Project Toolkit

Identify Stakeholders

Identify Stakeholders

Comprehensive guide to stakeholder identification, analysis, and engagement including power/interest grids, influence strategies, and practical techniques.

Stakeholder Management

Effective stakeholder management is critical to project success. This guide covers how to identify, analyse, and engage stakeholders throughout your project.

What is a Stakeholder?

Definition: A stakeholder is anyone who affects, is affected by, or perceives themselves to be affected by a project or its outcome.

Stakeholders include:

  • Those with authority over the project (sponsors, governance)
  • Those with interest in outcomes (users, customers)
  • Those with influence (subject matter experts, opinion leaders)
  • Those impacted by changes (affected teams, communities)

The Stakeholder Management Process

flowchart LR A[Identify] --> B[Analyse] B --> C[Plan] C --> D[Engage] D --> E[Monitor] E --> A classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E blue
Phase Purpose Output
Identify Find all stakeholders Stakeholder list
Analyse Understand interests, influence Stakeholder analysis
Plan Define engagement approach Engagement plan
Engage Communicate and involve Stakeholder satisfaction
Monitor Track and adapt Updated analysis

Stakeholder Identification

Sources to Consider

Category Examples
Internal Project team, sponsor, steering committee, PMO, affected departments
External Customers, suppliers, regulators, partners, shareholders
Organisational Senior management, functional managers, HR, finance, IT
End users Those who will use the deliverables
Indirect Unions, community groups, media, competitors

Identification Techniques

Technique Description
Brainstorming Team session to identify stakeholders
Organisation charts Review structure for affected areas
Previous projects Check stakeholder lists from similar projects
Expert interviews Ask experienced colleagues
Document review Business case, contracts, regulations
Affinity groups Group similar stakeholders together

Common Stakeholders by Project Type

Project Type Key Stakeholders
IT Implementation IT team, business users, data owners, security, vendors
Organisational Change HR, affected staff, unions, training, comms
Construction Planning authority, contractors, neighbours, safety
Product Launch Marketing, sales, customers, supply chain, legal

Stakeholder Analysis

Power/Interest Grid

The most common stakeholder analysis tool:

quadrantChart title Stakeholder Power/Interest Grid x-axis Low Interest --> High Interest y-axis Low Power --> High Power quadrant-1 Manage Closely quadrant-2 Keep Satisfied quadrant-3 Monitor quadrant-4 Keep Informed
Quadrant Power Interest Strategy
Manage Closely High High Regular engagement, involve in decisions
Keep Satisfied High Low Inform on major milestones, don’t overwhelm
Keep Informed Low High Regular updates, address concerns
Monitor Low Low Minimal effort, watch for changes

Stakeholder Assessment Criteria

Criterion Questions to Ask
Power Can they stop or significantly impact the project?
Interest How much do they care about the outcome?
Influence Can they sway others’ opinions?
Impact How much will they be affected?
Attitude Are they supportive, neutral, or resistant?
Expectations What do they want from this project?

Influence/Impact Matrix

Alternative analysis focusing on influence and project impact:

Quadrant Influence Impact Approach
Key Players High High Close partnership
Influencers High Low Keep on side
Affected Low High Keep informed, address concerns
Spectators Low Low Minimal engagement

Attitude Assessment

Attitude Description Response
Champion Actively supports, promotes Leverage their influence
Supporter Positive, willing to help Maintain engagement
Neutral No strong opinion Provide information, build support
Critic Has concerns Understand and address issues
Blocker Actively opposes Direct engagement, escalation if needed

Stakeholder Analysis Template

Stakeholder Role Power Interest Attitude Key Concerns Strategy
Sarah Chen Sponsor High High Champion ROI, timeline Weekly updates
IT Director Approver High Medium Neutral Resources, security Monthly reviews
Sales Team Users Low High Critic Workload, training Involve in design

Stakeholder Engagement Planning

Engagement Levels

Level Description Activities
Unaware Don’t know about project Awareness communications
Resistant Aware but opposed Address concerns, negotiate
Neutral Aware, neither for nor against Provide benefits information
Supportive Aware and supportive Maintain engagement
Leading Actively championing Leverage their influence

Engagement Planning Process

flowchart LR A[Current
State] --> B[Desired
State] B --> C[Gap
Analysis] C --> D[Actions
to Move] D --> E[Monitor
Progress] classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E blue

For each stakeholder:

  1. Current state - Where are they now? (Unaware to Leading)
  2. Desired state - Where do you need them to be?
  3. Gap - What needs to change?
  4. Actions - What will move them?
  5. Owner - Who is responsible for this stakeholder?

Engagement Strategies by Type

Stakeholder Type Engagement Strategy
High power, resistant One-on-one meetings, understand concerns, find common ground
High power, supportive Keep them informed, leverage for sponsorship
End users Involve in design, provide training, address concerns
Technical experts Consult on solutions, respect expertise
Regulators Formal communications, demonstrate compliance

Influence and Negotiation

Building Influence

Technique Application
Expertise Demonstrate knowledge, provide insights
Relationship Build rapport over time
Coalition Align with other stakeholders
Reciprocity Help them, they’ll help you
Authority Leverage legitimate position
Commitment Get small agreements first

Handling Resistance

flowchart TD A[Resistance
Identified] --> B[Understand
Concerns] B --> C{Legitimate
Issues?} C -->|Yes| D[Address
Issues] C -->|No| E[Reframe/
Negotiate] D --> F[Monitor
Change] E --> F classDef blue fill:#108BB9,stroke:none,color:#fff class A,B,C,D,E,F blue
Resistance Type Possible Cause Response
Fear of change Uncertainty, job security Communication, involvement
Loss of control Power shift Involve in decisions
Bad experience Past project failures Acknowledge, show difference
Workload concerns Additional burden Address resource needs
Political Organisational dynamics Build coalitions

Negotiation with Stakeholders

Situation Approach
Resource conflicts Show business case, find trade-offs
Scope disagreements Use MoSCoW, present options
Timeline pressure Present trade-offs clearly
Competing priorities Escalate to governance

Communication Approaches

Tailoring Communication

Stakeholder Preferred Content Frequency Channel
Executives Summary, decisions, risks Monthly/Major milestones Meeting, dashboard
Sponsor Progress, issues, support needed Weekly Meeting, report
Team Tasks, context, recognition Daily/Weekly Stand-up, team tools
Users Impact, timeline, training As needed Email, town halls
External Formal updates Per contract Formal letters

Key Messages by Audience

Audience Focus On
Business stakeholders Benefits, ROI, business impact
Technical stakeholders Solution, architecture, integration
End users How it affects them, training, support
Senior management Strategic alignment, risks, decisions

Managing Difficult Stakeholders

The Absent Sponsor

Symptoms: Doesn’t attend meetings, delays decisions, hard to reach.

Actions:

  • Document impact of absence
  • Request brief, focused time slots
  • Provide written updates for email approval
  • Identify delegate authority
  • Escalate if project at risk

The Micromanager

Symptoms: Wants to approve everything, attends all meetings, questions all decisions.

Actions:

  • Over-communicate proactively
  • Provide detailed plans upfront
  • Build trust through transparency
  • Set clear tolerances
  • Demonstrate competence

The Scope Creeper

Symptoms: Constantly adds requirements, “just one more thing”.

Actions:

  • Formal change control
  • Show impact of each change
  • Present trade-offs clearly
  • Get written approval for changes
  • Refer to baseline scope

The Blocker

Symptoms: Actively opposes, influences others negatively.

Actions:

  • Understand their concerns (private conversation)
  • Address legitimate issues
  • Find common ground
  • Build coalitions around them
  • Escalate if needed

Stakeholder Register

Register Contents

Field Description
Name Stakeholder name
Role/Title Their position
Organisation Department or company
Contact How to reach them
Interest What they care about
Power/Influence Level (High/Medium/Low)
Attitude Current disposition
Engagement Strategy How to work with them
Communication Needs Frequency, channel, content
Owner Who manages this relationship

Register Maintenance

  • Review at each stage gate
  • Update when stakeholders change
  • Reassess attitudes regularly
  • Add new stakeholders as identified
  • Archive departed stakeholders

Stakeholder Engagement Checklist

Project Start

  • All stakeholders identified?
  • Analysis completed (power/interest)?
  • Attitudes assessed?
  • Engagement strategies defined?
  • Communication plan aligned?
  • Stakeholder register created?

Ongoing

  • Regular engagement happening?
  • Communication effective?
  • Resistance being addressed?
  • New stakeholders identified?
  • Analysis kept current?
  • Issues escalated when needed?

Stage/Phase End

  • Stakeholder satisfaction assessed?
  • Lessons learned captured?
  • Register updated?
  • Next phase engagement planned?
Last updated: 13 January 2026
Themes

Planning

Stakeholder Engagement