Stakeholder analysis

Do a telephonic survey with experts on the issue to make a list with the major stakeholder groups and ask who could be invited for an informal brainstorm. Then invite (6 - 9) people you know and or who have been suggested to you for a short session ending with a reception. Make together again a list of stakeholder groups, write the names of groups, organizations etc. on cards and then place all the names of the groups on the stakeholder map (see illustration). Try to come to a consensus about each placing. Finally discuss shortly which are key groups that if their position would change, would help solve the issue. Identify key leaders of these groups are in each group, key messages and the best communication channels and events for these groups. This was - in a nutshell - my advice recently to a client who spent months on commissioning a stakeholder analysis to a content expert and finally got a 100-page report that brought up more questions than answers.