# Adding stakeholders to a project

> A step-by-step guide to the four ways you can add stakeholders to a project in Lobster, including the Stakeholder Picker.

- URL: https://lobster.ist/blog/adding-stakeholders-to-a-project/
- Language: English
- Also in Finnish: https://lobster.ist/fi/blog/adding-stakeholders-to-a-project/
- Published: 2020-05-10
- Category: Guide

Adding stakeholders to a project is possible from three places on Lobster.

1. [Project’s overview page](#overview_page)
2. [Project’s stakeholder tab](#stakeholder_tab)
3. [Stakeholder’s Projects tab](#stakeholder_projects)
4. [From the organisation’s project tab (add all organisation’s stakeholders)](#organisation_project_tab)

This post will walk you through with each of the options, and you can click items on the above list to jump to the method of choice. The actual process of adding new stakeholders to a project is similar in the first three cases. Process for The Stakeholder Picker is available here: _[The Stakeholder Picker](#stakeholder_picker)_

The fourth gives the possibility to add all stakeholders of an organisation to a project on one go.

## 1. Project’s overview page

![Project overview page with the Add stakeholders to the project link highlighted](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-05-10-at-6.34.13.png)

On the right-hand-side column of the project’s overview page, there are multiple areas containing information related to the project.

The third box from the top shows the stakeholders selected to the project. Under the stakeholder pictures is a link _Add stakeholders to the project_ (highlighted with a red circle on the picture on right).

By clicking the link opens up a form where adding one or more stakeholders to a project is possible. The stakeholder picker works in a similar manner to the one used to [add stakeholders to organisations](https://lobster.ist/blog/adding-a-stakeholder-to-organisations/) and the one used to [add connections between stakeholders](https://lobster.ist/blog/adding-connections-between-stakeholders/).

### The Stakeholder Picker

_PICK STAKEHOLDERS_ text indicates the free text search field where stakeholders can be found e.g. by searching by their first name, last name, organisation or short name of the organisation (e.g. ITRE).

_Tags_ field is used to narrow down the number of stakeholders being searched from. For example, Member of the European parliament has a tag indicating the country they have been elected to the Parliament.

For example, it is possible to narrow down the search with tag _Sweden_ and then search for _ITRE_ committee members. _See the picture below_.

![Stakeholder Picker with tag and free-text search filters](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-05-10-at-7.03.30.png)

After finding the right stakeholder or stakeholders, they are added to the project by clicking _+ Pick stakeholder_ link to the right from the stakeholder’s organisation.

![Picked stakeholders listed above the search box](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-05-10-at-7.06.39.png "Each stakeholder can have a project related comment.")

After picking the correct stakeholders they are listed above the search box on the same page – illustrated on the picture above.

![Save and Undo buttons](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-04-30-at-9.39.56.png)

Each of the stakeholders can have a project related comment. This comment is available for later evaluation on the project stakeholder tab. The comment is meant to facilitate, for example, information why the stakeholder is relevant for the project or project-related background information on the stakeholder and on her views.

After selecting the wanted stakeholders, remember to click _Save_ on the right-hand bottom corner of the page.

[Watch: Adding a stakeholder to a project](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDzyJtX2YOU)

## 2. Project’s stakeholder tab

Stakeholders can also be added to a project from projects _Stakeholder tab._ See picture below.

![Project Stakeholder tab with the Edit stakeholders button](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-05-10-at-6.34.27.png)

On the Stakeholder tab view, there is an _Edit stakeholders_ button on the right-hand side of the view just below the tab row. After clicking the button opens Stakeholder picker. Please see the Stakeholder Picker help here: [The Stakeholder Picker](#stakeholder_picker)

![Stakeholder Picker opened from the Stakeholder tab](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-05-10-at-6.35.00-1.png)

## 3. Stakeholder’s Projects tab

Lobster gives the possibility to add stakeholders to any given project from stakeholder’s _Project tab._ The tab is available on any stakeholder’s main view – see the picture below.

![Stakeholder main view showing the Projects tab](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-05-10-at-10.59.16.png)

![Add to a project drop-down menu on the stakeholder Projects tab](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-05-10-at-10.59.33.png)

On the _Project tab,_ there is a button _+ Add to a project_. Clicking the button opens a drop-down menu where there is a list of projects where the Lobster user is a responsible user. Another way to put it is, that users cannot quick-add stakeholders to colleagues projects.

As the picture on the right shows, it is also possible to initiate a process of adding a new project from the stakeholder _Projects tab_.

After clicking the desired project, the stakeholder is automatically added to the project. User is then forwarded to the selected project’s _Stakeholder tab_ to plan concrete Todo’s or Actions related to the newly added stakeholder.

## 4. From the organisation’s project tab (add all organisation’s stakeholders)

Organisations are also a relevant part of projects, and so are the stakeholder’s related to the organisation. Therefore, Lobster gives the possibility to add an organisation as it own or both organisation and all of its stakeholders to a project.

This is done from the Organisation’s _Projects tab_. The tab is available from the organisation’s main view – please see the picture below.

![Organisation main view showing the Projects tab](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-05-10-at-11.10.13.png)

![Add to a project drop-down on the organisation Projects tab](https://lobster.ist/images/adding-stakeholders-screenshot-2020-05-10-at-11.11.19.png)

On the _Projects tab,_ there is a _+ Add to a project_ button on the right-hand side of the page just under the tabs row.

Clicking the button opens a drop-down menu where there are all the projects user is responsible for in her organisation. Another way to put it, users cannot quick-add organisations and multiple stakeholders to colleagues projects.

After selecting the project and Lobster takes the user to the project’s _Organisation tab._

Lobster gives the possibility to add either only the organisation or to include also all of the stakeholders. The latter might be the case, for example, when Lobster user wants to invite the staff of a unit of a European Commission DG to a seminar.

It is good to notice that Lobster has organisation structures for different governmental bodies. For example, the Director-General Agriculture and Rural Development has nine directorates and each directorate can have multiple units. Each body the DG, directorates and units are their own entities on Lobster. The structure means that different parts of a multilevel organisation can be treated separately.