ISO 45001 Stakeholder Analysis: A Practical Guide to Compliance & Engagement
How to Identify & Engage Stakeholders for ISO 45001 Success
Understanding stakeholder needs and expectations is a key requirement of ISO 45001, ensuring effective OH&S management systems. Alongside the context of the organisation, stakeholder analysis provides the foundation for a compliant and resilient system.
However, to understand stakeholder needs and expectations, they must first be identified. Only then can their needs be properly investigated and understood. That understanding should lead to a structured plan for engagement, which must be continuously monitored and adjusted to ensure that stakeholder interests remain well understood.
The ultimate goal of stakeholder analysis is to make this understanding the basis of the OH&S management system being designed. A system built on a deep understanding of both the organisational context and stakeholder needs is inherently adaptable and resilient.
A common failure in the design of ISO 45001-compliant systems is approaching stakeholder analysis without first principles. There are a plethora of stakeholder analysis tools available, but many are not suited to analysing stakeholder needs and expectations specifically for ISO 45001 compliance.
The skill of a system designer lies in selecting and applying the right tools based on the specific situation of the analysis, rather than simply following how others have used them. This is also one of the five common mistakes that ISO 45001-compliant system designers make when analysing an organisation’s context.
This article presents a practical framework to guide the selection of tools for analysing stakeholder needs and expectations, ensuring the development of systems that are both ISO 45001-compliant and resilient.
Pioneered at SafetyRatios, the MOVER framework for stakeholder analysis provides a structured approach to identifying, understanding, and engaging stakeholders in OH&S management. It follows five key steps: Map stakeholders, Observe their needs, Validate and engage, Evaluate impact, and Repeat for continuous improvement.
Step 1: Mapping Stakeholders in ISO 45001
The first logical step in analysing stakeholder needs is to identify them and categorise them in a manner that aligns with the goals of the analysis.
For the design of ISO 45001-compliant systems, the objective of stakeholder identification is to gain a thorough understanding of which stakeholders may affect or be affected by the organisation in the pursuit of its OH&S objectives. This identification follows a first-principles approach—starting with a blank slate and systematically building a clear picture.
The most appropriate initial tool for identifying stakeholders is an IPO Analysis, a structured approach that maps out the organisation’s entire Inputs, Processes, and Outputs.
A detailed IPO analysis ensures that if we understand our entire process, we also understand who may influence or be influenced by it.
Once a systematic review of operations has been conducted using an IPO analysis, additional tools can be deployed to position key stakeholders and categorise them effectively.
Tools suited for this stage include Stakeholder Mapping, Onion Diagrams, and PESTLE Analysis. The choice of tool will depend on the expertise of the system designer, the availability of resources, and access to relevant information sources.
Step 2: Observing Stakeholders in ISO 45001
With a detailed working map of stakeholders categorised across the entirety of the organisation's operations, the next step is to conduct an in-depth analysis of each stakeholder's needs, interests, likely actions, areas of disinterest, and reputation—a comprehensive intelligence analysis.
For example, large suppliers with major corporations as clients often have their own OH&S management systems, which they are likely to follow regardless of the impact on other organisations. For an organisation engaging such suppliers, ensuring compliance with its own OH&S processes may be challenging.
While this is less of an issue for highly standardised elements, such as dangerous goods signage or material safety data sheets, it becomes a major challenge for less standardised yet essential safety aspects like competency assessments and ongoing HSE training.
The analyses conducted at this stage are designed to identify such potential complications, ensuring that the OH&S management system built upon this foundation incorporates specific mechanisms to address these challenges.
The primary deliverable from this stage is a fully annotated stakeholder map with detailed insights attached to each stakeholder. These insights often influence the categorisations from the mapping stage, reinforcing the fact that understanding stakeholder needs and expectations is an iterative process best approached from first principles.
Tools suited for this stage include Surveys, Interviews, Power-Interest Matrix, and SWOT Analysis. Again, the choice of tool will depend on the expertise of the system designer, the availability of resources, and access to relevant information sources.
The Map stage focused on "Who are the stakeholders?",
the Observe stage examines "What are they like?",
the Validate stage considers "What will they do?",
the Evaluate stage reviews "How have they responded?",
the Repeat stage refines "What should we change?".
Step 3: Validating & Engaging Stakeholder in ISO 45001
The Validate & Engage stage of stakeholder analysis is an ongoing process. The initial validation phase involves actions and analyses designed to test whether the hypotheses formed during the mapping and observation stages are accurate. This includes communicating with stakeholders to clarify expectations, confirming previously assumed process alignments, and gauging interest in specific initiatives.
For example, in construction, subcontractors often submit standardised documents that do not fully reflect the current state of their management systems. This is sometimes due to tender requirements that are overly specific or burdensome. Upon project award and during kickoff meetings, it is common to reconcile the gap between tender submissions and project realities—dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s. This process of validation and engagement is iterative and essential.
An ISO 45001-compliant OH&S management system must be designed to accommodate this gap-filling process. Subcontractor submissions at the tender stage should not be taken at face value, as they rarely represent the full picture. Instead, the system should incorporate validation techniques to ensure that process alignments occur as required.
Tools suited for this stage of stakeholder analysis include RACI Matrix, Communication Plans, Influence Diagrams, and Feedback Loops. Again, the choice of tool depends on the expertise of the system designer, the availability of resources, and access to relevant information sources. The ultimate goal is to build a resilient and adaptable system based on this analysis.
Gaining a thorough understanding of such an organisation’s context requires identifying how each stakeholder influences its ability to meet OH&S objectives. For example, if labour suppliers' manpower statistics are reported alongside those of the contractor as it usually is, then understanding the OH&S training and commitment levels of those suppliers becomes crucial. This factor could represent a significant threat to the contractor’s own OH&S performance, not to mention its duty of care to the workers assigned to its projects.
As with other analytical tools, stakeholder analysis is most effective when used in conjunction with complementary methods. The focus should be on achieving a holistic understanding of the organisation’s context rather than simply conducting a compliance-based, tick-box exercise.
Step 4: Evaluating & Adjusting to Stakeholders in ISO 45001
The Evaluate & Adjust stage reinforces the idea that stakeholder analysis is not a one-time exercise completed on paper by a consultant at the start of an OH&S management system's design. In reality, an OH&S management system is not just a document; it is a framework that continuously guides the organisation toward meeting its OH&S objectives.
Tools for continuous stakeholder analysis at this stage include SWOT analysis to assess evolving strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats related to stakeholder interactions.
Evaluation and adjustment are ongoing, iterative processes aimed at fostering beneficial relationships with stakeholders in support of OH&S needs. Tools for continuous stakeholder analysis at this stage include regular meetings, system audits, report verification and validation, and SWOT Analysis. The ideal choice of tools depends on what best suits the specific needs of the organisation.
Step 5: Refining Stakeholder Engagement in ISO 45001
The final stage of the stakeholder analysis process is not a linear endpoint but a cyclical one, feeding back into earlier stages in a continuous improvement manner. This stage involves taking stock and refining the stakeholder analysis itself to ensure it continues to reflect the best available data on the entire breadth of the operation.
This stage is often triggered by developments in other stages. For example, a new political dispensation identified through a PESTLE analysis may necessitate the removal of some stakeholders and the addition of new ones. Similarly, the introduction of a new regulator or a new dutyholder due to regulatory changes would require updating the stakeholder list mapped in Stage 1.
In conclusion, understanding the needs and expectations of stakeholders is a foundational requirement in ISO 45001. This article has outlined how thinking from first principles and applying a range of tools using the MOVER framework ensures a dynamic and effective stakeholder analysis process. Rather than merely listing stakeholders or tools, a disciplined application of this framework yields a comprehensive stakeholder map with deep insights into engagement strategies and continuous adaptation to stakeholder influence.
At SafetyRatios, we challenge traditional safety management approaches by integrating stakeholder insights into real-world operational strategies. This article explores ISO 45001 stakeholder analysis, breaking down key steps to ensure compliance and resilience. For a deeper dive into structured OH&S solutions, visit our Solutions Page and explore our tailored safety frameworks.