Lesson 1.2: Stakeholder Mapping & Engagement

Power-Interest Analysis Framework

Once you've identified your stakeholders, map them by power and interest levels to determine who needs deep partnership, focused communication, active engagement, or monitoring.

The Four-Quadrant Grid

Power-Interest Analysis plots stakeholders on two dimensions:

  • Power - Their ability to influence your project's success (through resources, authority, or social influence)
  • Interest - How much they care about your issue or project outcomes
graph TB
    %% ========================================
    %% AXIS LABELS
    %% ========================================

    YAXIS["<strong>↑ HIGH POWER</strong><br/>(Authority, Resources,<br/>Influence)"]
    XAXIS["<strong>HIGH INTEREST →</strong><br/>(Care, Commitment,<br/>Attention)"]

    %% ========================================
    %% QUADRANT 1: High Power, High Interest
    %% MANAGE CLOSELY (Pepper Green)
    %% ========================================

    Q1["<strong>QUADRANT 1</strong><br/>MANAGE CLOSELY<br/><br/>Partnership Strategy<br/>Regular collaboration"]

    Q1A["🤝 <strong>Community Leader</strong><br/>Passionate advocate<br/>Strong social influence"]
    Q1B["💼 <strong>Department Head</strong><br/>Budget authority<br/>Related programs"]
    Q1C["💰 <strong>Key Funder</strong><br/>Committed to cause<br/>Significant resources"]

    %% ========================================
    %% QUADRANT 2: High Power, Low Interest
    %% KEEP SATISFIED (Pot of Gold)
    %% ========================================

    Q2["<strong>QUADRANT 2</strong><br/>KEEP SATISFIED<br/><br/>Communication Focus<br/>Periodic updates"]

    Q2A["🏛️ <strong>Municipal Official</strong><br/>Permit authority<br/>Many responsibilities"]
    Q2B["📋 <strong>Ministry Director</strong><br/>Broad portfolio<br/>Oversight role"]
    Q2C["🏢 <strong>Partner Executive</strong><br/>Multiple priorities<br/>Limited attention"]

    %% ========================================
    %% QUADRANT 3: Low Power, High Interest
    %% KEEP INFORMED (Leaf)
    %% ========================================

    Q3["<strong>QUADRANT 3</strong><br/>KEEP INFORMED<br/><br/>Active Engagement<br/>Regular information"]

    Q3A["👥 <strong>Community Members</strong><br/>Directly affected<br/>Rich insights"]
    Q3B["✊ <strong>Grassroots Activists</strong><br/>High commitment<br/>Limited authority"]
    Q3C["🎓 <strong>Youth Groups</strong><br/>Issue champions<br/>Energy & passion"]

    %% ========================================
    %% QUADRANT 4: Low Power, Low Interest
    %% MONITOR (Gray)
    %% ========================================

    Q4["<strong>QUADRANT 4</strong><br/>MONITOR<br/><br/>Minimal Engagement<br/>Periodic awareness"]

    Q4A["🔗 <strong>Adjacent NGO</strong><br/>Different sector<br/>Occasional overlap"]
    Q4B["🏛️ <strong>Unrelated Officials</strong><br/>Peripheral interest<br/>Low involvement"]
    Q4C["📚 <strong>Academic Researcher</strong><br/>Occasional coverage<br/>Indirect relevance"]

    %% ========================================
    %% QUADRANT STRUCTURE
    %% ========================================

    %% Quadrant 1 (Top Right - High/High)
    YAXIS --> Q1
    Q1 --> Q1A
    Q1 --> Q1B
    Q1 --> Q1C

    %% Quadrant 2 (Top Left - High/Low)
    YAXIS --> Q2
    Q2 --> Q2A
    Q2 --> Q2B
    Q2 --> Q2C

    %% Quadrant 3 (Bottom Right - Low/High)
    XAXIS --> Q3
    Q3 --> Q3A
    Q3 --> Q3B
    Q3 --> Q3C

    %% Quadrant 4 (Bottom Left - Low/Low)
    Q4 --> Q4A
    Q4 --> Q4B
    Q4 --> Q4C

    %% Cross-quadrant movement examples (dashed)
    Q3A -.Can move to<br/>Q1 with support.-> Q1A
    Q2B -.Can shift to<br/>Q4 if ignored.-> Q4B

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

    %% Axis Labels - Neutral
    style YAXIS fill:#9CA3AF,stroke:#6B7280,stroke-width:2px,color:#1F2937,font-weight:bold
    style XAXIS fill:#9CA3AF,stroke:#6B7280,stroke-width:2px,color:#1F2937,font-weight:bold

    %% Quadrant 1 - Pepper Green (Most Critical - Partnership)
    style Q1 fill:#10B981,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:4px,color:#fff,font-weight:bold
    style Q1A fill:#10B981,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style Q1B fill:#10B981,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style Q1C fill:#10B981,stroke:#059669,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff

    %% Quadrant 2 - Pot of Gold (Important but Less Engaged)
    style Q2 fill:#F59E0B,stroke:#D97706,stroke-width:3px,color:#1F2937,font-weight:bold
    style Q2A fill:#F59E0B,stroke:#D97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#1F2937
    style Q2B fill:#F59E0B,stroke:#D97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#1F2937
    style Q2C fill:#F59E0B,stroke:#D97706,stroke-width:2px,color:#1F2937

    %% Quadrant 3 - Leaf (Engaged but Less Powerful)
    style Q3 fill:#72B043,stroke:#5A8F36,stroke-width:3px,color:#fff,font-weight:bold
    style Q3A fill:#72B043,stroke:#5A8F36,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style Q3B fill:#72B043,stroke:#5A8F36,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style Q3C fill:#72B043,stroke:#5A8F36,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff

    %% Quadrant 4 - Gray (Monitor Only)
    style Q4 fill:#6B7280,stroke:#4B5563,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff,font-weight:bold
    style Q4A fill:#6B7280,stroke:#4B5563,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style Q4B fill:#6B7280,stroke:#4B5563,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff
    style Q4C fill:#6B7280,stroke:#4B5563,stroke-width:2px,color:#fff

Quadrant 1: High Power, High Interest (Manage Closely)

Strategy: Deep Partnership and Collaboration

Characteristics

  • Have significant influence over project success or failure
  • Care deeply about the issue or outcomes
  • Can be powerful allies or formidable opponents
  • Worth significant time investment for relationship building

Examples

  • Community leaders who are passionate about your cause and have strong community influence
  • Department heads with budget authority for programs related to your issue
  • Local elected officials whose constituencies are directly affected by the problem
  • Established organizations already working on similar issues who could be partners or competitors
  • Key donors or funders with both resources and genuine commitment to your cause

Engagement Tactics

✅ Regular one-on-one meetings

Frequent touchpoints to build trust, share progress, and address concerns proactively.

✅ Collaborative planning

Involve them in decision-making so they have ownership over outcomes and accountability.

✅ Transparent communication

Share challenges openly, not just successes. Build trust through honesty about what's working and what isn't.

✅ Shared accountability

Create mutual commitments and follow-through mechanisms that demonstrate partnership.

Quadrant 2: High Power, Low Interest (Keep Satisfied)

Strategy: Focused Communication Without Overwhelming

Characteristics

  • Have significant influence but limited attention to your specific issue
  • Busy with multiple priorities and responsibilities
  • Need to stay informed but don't want detailed involvement
  • Could become opponents if they feel blindsided or disrespected

Examples

  • Municipal officials who must approve permits but have many other responsibilities
  • Ministry directors overseeing broad portfolios where your issue is one of many priorities
  • Busy executives of partner organizations who need updates but can't attend every meeting
  • Funders supporting multiple initiatives who care about outcomes but trust you to execute
  • Media gatekeepers who might cover your issue but focus on many topics

Engagement Tactics

✅ Concise periodic updates

Brief, well-formatted progress reports highlighting key milestones and any decisions that affect them.

✅ Advance notice

Inform them early about anything that might affect their interests or require their input.

✅ Clear requests

When you need specific support or approvals, make requests crystal clear with all necessary context.

✅ Respect time constraints

Honor their communication preferences (email, phone, brief meetings) and scheduling limitations.

Quadrant 3: Low Power, High Interest (Keep Informed)

Strategy: Active Engagement and Information Sharing

Characteristics

  • Care deeply about the issue but have limited formal authority or resources
  • Often closest to the problem with the richest practical insights
  • May become advocates or champions if engaged well
  • Their engagement and validation strengthens community grounding

Examples

  • Community members directly affected by the problem (primary stakeholders with low formal power)
  • Volunteers and activists working passionately on the issue without institutional backing
  • Students or youth groups concerned about the topic and eager to contribute
  • Grassroots organizations with limited resources but high commitment and community trust
  • Beneficiary groups or patient advocacy organizations with lived experience

Engagement Tactics

✅ Community meetings

Host accessible gatherings where they can provide input and feel heard in comfortable, familiar settings.

✅ Regular updates

Share progress through accessible channels (community radio, WhatsApp groups, local meetings).

✅ Input opportunities

Create meaningful ways for them to provide feedback on project design and implementation.

✅ Recognition

Acknowledge and appreciate their contributions publicly when appropriate—visibility builds their influence.

Quadrant 4: Low Power, Low Interest (Monitor)

Strategy: Minimal Engagement with Periodic Monitoring

Characteristics

  • Limited influence and limited attention to your specific issue
  • May become more relevant as context or project scope changes
  • Worth monitoring but not significant resource investment
  • Could shift quadrants based on changing circumstances or project evolution

Examples

  • Organizations working in adjacent sectors with only peripheral connection to your issue
  • Officials from unrelated government departments who might intersect occasionally
  • Media outlets that rarely cover your topic area
  • Academic researchers studying different aspects of your issue without direct collaboration
  • Professional networks or associations with tangential relevance

Engagement Tactics

✅ Occasional updates

Include them in broad stakeholder communications (newsletters, annual reports) without intensive engagement.

✅ Position monitoring

Keep track of whether their interest level or influence is changing as your project evolves.

✅ Network inclusion

Add them to general mailing lists or networks without expecting active participation.

✅ Readiness to escalate

Be prepared to increase engagement if circumstances change and they move to a different quadrant.

Stakeholders Can Move Between Quadrants

What's Next?

Now that you understand how to analyze stakeholder power and interest, you're ready to learn specific engagement strategies for conducting meaningful conversations that validate your Problem Tree and build lasting relationships.

Ready to Design Your Engagement Approach?

Learn how to adapt your questions, format, and approach for different stakeholder types while respecting cultural norms and building trust.

Engagement Strategies → Step-by-Step Guide →