Stakeholder analysis template

Organize and manage stakeholder information to ensure project success.

Imagine kicking off a new project only to realize halfway through that key stakeholders weren’t properly identified or consulted. Misaligned priorities, missed feedback, and last-minute changes can derail timelines and lead to frustration. Without a stakeholder analysis, valuable insights risk slipping through the cracks.

Whether starting a new initiative or managing an ongoing project, a stakeholder analysis template provides the foundation for successful project collaboration. By systematically documenting stakeholder information and relationships, teams can make better decisions and develop targeted engagement strategies that drive project success.

Creating an effective stakeholder analysis template helps teams identify, assess, and manage relationships with key stakeholders throughout the project life cycle. With Confluence, you can easily create a structured template to understand stakeholder interests, influence, and communication needs, keeping your projects on track. =

Create a stakeholder analysis in Confluence for free

What is a stakeholder analysis template?

A stakeholder analysis template is a structured framework that helps teams document and assess the various individuals, groups, and organizations that can impact or be affected by your project.

This systematic approach to stakeholder management enables teams to organize critical information about each stakeholder's interests, influence, and requirements. Creating a stakeholder analysis template provides a clear foundation for building strong relationships with all project stakeholders.

What is the purpose of a stakeholder analysis?

Stakeholder analysis aims to ensure project success by systematically identifying and managing relationships with key stakeholders. By following stakeholder theory, teams can better understand the complex network of relationships and interests that influence project outcomes.

A thorough stakeholder assessment template helps teams prioritize resources, manage expectations, and develop targeted communication strategies.

What should a stakeholder analysis look like?

A stakeholder analysis needs to be organized in a clear, actionable format that teams can easily reference and update. Here are the essential components:

Stakeholder lists: Record comprehensive details of all individuals and groups involved in your project, including their names, roles, organizations, and contact information. This primary list serves as your central reference for all stakeholder interactions.
Categorization by influence and interest: Map stakeholders on a grid showing their influence over the project against their interest in its outcomes. This helps identify which stakeholders need the most attention and what type of engagement they require.
Communication plan: Document how you'll keep each stakeholder informed and engaged, including the frequency of communication, preferred channels, and key messages tailored to their needs and interests.
Stakeholder needs assessment: Track what each stakeholder expects from the project, their potential concerns, and how the project impacts their objectives or operations.
Influence impact matrix: Record each stakeholder's ability to impact project success, including their decision-making power, resource control, and ability to influence other stakeholders.

Types of stakeholder analysis templates

Different projects and businesses require varying approaches to stakeholder analysis. Here are the main types of templates you can use based on your project's complexity:

Matrix-based templates: Create a grid-style analysis that plots stakeholders based on their power, interest, influence, and impact. These templates work best for complex projects with multiple stakeholder groups and varying levels of involvement.
List-based templates: Organize stakeholders in a detailed spreadsheet that tracks key information like contact details, roles, requirements, and engagement status. This straightforward approach suits smaller projects or when detailed tracking is essential.
Visual diagram templates: Map stakeholders using flowcharts, mind maps, or network diagrams to show relationships and connections between different groups. Confluence whiteboards can be used to illustrate complex stakeholder ecosystems and interdependencies.

Benefits of using a stakeholder analysis template

Clarifies roles and responsibilities

Using a stakeholder analysis template helps establish clear accountability while ensuring everyone understands their role in the project. This clarity supports project planning and execution by defining who needs to be involved at each stage.

Remove any uncertainty about team member expectations with the roles and responsibilities template.

Improves collaboration

A well-structured template promotes a collaborative culture by identifying key stakeholders who should work together. This framework improves project collaboration and ensures efficient communication across departments. Try a free stakeholder communications template.

Encourages prioritization

Stakeholder analysis helps categorize stakeholders by their level of influence and interest in the project, allowing teams to prioritize those with the greatest impact. This ensures that the most important stakeholders are given appropriate focus and attention throughout the project life cycle, aligning with strategic objectives.

Check out the prioritization template to visualize your team’s highest and lowest priorities.

Facilitates resource allocation

Through effective project management, a stakeholder analysis template helps teams allocate resources based on stakeholder priorities and project needs. This approach ensures efficient use of time and resources, ensuring the project runs smoothly and achieves its desired outcomes.

How to create a stakeholder analysis

Step 1. Determine key stakeholders

Create a comprehensive list of all stakeholders who may affect or be affected by your project. Include both internal and external stakeholders to ensure complete coverage.

Step 2. Group stakeholders by influence and interest

Group stakeholders based on their influence levels and interest in the project (e.g., high, medium, or low). Categorizing them this way prioritizes engagement efforts and resource allocation.

Step 3. Assess needs and expectations

Document specific requirements and expectations for each stakeholder group to ensure their needs are properly addressed throughout the project life cycle.

Step 4. Evaluate impact and influence

Analyze each stakeholder's power over the project and how it affects them. Understanding their influence will help determine appropriate engagement strategies.

Step 5. Prioritize stakeholders

To ensure appropriate attention is given to key players, create a clear hierarchy of stakeholders based on their importance and influence. Prioritize high-priority groups, but don’t neglect the others.

Step 6. Create a communication plan

Develop targeted communication strategies for each stakeholder group. Include preferred communication methods (such as emails, meetings, or reports) and the frequency of updates to maintain transparency and trust.

Step 7. Continuously monitor and adapt

Regularly review and revise the analysis to reflect changes in stakeholder relationships and project dynamics. Keeping your strategy flexible ensures alignment with evolving project requirements.

Create a stakeholder analysis with Confluence

Confluence provides the perfect platform for creating and maintaining your stakeholder analysis. With Confluence, teams can build comprehensive stakeholder documentation that's easy to access and update. Customizable tables help you organize stakeholder information effectively, and team members can be tagged directly within the content for seamless collaboration. Whiteboards make it easy to visually map and represent the analysis.

Teams can use Confluence's robust features to create dynamic stakeholder analysis documents that evolve with their projects. With Confluence, you can ensure all team members can contribute to and access the most current stakeholder information. By using Confluence’s real-time collaboration tools, teams stay aligned and informed, ensuring stakeholder needs are addressed seamlessly throughout the project life cycle.

Create a stakeholder analysis in Confluence for free

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