Stakeholder Analysis

What is it?

The process of analysing the attitudes of stakeholders towards something - be it a project, or a proposed change of any kind.

Stakeholder analaysis involves hearing, identifying, assessing and 'organising' the attitudes, interests and positions of various stakeholders to a particular thing. It can also involve locating the particular interests and stakeholders which matter most to this 'thing'.

A stakeholder is any person or organisation, who may be in a position to influence the project or proposal. Alternatively, the proposal or project may have some form of impact on their interests. The impacts can be positive, or negative.

Why use it?
To achieve better ESD or 'water sensitive' outcomes, an organisation needs to be oriented within its ecological and hydrological contexts.  Orientation questions with a catchment systems perspective include:

• What paths does water follow?
• What water bodies are impacted by local catchment management?
• What 'values' are attached to these water bodies?
• What are their ecological needs and how do we preserve their condition?
• How do we assist these water bodies to adapt to climate change?

In practice such issues rarely drive Council service delivery priorities. Many other influencing factors exist: plans that have already been developed; legislation; and local, regional and state social, economic and political considerations.

Catchment and urban water management efforts are likely to benefit from the priorities revealed through an analysis of socio-economic and ecological dynamics at play. The central orientation question here is runs along the following lines:

Who affects and is affected by local water management?
Who affects and is affected by the 'ecological health' of local waterways?

An organisation or champion who is committed to influencing how we manage or work within the urban water cycle must work with other people and organisations. A starting point for working with people is to put yourself in their shoes to improve your understanding of what they care about and how they may be positioned or have influence over your 'vision' for water sensitive urban development.

When to use Stakeholder Analysis

• When we do not already know how people are likely to respond to a proposal
• When we want other people to do something that they are not already doing - or not doing for us.

In these situations our capacity to influence people is closed tied to our understanding of what they care about.
 
Stakeholder analysis is often pertinent when we are new to a situation, project or role - and we and need to orient ouselves. It's common practice in strategic planning and consultation and communications - however the basic steps can have much broader application.

 

How to do it

By taking a systematic approach, you may reveal important influences or opportunities that are otherwise missed - but which can shape the final outcome of your endeavours.

Step 1. Identify who has a stake in (urban water) outcomes.

Consider the associated socio-economic impacts urban water issues and changes to current practice. Ask:

Who is affected, in what ways?
Who else is seeking to influence the outcome?
Who else is involved in these management decisions?

List the major groups that have a stake in this issue in your catchment, neighbourhood and  LGA. They may be: 

• Residents of suburbs and towns,
• People who use and value waterways for its recreational values: boating, watersports and watercraft, recreational anglers,
• Those who rely on waterway values for business: fishing, oyster and prawn industry, farmers, tourist operators, local real estate etc, 
• Those who wish to increase the urban development within the catchment,
• Those who work in the urban development sector,
• Water and sewage supply providers,
• and so on

Consistent application of the Principles of Ecologically Sustainable Develepment that are set out under Council's Charter in the Local Govenrment Act might see the set of stakeholders extended to include:

• Ecosystems and natural assets, and
• Future generations.

Step 2. Identify their positions and interests

For each key stakeholder group:
1. List the major elements of the ‘positions’ that they are articulating (or that are implicit in how they are acting).
2. List the major ‘interests’ that they have in stormwater management outcomes.

Note: Be clear on the difference between Interests and Positions:

Positions are fairly easy to recognise because they are what people are contributing to public debate. They commonly involve statements of what should occur and why. And often statements about what other parties should be doing or not doing.

Interests are the underlying potentials and vulnerabilities that give people an ‘interest’ in what the outcomes are. They are linked to needs - for survival, for well-being. In considering interests, take into account both the evident impacts, and the uncertain risks that stakeholders are exposed to.

Step 3. Explore their interests and the tensions or conflicts between people's interests

The tensions between diverging interests in urban water management can take many forms - some examples are presented below.

Example: 'Water Sensitive urban design' of a new suburb may increase initial land development costs, increase the financial risks of land developers - but they may be essential to protect wetlands, creeks or estuaries.

Example: A local environment group (or a local Chamber of Commerce, or …) may have a large stake in a particular policy being adopted. What looks clear cut to a Council may look ambiguous to others - if a wider set of interests are being considered identifying clear priorities can be more difficult.

Example: For some Councillors a particular course of action that might in principle be attractive may actually be personally difficult - as it cuts across the interests of their key backers. In such cases it may appear to an outsider to be easy to accommodate interests, when in fact it is rather difficult.

It can be difficult for government staff to be explicit - particularly in writing - about political interests. A good rule of thumb is only to describe tensions in a way that you would be comfortable making public.

Step 4: Determine where stakeholders problems, needs and interests coincide with the aims of the project.

In identifying tensions, avoid being too exhaustive. The aim is to identify those tensions that present the most challenge for your particular project or proposal.

Primary stakeholders may have direct influence over a project or proposal; or by directly influenced by it.
In the case of Secondary stakeholders this influence and impact is less direct. 

If you find at this stage that you feel unclear about what tensions are in play - and which interests are relevant to your particular project - this is a cue that further conversation is needed - with stakeholders, with colleagues, ... with anyone you know who has personal experience of working on these issues locally.

With thanks and acknowledgements by Greg Walkerden