360° Stakeholder Mapping

OnTrackNorthAmerica has pioneered an innovative method for stakeholder identification and cataloging that supercharges facilitation, collaboration, and results for any challenge or opportunity. We have successfully used this method for over thirty years, advising on infrastructure projects across 47 U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

Stakeholder engagement is often blocked right from the start by the question, “Who are all the stakeholders?" The answer can seem indiscernible until you think out the list or catalog of stakeholder groups within an industrial system or geographic area. Once you have established that framework, all stakeholders can then be more easily identified and included. It's no longer overwhelming. We have found a particular CRM software platform, Act!, to be well-suited for cataloging and accessing stakeholders by these groups and subgroups. Along with IntelliSynthesis®, OTNA shares this essential tool for the level of collaboration and coordination needed to address significant challenges.

360° Stakeholder Mapping is the solution for ensuring the effective participation of all stakeholders, including representatives from various sectors such as academia, advocacy, business, community, funders, government, labor, and media. Identifying who to include from each sector for a new initiative starts with thorough online research. However, the key is to engage with knowledgeable individuals in the industry or region to determine who needs to be part of the process. Consider these three questions to guide your thinking:

1. What is the ecosystem of stakeholders you want to engage in transforming the results of that system?
2. What groups comprise all stakeholders in that arena and community?
3. What group and subgroup designations enable specific conversations with the stakeholders most involved with that subject?

Create your groups and subgroups based on what you think will help meet the project's objectives. Assign each stakeholder to multiple groups by sector, role, and geography. Consider the geographic scope of the ecosystem. Sometimes, you may want to communicate with everyone in a specific county, region, state, or country, or organize stakeholders into geographic teams.

At other times, you might want to engage in conversations with all individuals who, for instance, provide transportation services or work in the mining industry. You will likely find it helpful to create subgroups within a public-sector uber group for federal, state, and local governments. Since these individuals are likely to have other group assignments, you can efficiently gather cross-sector stakeholders around a specific topic.

This specificity demonstrates respect for stakeholders' time and energy, engenders trust and participation, and facilitates long-term engagement.

Collaboration and coordination require this method to provide relevant information to the appropriate people. Gathering input, perspectives, and commitments is remarkably efficient when you build an initiative's stakeholder database in this manner. Industrial systems are for people, managed by people, and have an impact on people. With this practical approach to stakeholder facilitation, all the right people can redesign our industrial systems.

OnTrackNorthAmerica has pioneered an approach to stakeholder identification and cataloging that supercharges facilitation, collaboration, and results for any problem or opportunity. We have successfully applied this approach for over 30 years, advising on infrastructure projects in 47 U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

Industrial systems are for people, managed by people, and affect people. The fundamental requirement for large-scale collaboration and progress is to engage with all relevant stakeholders. Delivering and receiving input, perspectives, and commitments is magnificently efficient when you build a participant database through 360° Stakeholder Mapping. With this practical approach to stakeholder facilitation, all the right people can redesign our industrial systems.

Opportunity

Stakeholder engagement has often been stymied by the question, “Who are all the stakeholders?" The answer can seem indiscernible until a list or catalog of all the stakeholder groups comprising an industrial system or a geographic area is produced. With this framework in place, all stakeholders can be more easily identified and included.

We typically begin mapping participants from these primary sectors: academia, advocacy, business, community, funders, government, labor, and media.

Questions

1. What is the ecosystem of stakeholders you want to engage to transform the results of an Industry Action Plan (IAP)?
2. What groups comprise all stakeholders in that arena and community?
3. What subgroup designations enable conversations with the appropriate stakeholders?

Techniques

• Create your groups and subgroups while considering the objectives and what must be discussed.
• Think about the ecosystem geographically.
• Designate each stakeholder by sector, roles, and geography.
• There is often a need to communicate with everyone in a specific county, region, or state, or to organize stakeholders in geographic teams.
• Using the IntelliSynthesis process, we can convene a dialogue with all the folks in various roles. For instance, we may benefit from creating subgroups within the "Public sector" group for federal, state, and local governments.
• By assigning people to multiple group designations, we can easily convene cross-sector stakeholder discussions.

OnTrackNorthAmerica has pioneered an approach to stakeholder identification and cataloging that supercharges facilitation, collaboration, and results for any problem or opportunity. We have successfully applied this approach for over 30 years, advising on infrastructure projects in 47 U.S. states and Canadian provinces.

Stakeholder engagement has often been stymied by the question, “Who are all the stakeholders?" The answer can seem indiscernible until a list or catalog of all the stakeholder groups comprising an industrial system or a geographic area is produced. With this framework in place, there is an opportunity to focus on each group's relevant entities and individuals within the context of specific goals and projects. All stakeholders can be identified and included. 360° Stakeholder Mapping engages individuals within communities and industries as contributors to stakeholder mapping content.

We typically begin mapping participants from these primary sectors: academia, advocacy, business, community, funders, government, labor, and media. Zeroing in on who to include from each sector for a new initiative begins with informative online research. However, the key is to dialogue with knowledgeable individuals in the industrial arena or region to learn who needs to be included.

Three questions to stimulate your thinking…

1. What is the ecosystem of stakeholders you want to engage to transform the results of that system?
2. What groups comprise all stakeholders in that arena and community?
3. What subgroup designations enable conversations with the appropriate stakeholders?

Create your groups and subgroups while considering the project's objectives and what must be discussed. Think about the ecosystem's geographic extent. Designate each stakeholder in multiple groups by sector, roles, and geography. Sometimes, you want to communicate with everyone in a specific county, region, or state, or organize stakeholders in geographic teams. At other times, you may wish to convene a dialogue with all the individuals who provide transportation services or work in the mining industry. For instance, you may benefit from creating subgroups within a "Public sector" (uber) group for federal, state, and local governments. By assigning people to multiple group designations, you can easily convene cross-sector stakeholder discussions for specific subjects.

This specificity demonstrates respect for stakeholders' time and energy, engenders trust and participation, and facilitates long-term engagement.

Industrial systems are for people, managed by people, and they affect people. The fundamental requirement for large-scale collaboration and progress is to engage with all the relevant people. Delivering and receiving input, perspectives, and commitments is magnificently efficient when you build an initiative's participant database through 360° Stakeholder Mapping. With this practical approach to stakeholder facilitation, all the right people can redesign our industrial systems.