Stakeholder Analysis

Definition

Stakeholder Analysis helps to ensure planning and monitoring activities reflect stakeholder needs and account for stakeholder characteristics. Stakeholder analysis involves identifying the stakeholders (who will be directly or indirectly impacted by the change) and their characteristics, as well as analyzing the information once collected. Stakeholder analysis is performed repeatedly as business analysis activities continue.

Inputs

• Understanding the business need and the parts of the enterprise it affects, plus the overall business analysis approach being used

Outputs

• A stakeholder engagement approach: a list of stakeholders, their analyzed characteristics, roles and responsibilities, and the collaboration/communication approach to be used

When to Use

• At the start of any initiative, to ensure no critical stakeholder group is overlooked
• When planning communication or change management approaches that need to be tailored by stakeholder influence and interest
• Repeatedly throughout a project, as new stakeholders emerge or existing ones change in influence or position

When Not to Use

• Very small, single-stakeholder initiatives where the stakeholder landscape is already fully known and stable
• Not typically skipped entirely on larger projects — but the depth of analysis should scale down for low-complexity work