Stakeholder mapping: a practical template
A stakeholder matrix connects people and organisations with their expectations, a legitimate topic for dialogue and a relationship owner. It supports useful, transparent engagement rather than speculative rankings of support.
Template preview
Download the template · CSV ↓| Stakeholder category | Role or impact | Documented question or expectation | Source and date | Missing information | Proposed action | Owner | Deadline | Status and next update |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Site teams — fictitious example | Project implementation | Practical consequences to be clarified | Documenting | Validated calendar | Prepare a question session | To be appointed | To be defined | For preparation |
| Territorial actors — fictional example | Territory concerned | Local effects to be considered | Documenting | Local data | Organize an appropriate exchange | To be appointed | To be defined | To be qualified |
Define the project and decision
Start with the project concerned: implantation, transformation, announcement, public debate or crisis. A general mapping of all the organisation quickly becomes too wide to be used. Specify the territory, steps and decisions that can evolve.
Distinguish the institutional role, impact, expertise and ability to act. An unseen actor can be strongly involved. Expectations must be documented by sources or exchanges, and not deduced from a supposed membership.
Document the relationship
The model combines a legitimate question, a level of information, an action and a responsible person with each category of actors. The "point to check" column avoids turning a hypothesis into certainty.
Integrate only the necessary data and comply with internal access rules. The proposed model uses categories of fictitious actors, without personal data. Sensitive coordinates and historical information can be handled separately.
Keep the matrix up to date
Download the CSV file and open it in your spreadsheet. Replace the example lines, add a review date and identify relationships that require action. Priority must be motivated by the project and its effects, not just by the visibility of an interlocutor.
A review at each important stage helps to identify forgotten actors and new expectations. In public affairs, the matrix completes the examination of applicable transparency rules; it does not replace it.