Lesson 1.2: Stakeholder Mapping & Engagement

Understanding Stakeholder Categories

Not all stakeholders play the same role in your project. Learn to identify and categorize them based on their relationship to the problem, their expertise, and the value they bring to your analysis. 

graph TB
    %% ========================================
    %% YOUR PROJECT AT CENTER
    %% ========================================

    CORE(["🎯 YOUR PROJECT<br/><br/><strong>The Problem</strong><br/><strong>You're Addressing</strong>"])

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

    subgraph PRIMARY_GROUP ["👥 PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS"]
        direction TB
        P_DEF["<strong>Directly Affected</strong><br/><br/>Experience the<br/>problem firsthand"]
        P_PROVIDE["<strong>What They Provide</strong><br/><br/>Lived experience<br/><br/>Daily realities<br/><br/>Coping strategies<br/><br/>Cultural context"]
    end

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

    subgraph SECONDARY_GROUP ["🤝 SECONDARY STAKEHOLDERS"]
        direction TB
        S_DEF["<strong>Influence & Expertise</strong><br/><br/>Power to enable<br/>or block outcomes"]
        S_PROVIDE["<strong>What They Provide</strong><br/><br/>Technical expertise<br/><br/>Institutional knowledge<br/><br/>Resource access<br/><br/>Validation"]
    end

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

    subgraph TERTIARY_GROUP ["🔗 TERTIARY STAKEHOLDERS"]
        direction TB
        T_DEF["<strong>Indirect Interest</strong><br/><br/>Not central but<br/>connected to issue"]
        T_PROVIDE["<strong>What They Provide</strong><br/><br/>Broader context<br/><br/>Future partnerships<br/><br/>System dynamics<br/><br/>Unintended consequences"]
    end

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

    CORE --> PRIMARY_GROUP
    CORE --> SECONDARY_GROUP
    CORE --> TERTIARY_GROUP

    P_DEF --> P_PROVIDE
    S_DEF --> S_PROVIDE
    T_DEF --> T_PROVIDE

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

    style CORE fill:#6B7280,stroke:#4B5563,stroke-width:4px,color:#fff,font-weight:bold

    style PRIMARY_GROUP fill:#D1FAE5,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:3px,color:#2A2A2A
    style P_DEF fill:#BBF7D0,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style P_PROVIDE fill:#BBF7D0,stroke:#10B981,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A

    style SECONDARY_GROUP fill:#ECFCCB,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:3px,color:#2A2A2A
    style S_DEF fill:#FEF9C3,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style S_PROVIDE fill:#FEF9C3,stroke:#72B043,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A

    style TERTIARY_GROUP fill:#FEF3C7,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:3px,color:#2A2A2A
    style T_DEF fill:#FDE68A,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A
    style T_PROVIDE fill:#FDE68A,stroke:#F59E0B,stroke-width:2px,color:#2A2A2A

Primary Stakeholders: Those Directly Affected

Who They Are

Primary stakeholders are people who experience the problem directly or will be directly affected by your project outcomes. They have lived experience that no amount of research can replicate.

What They Provide

Lived Experience & Practical Insights

They can tell you what daily reality looks like, what strategies people use to cope, and what barriers they face that might not be visible from outside.

Solution Feasibility

They know what solutions would actually work in their context, what's been tried before, and what logistical or cultural factors shape implementation.

Cultural Context

They understand community norms, social dynamics, power structures, and cultural sensitivities that shape how problems manifest and solutions succeed.

Community Dynamics

They know who the trusted leaders are, what communication channels work, and how information flows within the community.

Examples by Sector

  • Health: Patients living with specific conditions, family caregivers, at-risk populations (e.g., pregnant women, people with chronic diseases)
  • Education: Students (in-school and out-of-school), parents of school-age children, youth who dropped out
  • Economic Development: Unemployed youth, small business owners, informal traders, people living below poverty line
  • Environment: Farmers whose livelihoods depend on natural resources, fishing communities, residents of environmentally affected areas

Engagement Approach

Secondary Stakeholders: Those with Influence or Expertise

Who They Are

Secondary stakeholders have significant power to influence outcomes, relevant expertise about the issue, or resources your project might need. They may not experience the problem directly, but they have knowledge and capacity that validates or shapes your approach.

What They Provide

Technical Expertise

Professional insights from practitioners, researchers, or specialists who understand the technical aspects of the problem and potential solutions.

Institutional Knowledge

Historical context about what's been tried, why previous efforts succeeded or failed, and how the broader system works.

Access to Resources

Connections to funding, permissions, facilities, or partnerships that your project might need to succeed.

Credibility & Validation

Endorsement from respected institutions or experts that strengthens your proposal with funders and other stakeholders.

Examples by Sector

  • Health: Healthcare providers (doctors, nurses), community health workers, clinic managers, public health officials
  • Education: Teachers, school administrators, education ministry officials, curriculum developers, teacher trainers
  • Economic Development: Employers, training providers, microfinance institutions, labor market researchers, business development officers
  • Environment: Agricultural extension workers, environmental scientists, conservation officers, local government officials with environmental mandates

Engagement Approach

Tertiary Stakeholders: Those with Indirect Interest

Who They Are

Tertiary stakeholders have some interest or influence but are not central to your immediate project focus. They might become more important later, or they provide peripheral context that informs your work.

What They Provide

Broader Context

Understanding of wider system dynamics, policy environments, or related initiatives that might intersect with your work.

Future Partnerships

Potential collaborators whose involvement might become more relevant as your project evolves or expands.

Unintended Consequences

Awareness of how your project might affect adjacent issues, sectors, or populations you hadn't initially considered.

Network Connections

Introductions to other stakeholders, information about related initiatives, or visibility for your work within broader networks.

Examples Across Sectors

  • Media organizations that occasionally cover your issue area
  • Academic researchers studying related topics or adjacent problems
  • International NGOs working in similar areas but different geographic regions
  • Government officials in adjacent departments (e.g., education ministry when focusing on youth employment)
  • Professional associations or networks related to your issue area

Engagement Approach

The Same Person Can Play Different Roles

Always categorize stakeholders in relation to your specific problem and project, not based on general assumptions about their role in the community.

What's Next?

Now that you understand the three stakeholder categories, the next step is to map their power and interest levels. This Power-Interest Analysis will help you determine exactly how to engage each stakeholder group strategically.

Ready to Map Power & Interest?

Learn the four-quadrant framework that determines whether stakeholders need deep partnership, focused communication, active engagement, or monitoring.

Power-Interest Analysis → Download Worksheets →