Also known as Stakeholder Mapping.
Variants include Stakeholder Management, Resistance Analysis and Communications Charter.
A Stakeholder refers any party who may have an interest in an organization’s activities or could be affected by its outcomes. Stakeholders can be any internal or external individuals, groups, departments, business units, or organizations. Primary stakeholders are those directly involved in the economic transactions of the business, while secondary stakeholders are those who may be affected by or have the ability to influence the organization in some manner.
Stakeholder analysis is a systematic process aimed at identifying and analyzing individuals or groups that are likely to affect or be affected by a particular project or other organizational activities. This analysis can be conducted periodically or on a regular basis to monitor stakeholder attitudes and behaviors over time. Stakeholder analysis is widely used in project management, conflict resolution, organizational transformation and change management.
In the context of project management, stakeholder analysis serves to foster engagement and collaboration between the project team and relevant stakeholders. This, in turn, mitigates conflicts and encourages cooperation during project implementation. It helps in determining the individuals who should be involved, consulted, or informed about project activities and issues. Additionally, it helps in identifying other parties who might be impacted positively or negatively by the project’s outcome.
The first step involves identifying the stakeholders associated with the project. This can be achieved by brainstorming and compiling a list of individuals and groups who have a stake in the project. Subsequently, these stakeholders are organized into logical categories such as external stakeholders, process teams, senior managers, etc. Affinity mapping can be utilized to organize and make sense of the various stakeholder groups.
Next, you need to analyze stakeholders based on their roles and characteristics. Multiple stakeholder attributes are considered during this analysis to gauge their level of involvement. This article focuses on four key characteristics which are:
- The power and influence they hold (determined by their positions).
- Whether they are aware of the project and its impact.
- Whether they are interested in the project outcome.
- Whether they are supportive or resistant to the project or change.
Power-Interest Matrix
One of the most widely used tools for analyzing stakeholders is the power-interest matrix. This matrix comprises four quadrants that categorize stakeholders based on their level of power and interest in the project. The four stakeholder groups identified by the power-interest matrix are key players, context setters, defenders, and the crowd.
Key players should be closely involved in all project activities, and nothing should come as a surprise to them. Examples of these stakeholders can be the operations manager and subject matter experts.
Context setters are the senior stakeholders who can take critical decisions and reach to more powerful stakeholders. They should be kept informed and satisfied to maintain their support.
Defenders have little power but are highly interested in the project outcomes. They should be kept informed to maintain their interest. Examples of these stakeholders can be the people who will apply the improved process.
Crowd have little power and little interest in the project, so they don’t require a great deal of consideration. Communicate occasionally with them about important issues and results.
Once the level of involvement for each stakeholder is determined, any gaps between their current and desired involvement levels should be identified. Subsequently, actions should be devised and implemented to bridge these gaps. To assess stakeholder current involvement in the project as well as where they need to be in terms of project involvement, you may utilize to the involvement planning worksheet provided below.
The final step involves creating a comprehensive communication plan to effectively convey the appropriate messages to each stakeholder at the most suitable time. This plan should include details such as the designated communicator for each stakeholder, key messages to be delivered, and the communication method to be employed (e.g., informal conversations, invitations to team meetings, emails, etc.). For assistance in devising your communication actions, you can refer to the communication action worksheet provided below.
Example
Consider the below table and utilize the data to plot the stakeholders on an empty power-interest matrix, taking into consideration the four characteristics of stakeholders: power, awareness, interest and support.
Stakeholders often move around the matrix. Some stakeholders will become more interested as the implementation progresses and they start to see that the changes will affect them. Others may gain more influence through internal promotions or transfers within the organization. Because of that, this analysis needs to be carried out regularly throughout the project lifecycle.
There are many tools that can help in analyzing and managing stakeholders. One of the simplest and most straightforward ways is to use this stakeholder analysis template.
Wrapping Up
In short, stakeholders are people or groups connected to an organization or project. They can be directly involved or affected by the organization or project. Stakeholder analysis is essential for managing projects and resolving conflicts to enhances collaboration and minimizes problems. Additionally, stakeholders are evaluated based on their power, awareness, interest, and support in the project, facilitating effective engagement and decision-making.
Other Formats
Do you want to use the slides in your training courses?
Stakeholder Analysis Training Material – $18.85
Related Articles
Related Templates
