What Is Stakeholder Mapping
Understanding Stakeholder Mapping for Engagement, Compliance, and Risk Management
Stakeholder mapping is a structured approach used to identify, categorise, and prioritise stakeholders based on their level of influence, interest, power, and potential impact on a project, operation, or management system. It helps organisations manage relationships, anticipate resistance, and design effective engagement strategies aligned with compliance and performance goals.
Stakeholder mapping is a foundational process in the development of ISO 45001-compliant Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) systems, but it is equally valuable in strategic planning, operational rollouts, and change management.
Why Stakeholder Mapping Matters
Stakeholder mapping provides clarity on who matters, why they matter, and how best to engage them. It ensures that diverse interests are acknowledged early, risks of resistance are minimised, and communication is targeted and efficient. For OH&S systems, it supports compliance with Clause 4.2 – Understanding the Needs and Expectations of Interested Parties in ISO 45001.
Key Factors in Stakeholder Assessment
Stakeholders are assessed using a combination of attributes that influence their significance to the project or operation:
- Influence: The stakeholder's ability to affect outcomes or direction.
- Interest: Their level of concern or involvement in the initiative.
- Power: Formal or informal authority over decisions or resources.
- Receptiveness: Willingness to engage and collaborate.
- Risk Potential: Likelihood of causing delays or disruptions if not addressed.
Applications of Stakeholder Mapping
Stakeholder mapping is used across OH&S systems, operational rollouts, compliance strategy, and major project implementation to:
- Identify and classify relevant stakeholders across internal and external contexts
- Prioritise engagement and allocate resources effectively
- Develop targeted communications and collaborative strategies
- Proactively manage concerns and reduce conflict risk
Stakeholder Mapping Tools
A variety of tools help visualise stakeholder relationships and guide strategic engagement:
- Power-Interest Matrix – Maps stakeholders by their influence and interest levels.
- Onion Diagram – Illustrates stakeholder proximity to the core project or system.
- PESTLE Analysis – Examines external macro factors influencing stakeholder dynamics.
Effective stakeholder mapping supports transparency, builds trust, and provides a clear foundation for developing inclusive, compliant, and risk-aware systems.
The goal is to identify who affects or is affected by a project or system, assess their influence and interest, and plan engagement strategies that improve outcomes and minimise resistance.
It supports Clause 4.2 of ISO 45001 by helping organisations understand the needs and expectations of interested parties, and ensures these are reflected in OH&S objectives and risk management plans.
Common tools include the Power-Interest Matrix, Onion Diagram, and PESTLE Analysis—each offering a unique lens to assess stakeholder influence and proximity to a system or project.