Salience Model: Power, Urgency, and Legitimacy for Stakeholder Classification

PMBOK v8 Definition

The salience model describes classes of stakeholders based on assessments of their power (level of authority or ability to influence the outcomes of the project), urgency (need for immediate attention, either time-constrained or relating to the stakeholders' high stakes in the outcome), and legitimacy (their involvement is appropriate). There is an adaptation that substitutes proximity (stakeholders' direct involvement in project activities, such as physical proximity to the worksite or direct contribution to project deliverables) for legitimacy.

Why It Matters for the Exam

The salience model appears frequently in PMI exam questions that test your ability to classify stakeholders in complex project environments. You will encounter it in situational questions where you must determine which stakeholders require the most attention, and in definition-based questions that ask you to identify the three attributes of the model.

Key Points to Remember (for the exam)

• Three Core Attributes: Power (authority/influence), Urgency (immediate attention needed), Legitimacy (appropriate involvement)
• Adaptation Option: Proximity can substitute for legitimacy when measuring team members' direct involvement with project work
• Primary Use Case: Large, complex communities of stakeholders or complex networks of relationships
• Key Benefit: Determines the relative importance of identified stakeholders
• Common Confusion: The salience model is NOT the same as the power/interest grid—it adds urgency and legitimacy as distinct dimensions
• Output Application: Assists with the development of communication strategies
• Comparison to Stakeholder Cube: Both are multidimensional models, but salience focuses on stakeholder classes based on attribute assessment, while stakeholder cube combines grid elements into three dimensions

Typical PMI Exam Example

A project manager is leading a large infrastructure project with over 200 identified stakeholders, including government regulators, community groups, suppliers, and internal teams. The stakeholder community has complex interrelationships. Which model should the project manager use to determine the relative importance of stakeholders?

Answer: The salience model, because it is useful for large, complex communities of stakeholders and helps determine relative importance through assessment of power, urgency, and legitimacy.

PMI Exam Traps

• Trap: Confusing salience model with the power/interest grid
  • Reality: The salience model uses three dimensions (power, urgency, legitimacy), while power/interest grids use only two dimensions
• Trap: Assuming legitimacy always means legal authority
  • Reality: Legitimacy means their involvement is appropriate, which can include moral or social appropriateness, not just legal standing
• Trap: Thinking proximity is always part of the salience model
  • Reality: Proximity is an adaptation that substitutes for legitimacy—it is not part of the standard model
• Trap: Applying the salience model to simple projects
  • Reality: The salience model is specifically useful for large, complex stakeholder communities, not small projects with simple relationships

Important PMI Connections

Quick Review Questions

1. What are the three attributes assessed in the standard salience model?
2. When should a project manager use the adaptation that substitutes proximity for legitimacy?
3. Why is the salience model particularly useful for large, complex stakeholder communities?
4. What is the difference between the salience model and the stakeholder cube?
5. How does the salience model assist with communication strategy development?

PMBOK v8 Reference

Section 5.2 - Identify Stakeholders (Salience model is classified under stakeholder classification models within the Identify Stakeholders process)