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Stakeholder Analysis
As the leader of a stakeholder process around your data system work, you have several very important decisions to make regarding your stakeholders. It’s not as simple as identifying stakeholders and then inviting them to meetings. Stakeholders have different perspectives, input, or information that is needed at different times in your process. They may also have differing levels of ability to participate, or prefer certain participation methods.
Rather than getting locked into only hearing from those who can attend regular meetings, it is important to think broadly about who your stakeholders are, how stakeholders will be involved, the kind of information needed from each individual, and when that input is needed to support your data system work. Conducting a stakeholder analysis can help you in this planning.
Stakeholder analysis is defined as the process through which leaders of stakeholder engagement processes:
- Identify and select stakeholders;
- Develop profiles of their stakeholders to gain a full understanding of each individual's capacity to inform the work;
- Develop relationships with stakeholders; and
- Establish how and when each type of stakeholder participates.
The tools and resources in this section will help you select and engage your stakeholders in meaningful ways, including when involving stakeholders in the SSIP process.
Identifying stakeholders:
When selecting stakeholders to participate in data system work, it is important to think through a broad array of individuals and agencies who need to participate. Data system work includes individuals from the user level all the way through administration, possibly across several different departments and agencies. As the leader of the stakeholder process, you will need to develop a comprehensive list of individuals, roles, departments and agencies that could be represented in the stakeholder group. Narrowing the field of potential stakeholders to those who will be critical to the success of the work is the first step when conducting a stakeholder analysis. The Stakeholder Analysis - Identifying Stakeholders worksheet in the Resources callout box above is designed to help you think through several different kinds of stakeholders that could serve as stakeholders and identify those that actually should participate in your data systems work. Instructions for use are provided on the form.
Prioritizing stakeholders:
Ensuring that you have the right people providing input into your data system work means selecting key stakeholders with varied perspectives, information, and influence. To do this, you must have a full understanding of what each person brings to the table. This worksheet will help you look at the potential stakeholders you identified in the previous section, and prioritize them by assessing their importance and influence on the work in the following categories:
- motivation for being involved (What’s in it for them?);
- expectations and goals related to the work;
- level of importance for the success of the work;
- potential negative impact on the work;
- level of influence for decision-making;
- intention to participate;
- preferences for participation; and
- Uses of the results of the work.
These categories are described in more detail in the Information for Detailed Stakeholder Profiles handout. The Stakeholder Analysis - Prioritizing Stakeholders worksheet in this section helps you prioritize your stakeholders based on the information gathered for the profile. Both are available in the Resources callout box above.
Selecting Strategies to Engage Stakeholders:
Sometimes, we are so focused on holding stakeholder meetings that we forget there are multiple ways in which we can engage stakeholders that don’t involve getting together in the same room, or with the same group of people every time. Stakeholder characteristics (i.e., geographic location, availability) may also impact how and when we engage stakeholders. Careful planning, whether via the development of a formal written stakeholder engagement plan or less formal planning processes, ensures that all stakeholders feel heard, are involved in ways that are meaningful, and provide you with the information and support you need to move your data system work forward.
The Identifying Engagement Strategies worksheet and Stakeholder Engagement Techniques handout provided in the Resources callout box offer you the opportunity to explore factors that may influence how and when you engage your stakeholders, including selecting strategies for engaging individual stakeholders or groups of stakeholders.
