Facilitation Mapping tool

Stakeholder Mapping

Recognises relevant actor groups and provides a rationale for planning participation.

Stakeholder Mapping identifies actor groups for a concrete decision or change. Influence and interest are treated as situational working assumptions that shape participation, review, and information paths.

Core question

Which actor groups are affected or influential here, what assumptions apply, and how will they participate?

Plan the work Method guide

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Participants: 2-8
Time: 60–90 minutes

Which actor groups are affected or influential here, what assumptions apply, and how will they participate?

Frame change
Frame change
Define the change, decision, and timeframe being mapped.
Identify groups
Identify groups
List affected groups, influence routes, and relevant knowledge holders.
Map assumptions
Map assumptions
Place groups by situational interest and influence and record the basis.
Plan engagement
Plan engagement
Derive participation, ownership, information, and review from the map.

Update when evidence or context changes.

A good fit when

When a concrete decision or change affects several actor groups or depends on their influence or knowledge.

Ideal for

Project kickoffs
Change work
Service design

Not good for

Technical detail decisions
Anonymous mass markets without stakeholder access

Outputs

Working artifact
Traceable, revisable working state.
Follow-up questions
Gaps and next steps.

Stakeholder map

Fictional teaching example

Actor groups with situational assumptions about influence, interest, and engagement.

Stakeholder map
Work row	Actor group	Interest in this situation	Influence on decision or implementation	Engagement and review
Actor groupWhich group is affected, influential, or knowledge-relevant?	Households with reservations	high, assumption	medium, assumption	Interview and review
Check assumptionWhich classification needs a conversation or review?	Volunteer tool desk	High: assumption due to added inspection work	High: assumption due to responsibility for handover	Review the workflow together; confirm assessment in conversation

1. Actor group
Actor group
Households with reservations
Check assumption
Volunteer tool desk
2. Interest in this situation
Actor group
high, assumption
Check assumption
High: assumption due to added inspection work
3. Influence on decision or implementation
Actor group
medium, assumption
Check assumption
High: assumption due to responsibility for handover
4. Engagement and review
Actor group
Interview and review
Check assumption
Review the workflow together; confirm assessment in conversation

Keep classifications traceable and revisable.

UK Government

First step

Define change, decision, and timeframe. List affected groups, influence routes, and knowledge sources.

Open the method guide

Where to go next?

Paper illustration of an activity-role table with clear RACI assignments and one highlighted accountable role per activity.

Operations

RACI Matrix

Translates the planned participation into clear roles per task.

Delivery

Communication Plan

Plans concrete communication formats and dates for prioritized groups.

Deep dive

Purpose

When an initiative depends on many people, interests, and power dynamics, Stakeholder Mapping systematically orders the environment. It shows who influences, who is affected, and where relationship management or safeguarding matters first.

How it works

The group collects the relevant people and organizations, places influence, exposure, and stance side by side, and examines the connections between them. This creates a shared picture of the situation for conversations, risks, and targeted involvement.

In detail

Stakeholder Mapping works because it brings actors, interests, influence, and exposure into a shared picture. The method becomes solid when relationships, tensions, and possible alliances become visible instead of just names landing on a surface. Clarity is needed for hidden channels of influence, differing motives, and dynamics over time so collaboration and communication can be planned more deliberately.

Facilitation

Start with the concrete initiative and only collect stakeholders who really influence it or are strongly affected by it. The important point comes when formal roles say little about actual influence; then a more detailed discussion of networks and interests is needed. In the end, note a few prioritized relationships and a decision on how each of them is actively managed.

The method guide walks execution through 4 phases, timing, 4 pitfalls, and clear stop criteria.

Open method guide

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Sources and topics

Topics

Stakeholders Alignment Facilitation Change

Sources

Stakeholder engagement: a practical guide - UK Governmentassets.publishing.service.gov.ukPower/Influence-Interest-Matrix als situatives Engagement-Werkzeug.Stakeholder Engagement Plan - EBRDebrd.comInfluence and interest depend on the project context.

In playbooks

Plan Stakeholder and ChangeMove from an unclear stakeholder landscape to influence strategy, communication, and adoption actions.

Artifact templates

Stakeholder Mapping: WorksheetPrepare one concrete change, relevant actor groups, and reviewable engagement assumptions.

markdown

stakeholder-mapping-working-template.md

Prepare one concrete change, relevant actor groups, and reviewable engagement assumptions.

Stakeholder Mapping: Worksheet

Question

To be confirmed

Desired outcome

To be confirmed

Scope

Create the map and engagement plan Time: 60–90 minutes

Complete this worksheet on paper or in your own document during the work.

Preparation for this scope

Method setup

Materials: Influence-interest matrix, actor list, sources or notes, assumption labels, and engagement plan.
Roles: Facilitation, project or product ownership, affected subject roles, and representatives where needed.
Advance information: Prepare the concrete change or decision, timeframe, initial actor list, known relationships, and sources or conversation notes.
Overall time needed: 60–90 minutes for the map and engagement plan; schedule conversations and reviews after.
Setup: Influence and interest apply only to the agreed context and period. Mark direct statements, observed relationships, and working assumptions differently.

Prepare for the work steps

Frame change: Frame change

Change, decision, and timeframe

Identify groups: Identify groups

Initial actor list and influence routes

Map assumptions: Map assumptions

Actor list and situational evidence

Plan engagement: Plan engagement

Stakeholder map and engagement options

Stakeholder map

Work row	Actor group	Interest in this situation	Influence on decision or implementation	Engagement and review
Actor group
Check assumption

Actor group: Which group is affected, influential, or knowledge-relevant?
Check assumption: Which classification needs a conversation or review?

Blank worksheet: enter your own material.

UK Government

Frame change: Frame change

Expected artifact: Change · decision · timeframe

Evidence, context, and source

Entry:

...

Is the map bounded to one decision?

Identify groups: Identify groups

Expected artifact: Actor group · impact · role · source

Evidence, context, and source

Entry:

...

Are direct and indirect actors represented?

Map assumptions: Map assumptions

Expected artifact: Group · interest · influence · assumption or source

Evidence, context, and source

Entry:

...

Can each placement be challenged or updated?

Plan engagement: Plan engagement

Expected artifact: Group · engagement · owner · review

Evidence, context, and source

Entry:

...

Does the map produce a concrete engagement action?

Open questions and next steps

...

Method guide: https://methodatlas.meierhoff-systems.de/en/methods/stakeholder-mapping/run-sheet

Alternatives and neighbors

Fitting alternatives with decision guidance, followed by other related methods.

All methods

Facilitation

Power Interest Grid

Instead of Stakeholder Mapping, when you want to cleanly sort stakeholders by influence and interest.

Facilitation

Alignment Mapping

Makes goals, concerns, and open gaps visible so clarification steps can be planned deliberately.

Facilitation

Stakeholder Salience Model

Moves group input, selection, and decision toward a concrete result through "prepare the stakeholder list", "define power, legitimacy, and urgency", and "derive strategy by class".