Stakeholder Definition
What is a stakeholder?
A stakeholder is anybody who can affect or is affected by an organisation, strategy or project. They can be internal or external and they can be at senior or junior levels. Some definitions suggest that stakeholders are those who have the power to impact an organisation or project in some way. For example:'People or small groups with the power to respond to, negotiate with, and change the strategic future of the organization' (Eden and Ackermann 1998: 117).As Bryson states this is a somewhat restrictive definition because it excludes those who are affected, but who don't any power to respond to or negotiate with an organisation. Bryson prefers a more inclusive definition which extends to all stakeholders who are affected by a change, this wider definition is more compatible with notions of democracy and social justice stakeholder management.
How to identify your stakeholders
Stakeholders are crucial to the success of your project. Neglect them and they will actively work against you. Manage them well and they will actively promote you and your project. The first step in stakeholder mapping is to identify your stakeholders. Get your project team together and list everybody that you can think of who is, or will be affected by the project.Stakeholder definition - Tools and techniques
Brainstorming is a great way for identifying stakeholders. Ask someone to be the scribe and capture every name, organisation or type of stakeholder you can think of. Alternatively you could give everybody a pad of sticky notes and ask them to write each stakeholder on a post it. After 10 - 15 minutes put up the sticky notes on the wall or on flipchart paper.- users/beneficiaries;
- governance (steering groups/boards);
- influencers (trade unions, the media) and
- providers (suppliers, partners).
See OGC, Managing Success Programmes, London: TSO, 2007 pg. 51.
