Stakeholder Mapping

Summary

Stakeholder mapping is a way of geographically showing and analyzing the stakeholders in a situation, along with their relationships, values, attributes, or other information that might impact the situation.

Tool Description

Stakeholder mapping can take a number of forms, and is generally organized around one main attribute (i.e. organized by geography, relationships, values, or networks).

The process and resulting maps may help to identify patterns in citizens’ values—why, for example, only certain groups of people like the town’s historic buildings, or why residents on one side of town don’t care about a community festival. 

More importantly, stakeholder maps may help to identify ways around barriers and disagreements.  By understanding who makes up the town and how those people differ, planners and managers can begin to understand how to work with them and encourage community collaboration. 

Stakeholder maps that identify assets or skills can be part of an asset-mapping or appreciative inquiry process, and can be very useful in identifying potential partners for implementation or informal and formal community leaders who can help you to reach key groups.

Stakeholder mapping may be part of a much more comprehensive stakeholder analysis effort. See http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_07.htm for more info.

Summary of Costs

$0-99
Associated Costs
  • Project Management

Strengths

  • Stakeholder Maps can help remove barriers in the process of identifying community character.
  • They are very simple to complete, requiring only pen and paper, but may take a significant amount of time and effort in understanding the stakeholders.

Limitations

  • Stakeholder maps are only useful if they are built upon clear thinking and understandings of the community; they are often most accurate if completed by a diverse group of people.
  • Stakeholder maps may or may not be public documents; they may be most effective when they distinctly characterize stakeholders, but characterizations may offend if they become public.

Image Gallery
Submitted By: svannostrand
Last Updated: August 20, 2012, 1:08 pm

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 08/03/2013 - 20:10.

Here's a tool to help you collaboratively create a power versus interest matrix

http://www.groupmap.com/stakeholder-mapping/

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
By submitting this form, you accept the Mollom privacy policy.