Stakeholder analysis in conflict resolution, business administration, environmental health sciences decision making, industrial ecology, public administration, and project management is the process of assessing a system and potential changes to it as they relate to relevant and interested parties known as stakeholders. This information is used to assess how the interests of those stakeholders should be addressed in a project plan, policy, program, or other action. Stakeholder analysis is a key part of stakeholder management. A stakeholder analysis of an issue consists of weighing and balancing all of the competing demands on a firm by each of those who have a claim on it, in order to arrive at the firm's obligation in a particular case. A stakeholder analysis does not preclude the interests of the stakeholders overriding the interests of the other stakeholders affected, but it ensures that all affected will be considered. Stakeholder analysis is frequently used during the preparation phase of a project to assess the attitudes of the stakeholders regarding the potential changes. Stakeholder analysis can be done once or on a regular basis to track changes in stakeholder attitudes over time.

Stakeholder types

Types of stakeholders include: Other types of stakeholders:

Stakeholder mapping

The following list identifies some of the best known and most commonly used methods for stakeholder mapping: Mapping techniques include the following analysis techniques being used by aid agencies, governments, or consultant groups:

Stakeholder mapping procedure

The list of potential stakeholders for any project often exceeds both the time available for analysis and the capability to sensibly map and display the results. The challenge is to focus on the right stakeholders who are currently important and to create a visual representation of this critical sub-set of the total community - the key stakeholders.

The power-interest matrix

The most common presentation style uses a two-dimensional matrix. Power and influence are commonly seen with a third dimension shown by the colour or size of the symbol representing the individual stakeholders, often the attitude. Some of the commonly used dimensions include:

The salience model

The salience model uses three dimensions: legitimacy (A), power (B), and urgency (C). It is represented in a Venn diagram with eight regions, each associated with a specific stakeholder type. Stakeholder types as described by the salience model:

Benefits

Stakeholder analysis helps with the identification of: