Stakeholder engagement plays an important role in a project’s outcome. Their buy-in is valuable as they have the power to steer the direction of projects either toward success or failure. Hence, the support of stakeholders becomes a key requirement in ensuring a project’s success.
Stakeholders could be individuals, groups or organisations that are involved or interested in a project’s outcome. There are two types of stakeholders – internal and external. Internal stakeholders are directly involved in the project (eg. team members or partner agencies) and external stakeholders are not directly involved in the project but are impacted by the outcomes (eg. residents or media). Both must be effectively managed to obtain valuable insights and feedback, as well as to smooth potential conflicts during the process. A comprehensive stakeholder analysis and map crafted in the early stages of the project can facilitate the planning of an effective stakeholder management strategy. There are 4 key areas to note.
- Identification – Identifying all the stakeholders pertaining to the project
- Analysis – Understand how the stakeholders could impact the project
- Mapping – Visually representing the stakeholders based on their influence and interest
- Prioritise – Identifying the key stakeholders and planning the resource allocation for each group
Stakeholder Mapping
A stakeholder map is a visual diagram that assists in the identification of key stakeholders and understanding the relationship between them. As resources such as time, energy and money are limited, the map allows the team to effectively prioritise the stakeholders involved and allocate the appropriate resources required to engage them. The map could be represented as Mendelow’s Matrix which shows the level of stakeholders’ influence and interest.
Quadrant 1 – Stakeholders with low interest and high influence
Stakeholders in this quadrant are influential but have a low interest in the project. They do not require constant engagement but have to be kept satisfied with a reasonable flow of updates at their preferred frequency.
Quadrant 2 – Stakeholders with high interest and high influence
Stakeholders in this quadrant are both influential and highly interested in the project. They are considered key players and have a higher impact on the project’s success. Allocate resources to engage them, conduct regular meetings for feedback and provide frequent updates to keep them actively involved in the project’s progress.
Quadrant 3 – Stakeholders with low interest and low influence
Stakeholders in this quadrant are neither influential nor interested in the project, though they are impacted by the project’s outcomes. They should be kept informed of key milestones and monitored for potential feedback.
Quadrant 4 – Stakeholders with high interest but low influence
Stakeholders in this quadrant have high interest but low influence. They should receive regular updates and be consulted for feedback as required.
The stakeholder map provides a snapshot of various stakeholders, aiding in effective resource allocation and management. Stakeholder analysis and mapping are crucial steps in the earlier stages of project management in order to ensure a smooth process and successful outcomes.
– Yasmin Begum, Communications Team
