Identifying and categorising stakeholders

Identifying and categorising stakeholders is a crucial step for any business analyst. It helps you understand who is affected by a project, who can influence its success, and how to manage their needs. Stakeholders can be individuals, groups, or organisations connected to the project in different ways.

Why Knowing Your Stakeholders Matters

When you identify stakeholders early, you can gather the right information and anticipate challenges. Categorising them helps to plan communication and involvement based on their interest and power. This way, you ensure important voices are heard while managing expectations effectively.

Stakeholders typically fall into three main categories:

• Internal stakeholders: These are people inside the organisation, like employees, managers, or departments directly involved in the project.
• External stakeholders: These include customers, suppliers, government bodies, or community members outside the organisation but affected by the project.
• Connected stakeholders: Sometimes, stakeholders fall between internal and external, like contractors or partners who work closely with the organisation.

Each group has different levels of interest and influence, so it’s important to find out what they expect and what concerns they have.

Steps to Identify and Categorise Stakeholders

1. List all possible stakeholders: Think about everyone who impacts or is impacted by the project. Talk to team members, review project documents, and consider the business environment.
2. Understand their roles: Find out their job, responsibilities, and how the project affects them.
3. Assess their interest and influence: Does this stakeholder have a strong interest in the project’s success? Can they support or block progress?
4. Group them into categories: Use the internal, external, and connected groups, or create categories relevant to your project.
5. Prioritise stakeholders: Focus your attention on those with high influence and interest.

A common tool is the power-interest grid, which maps stakeholders based on how much influence they have and how interested they are in the project. This helps you decide how often to communicate with each stakeholder and what information they need.

Remember, identifying and categorising stakeholders is an ongoing process. As your project changes, new stakeholders may appear, or existing ones may change their level of interest and influence. Always update your stakeholder list and plan regularly.

By carefully identifying and categorising stakeholders, business analysts create a clear picture of who to involve and how. This improves project success by making sure the right people stay informed, engaged, and supportive.