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To conduct a stakeholder analysis, define who counts as a stakeholder for your project, identify the people and groups affected by or able to influence it, assess their interests and influence, and turn those findings into specific engagement actions. Start after project objectives are set, and revisit the analysis as the project or stakeholders change.
What a stakeholder analysis is for
A stakeholder analysis helps a project team decide whose perspectives matter to its work, what those people or organizations need, and how to involve them. It is not just a list of names or a power-and-interest chart: its value is in informing who should be involved, when, why, and how. The UK Government Analysis Function recommends starting the mapping once project objectives are set and reviewing it regularly (Stakeholder mapping).
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Use the analysis to guide engagement and planning. USAID’s sequence is to identify stakeholders, prioritize them, understand them, plan engagement, and track it; its guide includes worksheets and an interview guide (Stakeholder Engagement).
How to conduct a stakeholder analysis
1. Set the scope and inclusion criteria
Be clear about the project and its objectives before making the map. Decide whether stakeholders include individuals, organizations, or both; whether the scope covers internal and external parties; and whether to include current as well as potential stakeholders. Set a sensible threshold for inclusion, and decide whether the analysis will group stakeholders by sector, shared role, needs, or behavior.
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These choices prevent the analysis from becoming either an unmanageable directory or a narrow list limited to people already known to the team. Explain the criteria so that omissions and groupings can be reviewed later.
2. Build a broad, systematic list
Ask colleagues who already work with relevant groups to help identify stakeholders. Include people and organizations that are affected by the work, interested in it, connected to it, concerned about it, or able to influence it. Depending on the project, that may include affected communities, intended beneficiaries, customers, workers and their representatives, government bodies, civil-society groups, suppliers, and other relevant parties.
Do not rely on an organization chart alone. Informal relationships and political flows can affect how change happens, and a formal reporting structure may not reveal them. PMI’s change-focused guidance recommends representing these relationships and revisiting assumptions about influence and commitment (Stakeholder Analysis and Political Mapping).
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3. Understand each stakeholder’s perspective
For each person or group, record what is known about their relationship to the project and the information the team needs to plan responsibly. PMI’s stakeholder-planning guidance identifies interests, impact, expectations, influence, roles, participation, and information needs as relevant inputs (Stakeholder Management and Communication Planning).
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- Role and relationship: What connection do they have to the project?
- Interests and needs: What outcomes matter to them, and what expectations or concerns do they have?
- Effects: How might the project affect them, positively or negatively?
- Influence and position: What ability do they have to affect the work, and what is their current position or commitment?
- Relationships: Which other stakeholders do they work with, depend on, or influence?
- Engagement needs: What information, participation, or opportunity to respond is appropriate?
Keep the stakeholder’s perspective separate from the project team’s. A team’s assumptions about what someone wants are not a substitute for listening to that person or group.
4. Assess and prioritize
A power-or-influence-by-interest matrix is a practical starting point for deciding how much contact different stakeholders may need. Place each stakeholder or group according to the team’s current assessment, then discuss what the placement implies for engagement. The UK Government Analysis Function and NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management describe mapping as a way to analyze and prioritize stakeholders before developing engagement strategies (UK Government Analysis Function; NOAA stakeholder mapping quick reference).
Quadrant labels can suggest actions such as manage closely, consult, keep satisfied, or keep informed, but they are not universal rules. Choose axes that fit the decision the project needs to make. Add affectedness, urgency, legitimacy, commitment, or relationship information if those dimensions would change what the team does.
Ratings are judgments for discussion, not precise measurements. Record the reasoning where it matters, and expect assessments to change as new information emerges. No single matrix can represent every impact, concern, or relationship.
5. Turn the analysis into an engagement plan
For each priority stakeholder or group, specify the intended outcome and the practical steps for engagement. A useful plan states who is responsible, how and when contact will happen, what level of participation is appropriate, and how feedback or responses will be tracked. Tailor the action to the context instead of treating a quadrant label as a complete plan.
NOAA describes stakeholder mapping as collaborative research and discussion followed by analysis, mapping, prioritization, and an engagement strategy (Stakeholder Mapping: A Quick Reference Guide). The map should therefore lead to named owners and actions, not remain a diagram that nobody uses.
6. Review, update, and share carefully
Treat the map as a living project document. Revisit it throughout the work and after a change in direction or operations, a shift in stakeholder positions, an unexpected difficulty, or a change in key personnel. Note why important positions or assessments changed so the team can understand the history behind its decisions.
The World Bank ESMS Toolkit, Version 2.0, published in August 2025, prompts teams to consider affected, interested, concerned, connected, and influential parties. In its business context, it recommends review at least annually or when operations change significantly (Environmental and Social Management System Toolkit, Version 2.0). The appropriate review cadence depends on the project; a rapidly changing project may need more frequent updates.
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Stakeholder assessments can contain sensitive judgments about influence, commitment, or relationships. Use professional judgment about who should have access to the map and how it should be shared.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing a mapping approach
Choose a format based on the decision the project needs the map to support, rather than assuming one framework fits every situation.
| Approach | What it helps show | When it is useful | What to consider |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power/influence-by-interest grid | Relative influence or power and interest | An accessible first pass for prioritizing contact | It does not, by itself, show affectedness, relationships, or the reasons behind a rating. |
| Map with additional dimensions | Influence alongside factors such as affectedness, urgency, legitimacy, or commitment | When those dimensions could change priorities or engagement actions | Include only dimensions that support a real project decision, and make assessments reviewable. |
| Relationship mapping with an engagement plan | Connections and informal influence as well as planned actions, owners, timing, and tracking | Complex or changing work where relationships and follow-through matter | Maintain it as positions and relationships change, and manage access to sensitive assessments. |
A simple grid is easier to discuss and update. More detailed mapping may capture important relationships or effects, but it needs a clear purpose and an owner responsible for keeping it current.
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