Stakeholder Analysis for Policy

Stakeholder analysis is a systematic approach to identifying the individuals, groups and organisations affected by or able to affect a policy or program, characterising their interests and influence, and understanding the relationships among them. Reed and colleagues' influential 2009 typology organises the field into three tasks: identifying stakeholders, differentiating and categorising them, and investigating their relationships. The aim is to inform the design, implementation and evaluation of policy by clarifying whose interests are at stake, who holds power, and how to engage them — improving both the effectiveness and the legitimacy of decisions.