Stakeholder Identification

“Stakeholders are people, groups, or institutions which are likely to be affected by a proposed intervention (either negatively or positively), or those which can affect the outcome of the intervention” (RIETBERGEN-McCRACKEN et al. 1998).

The first step of a stakeholder analysis is to identify the key stakeholders — i.e., those who are affected by the outcome, negatively or positively, or those who can affect the outcomes of a proposed intervention (NETSSAF 2008) — from the large array of institutions and individuals that could potentially affect or be affected by the proposed intervention (RIETBERGEN-McCRACKEN et al. 1998).

The identification criteria of stakeholders for Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management will have to answer the following questions:

• Who are the people/groups/institutions that are interested in the intended initiative? What is their role(polluter, regulator, direct consumer, indirect consumer, etc.)?
• Who are the potential beneficiaries?
• Who might be adversely impacted? Who has constraints about the initiative?
• Who may impact the initiative? Who has the power to influence?

To start with, stakeholder identification can be done through a brainstorming process to collect an exhaustive list of people/groups/institutions (NETSSAF 2008). The more people and possible stakeholders are involved in the brainstorming, the less likely it will be to miss important stakeholder groups.

In order not to loose the overview, it pays to structure and/or group them in a second step. This can be done by mindmaps, venn diagram, or structured tables as in the examples below.

After structuring/grouping of stakeholders, the following questions might help to reflect the findings and to prevent forgetting important stakeholders:

• Have all stakeholders been listed?
• Have all potential supporters and opponents of the project been identified?
• Has gender aspects been factored in to identify different types of female stakeholders?
• Have the interests of vulnerable groups (especially the poor) been identified?
• Are there any new stakeholders that are likely to emerge as a result of the project? (ODA 1995)

See also venn diagram, brainstorming, mindmaps.

Sometimes it is worth to further group and categorise stakeholders to get a more detailed analysis on the influence and importance.

For structure and documentation reasons this can of value to provide a clear overview about the nature and role of the stakeholder. It also helps one not to forget important stakeholders for planning and implementation and to consider every stakeholder from different levels. However, it depends on your timeframe and your personal preference to do a further categorisation.

• Primary stakeholders such as direct beneficiaries and direct concerned person (end users, farmers, urban poor, etc.)
• Secondary stakeholders, i.e. intermediaries in the process of delivering aid to primary stakeholders (e.g. professionals, advisers, practitioners, consultants, experts, governmental, NGO and private sector organisations etc.)
• External stakeholders such as decision, policy makers (politicians, senior civil servants, district level bodies, governmental bodies, etc.) (NETSSAF 2008)

Continue with analysing -----> Step 2: stakeholders importance and influence

Or see also:

-----> Step 3: stakeholder interests

-----> Step 4: stakeholder strategy plan