Stakeholder Analysis Introduction and when to use it

Stakeholder Analysis Introduction and when to use it Stakeholder analysis is a means of understanding how those affected by change programme feel at the outset and how their position needs to change in order for the project to be a success. It can be usefully applied to any change project. Those involved in delivering projects are usually convinced of their benefits to the organisation. However, not all those affected may view them in such a positive light. Stakeholder analysis requires the project team to consider the attitudes of individual groups of stakeholders towards the project. Having understood their initial position, the project team can plan what actions, if any, are necessary to enable the stakeholders to contribute to a successful outcome. Model Explanation The project team need to identify all those groups of stakeholders who are likely to be affected by the proposed change project. For each group, the nature of the change they will experience should be described and the impact upon their current roles. Generically stakeholders can be placed into one of five categories, ranging from Hostile to the project, to Champions of its success (as shown in the example below) The project team should map each group onto the matrix according to their attitude to the proposed changes to their role at the outset of the project (shown as Current in the example) For each group, a determination needs to be reached as to where they need to be on the matrix (shown as Future) in order for the project to succeed. To move each group from their Current to Future State, a plan of action needs to be defined and completed in order to get the buy-in of all stakeholders. Summary The ultimate objective of stakeholder analysis is to improve the probability of success of any change project the organisations invests in