Stakeholder access in Azure DevOps is designed to include those who need to view, interact, and provide feedback on project progress but do not require full access to the suite of development tools. This access level is particularly useful for business users, clients, or team members who need to be involved in the project but are not directly part of the development or operational workflows. Here’s a detailed look at stakeholder access in Azure DevOps:

Features Available to Stakeholders

1. Azure Boards:

   • Stakeholders can view and edit work items assigned to them.
   • They can participate in Agile planning and tracking tools, like backlogs, boards, and sprints.
   • Stakeholders can also create and track work items, providing feedback and reporting issues.

2. Dashboards and Reporting:

   • Access to dashboards for project status and progress.
   • Ability to view and interact with shared query results.

3. Limited Access to Repos, Pipelines, and Artifacts:

   • Stakeholders have read-only access to Azure Repos and Pipelines.
   • They cannot access Azure Artifacts.

Restrictions for Stakeholders

• Code and Build: Stakeholders cannot contribute code or trigger builds in Azure Repos or Azure Pipelines.
• Test Plans: No access to Azure Test Plans for detailed test case management.
• Administrative Functions: Limited ability to perform administrative tasks like managing users, configurations, or other settings.

Ideal Use Cases

• Project Tracking and Feedback: Stakeholders can track progress and provide feedback on work items, making them ideal for roles like business analysts, product owners, or clients.
• Non-Technical Involvement: Ideal for users who need to be informed about project progress but do not need to interact with the technical side of the project.
• Collaboration: Facilitates collaboration between technical teams and business stakeholders.

Setting Up Stakeholder Access

1. Assigning Access:

   • Users can be added as stakeholders through the Azure DevOps organization settings.
   • Existing users can have their access level changed to ‘Stakeholder’.

2. No Additional Cost:

   • Stakeholder access is provided at no additional cost, making it a cost-effective way to involve non-technical team members.

3. Compliance with Licensing Terms:

   • Ensure compliance with Microsoft’s licensing terms when assigning stakeholder access.

Conclusion

Stakeholder access in Azure DevOps is a valuable feature for including non-technical team members in the project management process. It allows for broader collaboration and communication within the project team, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their role, has the necessary visibility into the project progress and can contribute effectively to its success.