Stakeholder engagement - Stakeholder analysis and mapping

Learning Outcomes

After reading this article, you will be able to explain why stakeholder analysis and mapping are essential for project success. You will know how to identify stakeholders, assess their interests and influence, and apply mapping techniques such as power/interest grids. You will also understand how to prioritise stakeholders, plan engagement strategies, and apply these concepts to PMP-style exam scenarios.

PMP Syllabus

For PMP, you are required to understand stakeholder identification, stakeholder engagement planning, and stakeholder analysis and mapping. This article prepares you to:

• Define who is a stakeholder and explain why stakeholder analysis is critical for managing projects.
• Identify all potential project stakeholders (internal and external).
• Assess stakeholders’ interests, influence, power, and potential impact on the project.
• Use stakeholder mapping tools, including power/interest and salience models, to prioritise stakeholders.
• Develop and document a stakeholder register.
• Understand engagement strategies based on stakeholder analysis.
• Describe how stakeholder engagement and priorities can shift during the project lifecycle.
• Apply these principles in PMP exam scenarios.

Test Your Knowledge

Attempt these questions before reading this article. If you find some difficult or cannot remember the answers, remember to look more closely at that area during your revision.

1. What is the primary purpose of stakeholder analysis in project management?
2. Which tool is commonly used to visualise and prioritise stakeholders by their level of power and interest?
3. Why is it important to revisit and update stakeholder analysis throughout a project?
4. A stakeholder has high power but low interest in your project. According to the power/interest grid, what is the recommended engagement approach?

Introduction

Projects are shaped and often determined by their stakeholders. Failure to identify, understand, and manage stakeholders is a major cause of project issues and conflict. To achieve project objectives, a project manager must systematically analyse all individuals and groups affected by the project, assess their influence and interest, and plan how best to communicate and engage with them. Stakeholder analysis and mapping provide a structured way to do this, ensuring attention is focused on those who matter most at each stage.

What Is Stakeholder Analysis?

Stakeholder analysis is the process of identifying all people or groups affected by the project, assessing their level of interest, power, and influence, and developing strategies to manage their expectations and involvement.

Key Term: Stakeholder An individual, group, or organisation that may affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a project, its activities, or its outcomes.

Why Is Stakeholder Analysis Important?

Effective stakeholder analysis allows the project manager to:

• Uncover hidden risks and sources of support or resistance.
• Prioritise time and communications efficiently.
• Avoid conflict by clarifying interests and expectations early.
• Plan engagement strategies to gain buy-in or mitigate negative influence.
• Track and respond to changes in stakeholder interest, power, or attitudes during the project.

Stakeholder Identification

Stakeholders are not limited to customers or end users. They include sponsors, project team members, functional managers, suppliers, regulators, partners, neighbours, pressure groups, local authorities, and anyone else affected (positively or negatively) by the project. Identification must be exhaustive and regularly reviewed.

Key Term: Stakeholder Register A document listing details of all identified stakeholders, including their role, interests, level of influence, and engagement strategies.

Assessing Stakeholder Interests and Influence

After identifying stakeholders, assess:

• What is at stake for each stakeholder?
• What are their expectations and objectives?
• What is their attitude (supportive, neutral, resistant)?
• What power do they have (formal authority, resources, ability to halt the project, etc.)?
• How influential are they over project outcomes?

Common Stakeholder Attributes to Assess

• Power: The ability to influence project decisions.
• Interest: The degree to which they care about (or are affected by) the project's outcome.
• Influence: Level of active involvement and ability to sway others.
• Attitude: Supportive, neutral, or opposed.

Key Term: Power/Interest Grid A two-by-two diagram used to classify stakeholders based on their level of power over the project and their degree of interest in project outcomes.

Stakeholder Mapping Tools

Stakeholder mapping visually organises stakeholders according to attributes such as power, interest, and influence. This enables focused engagement with those who are most significant at each phase.

The Power/Interest Grid

This is the most widely used mapping tool for PMP.

• Manage Closely: High power, high interest—key players who must be actively involved.
• Keep Satisfied: High power, low interest—engage enough to prevent opposition.
• Keep Informed: Low power, high interest—communicate regularly, listen to concerns.
• Monitor: Low power, low interest—minimal effort, observe for changes.

Other Mapping Models

• Salience Model: Plots stakeholders by power, urgency, and legitimacy to further distinguish engagement priorities.
• Stakeholder Cube: Adds a third dimension (e.g., influence) to help visualise complex networks on larger projects.

Key Term: Salience Model A model classifying stakeholders by power, urgency, and legitimacy to indicate their relative importance to the project.

Documenting the Stakeholder Register

A stakeholder register typically includes:

• Name/organisation and role
• Contact details
• Interest and expectations
• Influence, power, and attitude
• Current and desired engagement level
• Strategies for involvement and communication

The register must be regularly updated—stakeholders may join or leave, and their power or interest may shift as the project advances.

Modifying Engagement Strategies

Based on the analysis and mapping, develop targeted engagement and communication strategies:

• Key sponsors and decision-makers: schedule regular meetings, seek approval and feedback, involve in resolving issues.
• Influencers and potential blockers: engage early to address concerns, provide transparent information, involve in planning if possible.
• Supporters: motivate involvement, keep consulted as morale boosters.
• Low-power stakeholders: communicate major updates, monitor for changes in interest or influence.

Key Term: Stakeholder Engagement Plan The plan describing how project stakeholders will be engaged and managed throughout the project, based on analysis and mapping.

Maintaining Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder management is ongoing—not a one-off task. Review and adjust the engagement plan periodically, especially after major changes or at phase gates. Check for new stakeholders, shifts in priorities, or emerging opposition.

Worked Example 1.1

You are managing the expansion of a public transport network. A local business group expresses concern about construction noise and reduced foot traffic during the work. They have local political connections but limited interest in the final transport outcome. How should you engage this group?

Answer: The business group has high power (local influence, ability to rally opposition) but relatively low long-term interest in the outcome. According to the power/interest grid, you should "Keep Satisfied"—provide regular updates, listen to concerns, and address specific issues promptly to prevent the group from becoming opposed.

Worked Example 1.2

During a software project, you discover that an end-user representative who was previously uninvolved is now very vocal and critical. Their operational knowledge is valued by management, and others are starting to follow their lead. What should you do about this stakeholder?

Answer: The stakeholder’s influence has increased—they now have operational power and influence other users. Update the stakeholder register and move them up in engagement priority, involve them in demonstrations and feedback sessions, and seek to address concerns openly before criticism escalates or spreads further.

Exam Warning

Always update your stakeholder register and engagement strategies during major changes or at new phases. Missing a new stakeholder or failing to adjust your plan when attitudes shift is a common cause of project issues. In PMP scenarios, examiners may test your attention to shifting influence and the importance of an up-to-date register.

Revision Tip

Be ready to quickly interpret a power/interest grid and suggest the correct engagement approach. Memorise which strategy fits each grid quadrant for fast answers in the exam.

Summary

Stakeholder analysis and mapping are the starting point for successful stakeholder management on all projects. Identification, prioritisation, and targeted engagement help anticipate challenges, focus communications, and win support. Mapping using tools such as the power/interest grid allows you to plan efficient, effective stakeholder strategies and is frequently tested on the PMP exam.

Key Point Checklist

This article has covered the following key knowledge points:

• Stakeholders are any individuals or groups affected by, able to affect, or perceiving themselves to be affected by a project.
• Stakeholder identification must be exhaustive and regularly reviewed.
• Analysis assesses attributes such as power, interest, influence, and attitude to define prioritisation and engagement strategies.
• Mapping tools, especially the power/interest grid and salience model, are critical to PMP exam questions.
• The stakeholder register documents analysis details and must be kept up to date throughout the project lifecycle.
• Engagement plans should be tailored based on stakeholder mapping, with regular updates to address changes or new stakeholders.

Key Terms and Concepts

• Stakeholder
• Stakeholder Register
• Power/Interest Grid
• Salience Model
• Stakeholder Engagement Plan