Complete a Stakeholder Analysis

Stakeholder Analysis is the systematic process of identifying all individuals or groups who are affected by, or who have influence over, a change initiative. It involves understanding their needs, interests, levels of power, and potential reactions to the change. The purpose of this analysis is to anticipate resistance, develop targeted engagement and communication strategies, and ensure stakeholder interests are considered throughout the change process. By conducting stakeholder analysis, organizations can better manage expectations, secure buy-in, and increase the likelihood of successful change adoption.

Why complete the Stakeholder Analysis?

Individuals and groups can unwillingly or deliberately disengage from the new way of working, which is a significant cause of failure for transformation programs.

Individuals and groups can also have different interests. Some stakeholders might be more interested in the financial aspects of the program. In contrast, others may have a more significant stake in the technology side and still others in their ability to service their customers effectively. The needs of stakeholders at the executive or board level, concerned with the implications on the organisation’s strategy and profitability, will differ significantly from individuals at the ground level concerned about their job, role, salary, training and when things will impact them directly.

Stakeholder Analysis Prerequisites

Ideally, the following analysis has been performed to identify at a high level who the stakeholder groups are.

Blast Radius - A prerequisite to the detailed stakeholder analysis is a high-level stakeholder identification. One example is the Blast Radius, used to identify which groups/people are impacted, whether directly or indirectly affected, how they will react to the change (adopters, bystanders, resistors) and/or the influence they may have on the programme.

Optionally, and dependent on the type of change within the organisation, a Project Stakeholder Analysis may have been completed by the Project Manager.  If so, this is a good starting point for the change teams stakeholder assessment as linking it ensures both project management and change management activities are aligned.

High-Level vs Detailed Stakeholder Analysis

A High-Level stakeholder analysis is a broad assessment done early in the project which identifies the main individuals and groups likely to be affected by, or can influence a change initiative. This analysis focuses on mapping out key stakeholder categories, primary interests, and likely levels of impact or influence, without delving into detailed attributes, relationships, or response strategies.

The purpose of a high-level stakeholder analysis is to quickly establish an overview or “big picture” of the stakeholder landscape. It helps prioritize which groups require further detailed analysis and supports early decision-making, alignment, and planning for change management activities

 A Detailed stakeholder analysis is a comprehensive, in-depth process that systematically identifies all individuals or groups impacted by, or able to influence, a change initiative. Unlike a high-level assessment, a detailed stakeholder analysis examines each stakeholder’s specific interests, needs, influence, power, likely reactions, and potential levels of support or resistance.

This analysis often includes mapping out relationships, communication preferences, readiness for change, and the degree of impact for each stakeholder. The purpose is to enable targeted engagement, customized communication strategies, and proactive risk management throughout the change process, ultimately increasing the chances of successful adoption and minimizing resistance

Stakeholder Analysis Outputs

The outputs and data from a stakeholder analysis feed into multiple layers of information for the change initiative including the following examples.

Change Impact Assessment - The Process Change Impact Assessment is typically completed during the Compose and/or Manage Phase, captures high-level changes to people, processes and technology.  This assessment describes how the change is expected to affect:

• Stakeholders as they transition from the current, or As-Is processes and ways of working to the target state, or To-Be activities.
• Skills & knowledge requirements.
• Business and systems processes.

Influence Analysis - Used to identify the stakeholders who can/will influence the transformation. This can be completed during the high-level or detailed Stakeholder Analysis. Completing the first pass early will identify key resources with the influence which may support or undermine the transformation, and it can assist with gaining resources for the programme.  

Change Implementation Plan (CIP) - the data in the Stakeholder Analysis forms the foundation of multiple areas within the CIP, including but not limited to:

• Communications Plan
• Change Champions within stakeholder groups
• All aspects of user training, including training materials and training delivery

Stakeholder Analysis is not an activity for a single person and not the change manager on their own. Brainstorming in a workshop, surveys or interviews, using the analysis tools, with the change management team and other sufficiently knowledgeable resources is the recommended approach.

Steps to Complete the Stakeholder Analysis

The specific steps will vary depending on the complexity of the transformation and if you are completing the High-Level or Detailed assessments.

1.  Start with the Prerequisites.  If the Blast Radius has been completed to identify who the Stakeholder Groups are, use this as your starting point.  If not, talk to the Project Manager or get a copy of the Project Plan.  

2. Using our X4MIS Stakeholder Analysis Template, start populating the department/group/team name of the stakeholders identified during the high-level analysis.

3. Identify what questions you need answers to.  We have included a list of sample questions for you to download at the bottom of this article.

4.  Schedule meetings and interviews etc.  Taking into consideration stakeholders for both the high-level analysis and the and detailed analysis.  For most people, face-to-face or zoom/teams interviews are best.  Schedule meetings, workshops, interviews.

5.  After your interviews with the stakeholders, write up your notes while they are still fresh in your head, and transfer them to our X4MIS Stakeholder Assessment template.  We recommend you get very familiar with the template so you ensure your interview questions capture all the data required, including at a minimum:

• How the stakeholder is affected:  Directly, Indirectly or Observer
• What their Response Category is:  Adopter, Bystander, Resister, Casualty
• Do they have Influence among their team, department, peers?
• What work process or activity does the individual do as their job, and will it be affected as part of the change initiative?