public void saveProjectFile(String statFilePath) {

        Element stat = new Element("stat");
        Document statDoc = new Document(stat);

        //load meta-data elements
        Element metaDataElement = new Element("metadata");
        for (String attrib : METADATA_ATTRIBS) {
            String value = metaData.get(attrib);
            if (value != null && !value.isEmpty()) {
                metaDataElement.addContent(new Element(attrib).setText(value));
            }
        }

        statDoc.getRootElement().addContent(metaDataElement);

        //load stakeholders
        Element stakeholdersElement = new Element("stakeholders");
        for (Stakeholder stakeHolder : stakeholders.values()) {
            Element stakeholderElement = new Element("stakeholder");
            Map<String, String> tempAttribs = stakeHolder.getAttributes();
            for (String attrib : STAKEHOLDER_ATTRIBS) {
                String value = tempAttribs.get(attrib);
                if (value != null && !value.isEmpty()) {
                    stakeholderElement.addContent(new Element(attrib).setText(value));
                }
            }

            //load influences for this stakeholder
            Element influencesElement = new Element("influences");
            ArrayList<Relationship> influences = stakeHolder.getInfluences();
            for (Relationship relationship : influences) {
                Element influenceElement = new Element("influence");
                influenceElement.addContent(new Element("id").setText(relationship.getName()));
                influenceElement.addContent(new Element("strength").setText(String.valueOf(relationship.getMagnitude())));
                influencesElement.addContent(influenceElement);
            }

            stakeholderElement.addContent(influencesElement);
            stakeholdersElement.addContent(stakeholderElement);

        }
        statDoc.getRootElement().addContent(stakeholdersElement);

        XMLOutputter statOutput = new XMLOutputter(Format.getPrettyFormat());
        try {
            statOutput.output(statDoc, new FileWriter(statFilePath));
        } catch (IOException ex) {
            ex.printStackTrace();
        }

    }