What is stakeholder analysis?
— The identification of the key stakeholders in the process of training course design, an assessment of their interests, and the way in which these interests are likely to affect the process.
— A stakeholder analysis aims to ensure that objectives are achieved, and that an activity will be sustainable.
Why do a stakeholder analysis?
— To draw out the interests of stakeholders in relation to the training need being addressed (the ‘why factors’).
— To identify conflicts of interest.
— To identify relations between stakeholders which can be built upon.
— To assess the appropriate type of participation by different stakeholders at different stages of the curriculum development process.
How to do a stakeholder analysis
1. Identify the basic question. E.g., ‘who are the stakeholders in a training programme on tree domestication?’
2. List the stakeholders.
3. Group them into outsiders and insiders.
4. Identify their interests in the training (expectations, benefits, resources offered, withheld; i.e. why are they stakeholders?).
5. Identify the relationships between different stakeholders.
6. Do they have common or conflicting interests?
7. Are they closely related or not?
8. Analyse the relative importance and influence of each stakeholder.
— For importance, we think about the level of satisfaction of the needs or interests of each stakeholder through our training (client relations).
— For influence, we think about the level of the effect of a stakeholder on our training (power relations).
9. Identify the potential role of each stakeholder in the PCD process in terms of their contribution and also the level of their participation;
— to be informed
— to be consulted
— to be in partnership
— to be in control.
Tips for trainers:
Follow these steps carefully, giving enough time for each step.
— Visualize all the outcomes of each step.
— Make links between the steps.
— Listen to/observe interactions between participants engaged in the analysis; these are also very useful.