Power–Interest vs. Salience — Which PMP Grid Should You Use?

Why this is so frequently tested

Because both classify stakeholders — but they serve different exam purposes.

Power–Interest grid = for prioritization
Salience model = for governance escalation

Power–Interest Grid

Used early — during identify stakeholders.

You categorize by:

• Power (can this person kill your project?)
• Interest (do they care about outcomes?)

Result = 4 quadrants

• High Power / High Interest → Manage closely
• High Power / Low Interest → Keep satisfied
• Low Power / High Interest → Keep informed
• Low Power / Low Interest → Monitor

If the question is about prioritizing communications, resources, or time → pick Power–Interest.

Salience Model

Used later — when governance decisions arise.

Based on three attributes:

• Power
• Legitimacy
• Urgency

More attributes = higher salience rank.

If exam question mentions:

• “Who should approve this?”
• “Who is the right escalation path?”
• “Which stakeholder has the right to make this decision?”

→ Answer will lean toward Salience.

Fast Rule you can memorize

• If the question is about influence level or prioritize who to engage first → Power–Interest
• If the question is about formal authority or who must approve → Salience

Practice to make it stick

Which tool would you use?

Example:

Regulatory body sends an urgent request to change reporting format.

Answer: Salience (urgency + legitimacy + power)

If you liked this — next read one more visual example here:

• Stakeholder Engagement Matrix explained