication-usually interpreted as a lack of interest, attention, or worse, respect. Thus, while we cannot choose “whether” to communicate, we can decide whether to try to do so effectively or not.
In all projects, effective communication with stakeholders is a Critical Success Factor, as it has been shown that organizations excelling in communication are also high performers (Pirozzi, 2019). This link has been acknowledged for several years; for example, a Strategic Initiatives Study concerning adapting corporate strategies to the changing economy (Forbes, 2011) found that an astonishing 92% of CEOs believed communication was essential to the success of their strategic initiatives. Almost half of these CEOs reported that “communications are an integral and active component of the strategic planning and execution process.” As a result, improved communication was the number one change companies were making in order to better achieve their strategic initiatives. In addition, the connection between effective communication and organizational outcome is clearly documented as well (Project Management Institute, 2013). In fact, organizations that communicate effectively are significantly more successful in achieving their original goals and business objectives nearly 50% more often than low-performing organizations. Moreover, they meet time constraints nearly twice as frequently as their less communicative counterparts. Communication can also be a critical risk factor. Inadequate or poor communication has been identified as a major cause of project failure in nearly 30% of cases (Project Management Institute, 2018). Thus, the importance of effective project communication cannot be overstated—it is essential for both maximizing success and minimizing risks.
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How to cite this paper: Pirozzi, M, Apponi, F, Liburdi, E, Quagliarini, A, Remediani, E (2025). Effective Project Communication: Navigating Stakeholder Engagement in the AI-Powered Era; PM World Journal, Vol. XIV, Issue I, January. Available online at https://pmworldlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/pmwj148-Jan2025-Pirozzi-Apponi-Liburdi-Quagliarini-Remediani-Effective-Project-Communication.pdf
About the Authors
Massimo Pirozzi
Rome, Italy
Massimo Pirozzi, MSc cum laude, Electronic Engineering, University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Project, Program and Portfolio Manager, Principal Consultant and Educator. He is a Member of the Executive Board and an Accredited Master Teacher, of the Istituto Italiano di Project Management (Italian Institute of Project Management). He is certified as a Professional Project Manager, as an Information Security Management Systems Lead Auditor, and as an International Mediator. He is a Specialist in Generative Artificial Intelligence for Project Managers, in Generative Artificial Intelligence for Educators, in Responsible Generative Artificial Intelligence, in Prompt Engineering for Project Managers and for Educators, and has several Credentials in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.
He is a Researcher, a Lecturer, and an Author about Stakeholder Management, Relationship Management, and Complex Projects Management, and he authored or coauthored more than 50 papers in 5 different Countries. In particular, he is the Author of the Book “The Stakeholder Perspective: Relationship Management to enhance Project value and Success”, CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton (FL), U.S.A., October 2019. Due to the acknowledgement of his comments on stakeholder-related issues contained in Exposure Draft of The Standard for Project Management – 7th Edition, he has been recognized as one of the Contributors and Reviewers of the PMBOK® Guide – Seventh Edition, and he received the Certificate of Appreciation for Excellence for his volunteer contributions to the Project Management Institute and the project management profession in 2020. He also received several International Awards.
Massimo Pirozzi has a wide experience in managing large and complex projects, programs, and portfolios in national and international contexts, and in managing business relations with public and private organizations, including multinational companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, research institutes, and non-profit organizations. He worked successfully in several sectors, including Defense, Security, Health, Education, Engineering, Logistics, Cultural Heritage, Transport, Gaming, Services to Citizens, Consulting, and Web. He was also, for many years, a Top Manager in ICT Industry, and an Adjunct Professor in Organizational Psychology. He is registered as an Expert both of the European Commission, and of Italian Public Administrations.
Massimo Pirozzi is an Accomplished Author and an International Editorial Advisor of PM World Journal, and can be contacted at max.pirozzi@gmail.com.
Francesca Apponi
Rome, Italy
Francesca Apponi, PhD, MSc in Managerial Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Chief AI Engineer, Project Manager and Innovation Manager, is specializing in Artificial Intelligence and Business Intelligence applied to strategic decision-making. She currently works as a Chief AI Engineer, serving as an AI Engineer, Data Analyst, and Creative Innovation Specialist. Her experience includes developing predictive models, leveraging facial emotion recognition for consumer insights, and implementing semantic and network analysis algorithms to support strategic decisions.
Francesca is an active Member of the ISIPM-Young Team, contributing to training and outreach activities in Project Management, with a focus on sustainability. She has been a speaker at major national events such as PMExpo (2022, 2023, 2024), addressing strategic topics in project management and sustainability.
She has contributed to scientific and technical publications on sustainable project management, strategic collaboration, and econometrics. Her researches have been published in PM World Journal, Project Manager (IL), Scientometrics, and the Journal of Economic Surveys. Francesca is a licensed Professional Engineer. She holds the ISIPM Certification in Project Management and multiple PMI Credentials in Artificial Intelligence.
Francesca Apponi can be contacted at francesca.apponi@gmail.com.
Emanuela Liburdi
Rome, Italy
Emanuela Liburdi, BSc in Managerial Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, is about to complete her Master’s Degree in Management Engineering with a specialization in Socioeconomic Engineering and a Thesis on Artificial Intelligence applied to Project Management. She is specializing in Organization and Development of Human Capital in International Contexts too. Event Manager, Project Manager, Social Media Manager, Emanuela is currently employed at the Central Communication Office of the University of Rome “Tor Vergata,” in which she is the communication supervisor for the institutional events, a member of the editorial team for the University’s newsletter and the radio station, and a radio speaker.
Emanuela is an active Member of the ISIPM-Young Team, and serves as the POC of the ISIPM Hub at Tor Vergata University. She is also a Member of PMExpo Organization Team, and of the Quality Committee of the ALITUR Association (Association of Graduates in Engineering from the University of Rome Tor Vergata). Emanuela holds ISIPM Certification in Project Management and multiple Credentials in Artificial Intelligence from PMI and Microsoft.
Emanuela Liburdi can be contacted at emanuelaliburdi2@gmail.com .
Alessandro Quagliarini
Rome, Italy
Alessandro Quagliarini, MScEng, PMP, MBA, is an experienced Program Manager, with more than 18 years of experience in the ICT sector. He holds a Master’s Degree in Telecommunication Engineering from the University of Rome “Tor Vergata” and a Professional Master in Business Administration from the Bologna University Business School. He got both PMP® and ISIPM-Av® advanced certifications in Project Management, and he is also certified as an Information Management Systems Lead Auditor. He is a Member of the Board of the “Italian Institute of Project Management” (ISIPM) for ten years, and he is an Accredited Teacher in Project Management.
Alessandro is presently engaged in the “Enterprise and Innovative Solutions Office” of TIM as Project Management Officer. Formerly involved in the “Digital Transformation” engineering and industrialization programs of the new Italian telecommunications network, with particular focus on the engineering of delivery and assurance processes for the provision of retail, business and industries customers, on the operational management and procurement support for the definition of specifications and contracts, on the definition of operating rules/ instructions for maintenance and of requirements for systems development, on the support to the commercial and regulatory lines for the definition of services and processes for customers (Other Licensed Operators and Industries), and on the definition and management of operations compliance with ISO Standards and International Best Practices.
As a Member of the ISIPM Board, he focuses his volunteer activities mainly on the cultural diffusion of the project management to young people – specifically to high school students and also staff, including teachers. As an ISIPM accredited teacher, he has taught project management in public and private institutions, in schools and in universities. He has experience in the organization of events and as a speaker in conferences, and also in proposing and managing EU-funded projects.
Alessandro can be contacted at a.quagliarini@gmail.com
Emanuele Remediani
Rome, Italy
Emanuele Remediani has a MSc in Telecommunications Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, and a wide professional experience in managing projects both in the ICT and Commercial sectors. Trainer and Project Manager, he currently holds the position of Specialist Technical Process Manager in the Open Fiber’s Service & Process Function, in which he is responsible for creating or modifying processes to support information systems for the delivery of Telecommunications services. In addition, for over 10 years, he has been a trainer in Project Management, at universities, companies, and training organizations.
In recent years, he has worked on Research & Development projects in collaboration with state research institute (CREA and ENEA) and universities, taking on roles as both Project Manager and Deliverable designer. With this experience, he has also published as a co-author in scientific journals of the sector (Bioelectrochemistry, Analytical Biochemistry, Electroanalysis). He was previously a consultant at LG Electronics, working on projects aimed at improving the marketability of UMTS mobile devices, before moving into the Food & Beverage industry to computerize production processes.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of ISIPM (Italian Institute of Project Management), a Senior Project Management Instructor, he has an Advanced ISIPM Certification, he is an ISIPM-PRADO Assessor, and a co-author of the book “Guida alle conoscenze di Innovation Project Management”, 2023 FrancoAngeli.
Emanuele can be contacted at e.remediani@gmail.com .
