Stakeholder Mapping Matrix

Part 1: Stakeholder Identification

List all individuals and groups who:

• Have decision-making power over this project/initiative
• Will be affected by outcomes (positively or negatively)
• Can influence others’ opinions or decisions
• Have formal roles in approval or implementation
• Control resources you need
• Could create obstacles if opposed

Stakeholder name/group	Role/position	Why they matter
[Name/title]	[Their formal role]	[Influence they have or how they’re affected]

Part 2: Power & Interest Analysis

Power (ability to influence outcomes):

• High: Can approve/block, controls budget, has formal authority
• Medium: Influences decision-makers, controls some resources, has expertise
• Low: Limited formal authority, but may have opinion or be affected

Interest (level of concern about this project):

• High: Directly affected, strong opinions, actively engaged
• Medium: Affected but not critically, some opinions, may engage
• Low: Tangentially affected, indifferent, unlikely to engage

Stakeholder	Power	Interest	Quadrant
[Name]	High/Med/Low	High/Med/Low	[See grid below]

Power/Interest Grid:

                High Power,          │    High Power,
                Low Interest         │    High Interest
                (KEEP SATISFIED)     │    (MANAGE CLOSELY)
            ─────────────────────────┼─────────────────────
                Low Power,           │    Low Power,
                Low Interest         │    High Interest
                (MONITOR)            │    (KEEP INFORMED)
                                     │
            Low Interest ────────────► High Interest

Quadrant meanings:

• Manage Closely: Your priority stakeholders: high engagement, regular communication, involve in decisions
• Keep Satisfied: Important to keep positive but don’t need constant updates. Provide summaries, check in at key milestones
• Keep Informed: Care about this work but can’t influence it much. Regular updates, opportunities to provide input
• Monitor: Minimal engagement required. Monitor for shifts in position, but don’t invest heavy resources

Part 3: Support Level Analysis

For your Manage closely and Keep satisfied stakeholders, assess current position. Give a position only where you can point to something they said or did; otherwise mark it as needing evidence:

Stakeholder	Current position	Their interests/concerns	Evidence
[Name]	Champion / Supporter / Neutral / Sceptic / Blocker	[What do they care about?]	[What tells you this?]

Position definitions:

• Champion: Actively advocates for your project; uses influence to support
• Supporter: Generally positive; will approve/support when asked
• Neutral: No strong position yet; could move either direction
• Sceptic: Concerns or doubts; needs convincing
• Blocker: Opposed; will use influence to prevent/delay

Part 4: Engagement Strategy

Stakeholder	Engagement approach	Communication frequency	Key messages/focus	Owner
[Name]	[1-1 meetings, working group, etc.]	[Weekly, monthly, at milestones]	[What they need to hear]	[Team member responsible]

Engagement approaches by quadrant:

Manage Closely (high power, high interest):

• One-to-one meetings at key decision points
• Involvement in planning or advisory groups
• First to hear about developments
• Channels: Direct conversation, dedicated briefings

Keep Satisfied (high power, low interest):

• Summary updates at key milestones
• Opportunity to raise concerns, without detailed involvement
• Channels: Email updates, brief presentations

Keep Informed (low power, high interest):

• Regular progress updates
• Forums or Q&As for input
• Channels: Newsletters, group briefings, intranet

Monitor (low power, low interest):

• Passive information sharing
• Alert system if position changes
• Channels: General comms, public updates

Part 5: Risks & Mitigation

Risk	Related stakeholder(s)	Impact if occurs	Mitigation strategy
[e.g., Key blocker convinces others to oppose]	[Name]	[e.g., Project delayed 6+ months]	[e.g., Early engagement to understand concerns, find compromise]

What it is

A stakeholder mapping matrix helps you systematically identify who matters to your project or initiative, understand their power and interest levels, and determine how to engage them effectively. It turns a stakeholder list into a set of priorities based on influence, interest, and current position.

It uses a Power/Interest grid, plus support level analysis to show where each stakeholder currently stands.

When to use it

Use stakeholder mapping when:

• Launching projects or initiatives that require buy-in from multiple groups
• Planning change management communications where resistance is likely
• Working through complex organisational politics or decision-making processes
• Developing advocacy or public affairs strategies
• Managing issues where different groups have conflicting interests
• Preparing for major announcements that affect different audiences differently

Don’t use stakeholder mapping for:

• Simple projects with obvious, limited stakeholders (overcomplicated approach)
• Crisis situations requiring immediate action (no time for systematic mapping)
• Situations where stakeholder positions are well-established and unchanging

Before you start, gather:

• Project/initiative context: What are you mapping stakeholders for? Be specific.
• Organisational knowledge: Who holds formal power? Who has informal influence?
• Stakeholder intelligence: What do you already know about positions, interests, concerns?
• Engagement history: Have you worked with these stakeholders before? What happened?
• Decision-making process: How will decisions actually be made on this project?