Abstract: “The engagement of stakeholders has become a key strategic area for Umgeni Water. Key statutory stakeholders, contracted or non-contracted, hold immense influence over, and have a great impact on, Umgeni Water’s policy development and nature of work. Planning for stakeholder engagement can pose a challenge, particularly for the construction of water infrastructure projects, because relations between stakeholders are not static, but are rather dynamic and in a state of flux. In light of the project delays and financial setbacks that have been experienced while implementing infrastructure projects at Umgeni Water, it has become apparent that there are risks posed by the involvement and influence of key stakeholders. Umgeni Water thus needs to be proactive and put measures in place to ensure the successful implementation of projects. The purpose of this study was to provide a framework to assist management and teams working in the water infrastructure projects to better understand how to”

Keywords: stakeholder management, stakeholder engagement, water infrastructure projects, complexity, qualitative research