| A stakeholder is a person who has
something to gain or lose through the outcomes of a planning process
or project. In many circles these are called interest groups and they
can have a powerful bearing on the outcomes of political processes.
It is often beneficial for research projects to identify and analyse
the needs and concerns of different stakeholders particularly when
these projects aim to influence policy.
In bridging research and policy, stakeholder analysis can be used
to identify all parties engaged in conducting the research, those
who make or implement policy, and the intermediaries between them.
It can help define a way to engage stakeholders so that the impact
of research on policy can be maximised.
It can also be used later in the research, when results are available
and the team may want to use the evidence to create policy impact.
Then it can be a useful tool to consider who needs to know about
the research, what their positions and interests are and how the
research should be presented and framed to appeal to them. In this
way it becomes an essential tool for assessing different interest
groups around a policy issue or debate, and their ability to influence
the final outcome.
 Detailed
Outline of the Process
The first step is to clarify the research or policy
change objective being discussed (for this Problem Tree Analysis
or Objectives Analysis might help). Next, identify all the stakeholders
or interest groups associated with this objective, project, problem
or issue. A small group of about six to eight people, with a varied
perspective on the problem, should be enough to create a good brainstorming
session. Stakeholders can be organisations, groups, departments,
structures, networks or individuals, but the list needs to be pretty
exhaustive to ensure nobody is left out. The table on the right
may help organise the brainstorm, or provide a structure for feedback
to plenary if you are working in break-out groups.
 Then
using the grid organise the stakeholders in different matrices according
to their interest and power. 'Interest' measures to what degree
they are likely to be affected by the research project or policy
change, and what degree of interest or concern they have in or about
it. 'Power' measures the influence they have over the project or
policy, and to what degree they can help achieve, or block, the
desired change.
Stakeholders with high power, and interests aligned with the project,
are the people or organisations it is important to fully engage
and bring on board. If trying to create policy change, these people
are the targets of any campaign. At the very top of the 'power'
list will be the 'decision-makers', usually members of the government.
Beneath these are people whose opinion matters - the 'opinion leaders'.
This creates a pyramid sometimes known as an Influence Map.
Stakeholders with high interest but low power need to be kept informed
but, if organised, they may form the basis of an interest group
or coalition which can lobby for change. Those with high power but
low interest should be kept satisfied and ideally brought around
as patrons or supporters for the proposed policy change.
If time and resources permit, further analysis can be carried out
which explores in more detail i) the nature of the power and its
position and ii) the interests that give it that position. This
helps the project to better understand why people take certain stands
and how they can be bought around. This analysis is developed further
in Influence Mapping.
The final step is to develop a strategy for how best to engage
different stakeholders in a project, how to 'frame' or present the
message or information so it is useful to them, and how to maintain
a relationship with them. Identify who will make each contact and
how, what message they will communicate and how they will follow-up.
A Good Example
A good journal article (which includes some case studies)
can be found at: www.stsc.hill.af.mil/crosstalk/2000/12/smith.html
Further Information
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