Stakeholder Mapping Examples | Setup Your Project for Success

Example 1: Youth Economic Participation

Builds on the Nigeria Youth Livelihood Problem Tree from Lesson 1.1.

Stakeholder	Category	Why This Category
Unemployed youth (18-25)	Primary	Directly experiencing unemployment & poverty
Parents of youth	Primary	Financially affected; influence youth decisions
Youth who dropped out of school	Primary	Experiencing compounded barriers (education + employment)
Local employers (small businesses)	Secondary	Know skills gaps; potential partners for training
Vocational training providers	Secondary	Technical expertise on training models that work
Youth ministry officials	Secondary	Policy influence; access to funding streams
Successful young entrepreneurs	Secondary	Role models; practical insights on barriers overcome
Community elders/traditional leaders	Secondary	Cultural gatekeepers; community buy-in essential
International NGOs in youth sector	Tertiary	Potential future funders; broader network connections
Academic researchers	Tertiary	Data/studies on youth employment trends

Complete Stakeholder Ecosystem

graph TB
    %% ========================================
    %% CORE PROBLEM AT TOP
    %% ========================================

    PROBLEM(["🎯 <strong>CORE PROBLEM</strong><br/><br/>Youth Unemployment<br/>in Rural Nigeria<br/><br/><em>From Lesson 1.1</em>"])

    %% ========================================
    %% PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS SECTION
    %% ========================================

    subgraph PRIMARY_GROUP ["👥 PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS - Directly Affected"]
        direction TB
        P1["<strong>Unemployed Youth</strong><br/>(18-25)<br/><br/>📍 Q1: High Power, High Interest<br/>🎯 <em>Manage Closely</em><br/>Weekly focus groups"]
        P2["<strong>Parents of Youth</strong><br/><br/>📍 Q1: High Power, High Interest<br/>🎯 <em>Manage Closely</em><br/>Home visits, evening sessions"]
        P3["<strong>Youth Dropouts</strong><br/><br/>📍 Q1: High Power, High Interest<br/>🎯 <em>Manage Closely</em><br/>Trauma-informed conversations"]
    end

    %% ========================================
    %% SECONDARY STAKEHOLDERS SECTION
    %% ========================================

    subgraph SECONDARY_GROUP ["🤝 SECONDARY STAKEHOLDERS - Influence & Expertise"]
        direction TB

        subgraph S_HIGH_POWER ["High Power, Low Interest"]
            S1["<strong>Youth Ministry</strong><br/><br/>🎯 <em>Keep Satisfied</em><br/>Formal presentations"]
            S2["<strong>Training Providers</strong><br/><br/>🎯 <em>Keep Satisfied</em><br/>Curriculum partnerships"]
        end

        subgraph S_HIGH_INTEREST ["Low Power, High Interest"]
            S3["<strong>Local Employers</strong><br/><br/>🎯 <em>Keep Informed</em><br/>Quarterly roundtables"]
            S4["<strong>Young Entrepreneurs</strong><br/><br/>🎯 <em>Keep Informed</em><br/>Role model interviews"]
            S5["<strong>Community Elders</strong><br/><br/>🎯 <em>Keep Informed</em><br/>Cultural guidance"]
        end
    end

    %% ========================================
    %% TERTIARY STAKEHOLDERS SECTION
    %% ========================================

    subgraph TERTIARY_GROUP ["🔗 TERTIARY STAKEHOLDERS - Indirect Interest"]
        direction TB
        T1["<strong>International NGOs</strong><br/><br/>📍 Q4: Low Power, Low Interest<br/>🎯 <em>Monitor</em><br/>Email updates"]
        T2["<strong>Academic Researchers</strong><br/><br/>📍 Q4: Low Power, Low Interest<br/>🎯 <em>Monitor</em><br/>Data sharing"]
    end

    %% ========================================
    %% VERTICAL FLOW CONNECTIONS
    %% ========================================

    PROBLEM --> PRIMARY_GROUP
    PRIMARY_GROUP --> SECONDARY_GROUP
    SECONDARY_GROUP --> TERTIARY_GROUP

    %% Internal connections
    P1 --> P2 --> P3
    S1 --> S2
    S3 --> S4 --> S5
    T1 --> T2

    %% ========================================
    %% FESTA DESIGN SYSTEM COLORS
    %% ========================================

    %% Core Problem - Gray stadium node
    style PROBLEM fill:#6B7280,stroke:#4B5563,stroke-width:4px,color:#fff

    %% Primary Group - Pepper Green
    style PRIMARY_GROUP fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:3px,color:#2A2A2A
    style P1 fill:#BBF7D0,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style P2 fill:#BBF7D0,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style P3 fill:#BBF7D0,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A

    %% Secondary Group - Mixed (Leaf/Gold by quadrant)
    style SECONDARY_GROUP fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:3px,color:#2A2A2A
    style S_HIGH_POWER fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style S_HIGH_INTEREST fill:#D9F99D,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style S1 fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style S2 fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style S3 fill:#D9F99D,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style S4 fill:#D9F99D,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style S5 fill:#D9F99D,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A

    %% Tertiary Group - Gray
    style TERTIARY_GROUP fill:#E5E7EB,stroke:#9CA3AF,stroke-width:3px,color:#2A2A2A
    style T1 fill:#F3F4F6,stroke:#9CA3AF,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style T2 fill:#F3F4F6,stroke:#9CA3AF,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A

Engagement Strategies Applied

Manage Closely

Youth & parents: weekly focus groups, home visits, childcare provided.

Keep Informed

Employers & entrepreneurs: roundtables and interviews.

Keep Satisfied

Ministry & providers: formal presentations, partner roles.

Monitor

NGOs & researchers: email updates only.

Validating Problem Tree Assumptions

✅ VALIDATED: "Family migration expectations limit local employment (A)"

"My parents keep asking when I'll move to Lagos like my brother." (Samuel, 23), confirmed as a root cause.

🔄 REFINED: "Limited startup capital access (A)"

"The bank wanted collateral we don't have." (Blessing, 24). Split into loan access plus financial literacy.

⚠️ CHALLENGED: "Gender norms limiting participation (A)"

"Women start more businesses, but in the same saturated markets." (Community Elder). Reframed as a lack of options.

❌ REJECTED: "Limited internet access prevents remote work (A)"

"We have internet on our phones. We just don't know what jobs exist." (Chidi, 22). Replaced with digital skills.

New Insights Discovered

Peer influence: career choices follow friends, not market data
Trust deficit: past failed programs bred skepticism

Example 2: Maternal Health Project

Categorization

Stakeholder	Category	Engagement Method
Pregnant women & new mothers	Primary	Home visits + women's group discussions
Traditional birth attendants	Secondary	Respectful partnership meetings
Community health workers	Secondary	Focus groups + training needs assessment
Clinic nurses & midwives	Secondary	Individual interviews + observation
District health officials	Secondary	Formal consultations + data sharing

Conversation Excerpt: Validating Assumptions

Assumption: "Transportation cost delays care (A)"

Amina: "Transport isn't the biggest problem. The clinic is open when I'm needed at the farm."

💡 Insight: Childcare, permission, and clinic hours mattered more than transport cost.

Impact on Project Design

❌ Original Plan

• Transport vouchers
• Build a new clinic

✅ Revised Plan

• Extend clinic hours
• Home visits, on-site childcare

Key Patterns Across Examples

1. Primary Stakeholders Always Surprise You

Direct conversations reveal what desk research can't capture.

2. Assumptions Rarely Survive Contact with Reality

Expect 30-50% of your assumptions to be refined or rejected.

Integration with Lesson 1.3

Ready to Synthesize Your Data?

Affinity Diagrams organize this into patterns for your Theory of Change.

Next Lesson: Synthesize Data → Back to Lesson Overview ←

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