Stakeholder analysis for community projects
A practical stakeholder analysis for NGO and community projects: who to list, how to use the power-interest grid, engagement plans and common mistakes.
Short answer
Stakeholder analysis identifies everyone who affects or is affected by your project, then rates each by power and interest to decide how to engage them. List stakeholders by name or group, place them on a power-interest grid, agree a strategy for each quadrant, and review it during the project. Include communities in the process, not only staff.
Key points
- List specific people and groups, not broad labels like 'the community'.
- Rate each stakeholder by power and interest.
- Choose an engagement approach for each quadrant of the grid.
- Ask communities who is missing from your list.
- Revisit the analysis whenever the context changes.
What is stakeholder analysis?
A stakeholder is any person or group who can influence your project or who is affected by it. Stakeholder analysis is the process of listing them, understanding their interests and influence, and deciding how to work with each one.
The Project Design Toolkit, used in Red Cross and Red Crescent contexts, says the exercise helps your team identify who has what interest in and what influence on your project. It also helps you plan how to communicate with them, manage expectations or involve them. It is most relevant in initial assessment and planning, but can be done or revisited at any time in the project cycle.
Who counts as a stakeholder in a community project?
Think wide. The toolkit suggests asking these questions:
- Who will be affected by this project?
- Who is responsible or accountable for it?
- Who has decision authority?
- Who can support or obstruct it?
- Who has done a similar project before, and what can they teach us?
- Who is not usually involved, but could help?
In a township project this may include village leaders, women's groups, youth groups, religious leaders, local service providers, partner organisations, other NGOs working nearby, donors and your own staff. The toolkit advises being as specific as possible: "young men in the community" or "the community nurse" gives you more to act on than "community members".
How do you do the analysis, step by step?
- Prepare a grid. Draw a two-by-two matrix on a flip chart or sheet. Power (influence over the project) goes on one axis. Interest (how far the project affects them) goes on the other.
- List stakeholders. Write one stakeholder on one sticky note or row.
- Place each one on the grid. Discuss each placement as a team. Disagreement is useful information.
- Add attitude. The toolkit suggests colour-coding by attitude, such as supporters, neutral and critics.
- Agree a strategy for each quadrant.
- Assign a person to look after each key relationship.
- Check with the community. Ask people who they think is missing.
What strategy fits each quadrant?
The toolkit gives a clear approach for each quadrant.
| Quadrant | Approach | Example |
|---|---|---|
| High power, high interest | Engage closely | Local authority office, main partner |
| High power, lower interest | Keep satisfied, without overloading them | Senior leaders at a partner organisation |
| Low power, high interest | Keep informed, and listen for emerging issues | Community groups, volunteers |
| Low power, lower interest | Monitor, without over-communicating | Distant organisations |
The examples are illustrations only. Your own placements depend on your context. A group with low formal power, such as women's groups, may hold great influence over whether a project is accepted. Judge power by real influence, not job title.
How do you collect honest information?
- Talk to people. Use focus groups, short interviews and informal talks. Our guide on focus group discussions can help.
- Use staff knowledge. Field staff know who the real influencers are.
- Be careful with sensitive information. In insecure settings, a stakeholder list with notes about attitudes could cause harm if it leaked. Keep it restricted and avoid writing names of individuals where risk exists.
- Stay neutral. Describe power and interest factually, without taking sides.
How do you use the result?
A stakeholder analysis is only useful if it changes what you do.
- Put engagement actions into your work plan.
- Add stakeholder risks to your risk register.
- Use the list to decide who joins which meeting and who receives which report.
- Link it to your RACI matrix so roles toward each group are clear.
- Review it every quarter, or when staff, authorities or the security context change.
What mistakes should you avoid?
- Using vague groups. "The community" is not one stakeholder.
- Doing it alone in the office. The people affected must have a voice in the analysis.
- Ignoring critics. Skipping them does not remove them.
- Treating it as a one-off. Power and interest change.
- Leaving it in a drawer. Engagement actions need owners and dates.
How EMPO can help
EMPO is a reliable, trusted training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical training for NGOs and CSOs, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. We teach stakeholder and community engagement skills within our Project Management and Community Development training, online or in person across Myanmar, in English and Burmese. See our services or contact us.
Sources
- Stakeholder analysis — Project Design Toolkit
Questions people ask
When should we do a stakeholder analysis?
At the start, in assessment and planning. You can repeat it at any point in the project cycle, especially after a major change in context.
Should we include people who oppose the project?
Yes. Opponents and critics can block or shape your work. Understanding their concerns helps you respond early.
How many stakeholders should be on the grid?
Enough to be useful, usually 15 to 30 groups. Merge small groups, and split a group when its members have different interests.