Stakeholder Engagement Toolkit

Purpose

Identify and engage effectively with those who have a vested interest in or impact on an initiative

Who this is for

  • Project Leads
  • Team Members (use for orientation and communication)

When to use

  • Planning and scoping the initiative
  • Throughout implementation / at key milestones
  • Closing the initiative




Introduction


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Why is this toolkit important?

Stakeholders are partners in initiatives. Their involvement can influence initiative design, funding, effectiveness and the sustainability of learnings. Consideration of who they are and how best to engage with them is a key element in success.

Key actions

  • Take time to have a conversation about relevant stakeholders, their involvement, and basic engagement strategies

  • Streamline stakeholder management and engagement with support documentation and institutional routines

How to use this toolkit

The tool is meant to be exhaustive, but you need only use the tool as heavily or lightly as makes sense for your project and constraints. In some cases, stakeholder management and engagement are critical to an initiative’s success because of a delicate or fraught institutional situation –  i.e., in moments of institutional flux or in a politically challenging environment for an initiative’s aims. In other cases, this tool may need only a light touch – because the scope is small or because the stakeholders, their needs, and impact are not in question.

Tools overview


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There are 3 tools in this toolkit. They can be used together or individually, and each one can be completed together by a project team or individually by a project lead. When used as a group exercise, they can be completed in person or asynchronously in a shared document.

Stakeholder Identification Guide

Identify initiative stakeholders, including stakeholders that may not be explicit but who may have an important impact on or role to play in the success of an initiative and its sustainability.


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Stakeholder
Assessment Tool

Identify the needs, motivations, and potential impact for more effective engagement
and persuasion.


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Stakeholder Communication Plan

Structure the substance, format and cadence of stakeholder engagement throughout an initiative’s life.


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Related

Next steps

  • Gaining buy-in ensures that your team and stakeholders are fully invested in achieving your student success goals. Learn how to build support for your initiative here: Gaining Buy-In.

Stakeholder Identification Guide


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Why is this tool important?

The guide prompts a thorough consideration of potential stakeholders during the planning phase, ensuring all relevant parties are included — especially those who may not be immediately obvious but are crucial for the initiative’s success and sustainability — by identifying key contributors who impact its outcome and long-term viability.

Definition

What makes a stakeholder?

A stakeholder is someone who has a vested interest in an initiative or project.

They can either impact or be impacted by the initiative’s objectives or outcomes, such as a target group, institutional unit, or other relevant entities.

Considerations

1

What is the scale / scope of the project?

For example: Across institution, departmental, etc.

2

Who will be most directly impacted by an initiative?

Often students, but potentially staff or faculty.

3

Where might we see potential resistance to this initiative?

Stakeholders should include those who may be barriers to an initiative’s success. What “resisters” might we need to bring on board? Who might you need to ask for permission– or forgiveness?

4

Who can be “champions” for the initiative?

Who can help promote it across the institution and/or bring other stakeholders on board? Think specifically of people outside of the project team.



Tips

Some stakeholders are set/assigned, while others will have to be determined. These core stakeholder groups should always be considered when developing an initiative: Students, Faculty, Staff, and Leadership.

Stakeholder groups change at different stages of the project, and you will need to engage different perspectives at strategic times.

When involving influential stakeholders, carefully consider the timing and manner of their engagement. Their influence may be more impactful in specific areas of your initiative, or in other initiatives all together. Weigh your options to 
align their involvement with the most 
relevant outcomes.

Organizational change happens on the
individual level.

Why this matters

If individuals don't adopt the change, then initiative/change won’t be effective. Understanding the impact on individual stakeholders is critical for implementing sustainable change.

Not all stakeholders will automatically be aligned with an initiative or on board with your approach, and it will require persuasion to get their buy-in.

One of the biggest challenges to institutional transformation is getting buy-in from resistant stakeholders. But, stakeholder resistance can be mitigated.

Activity



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Spheres of Influence and Information

You can use the list of stakeholders and guided questions here to brainstorm who your initiative’s stakeholders are and where they sit in this model.

Tip

This can be done as a project team exercise in person (e.g., on a whiteboard) or asynchronously online.
It can also be done by the project lead.

Guiding Questions

  1. Level 1: Impact group

Who will be impacted by 
this initiative?

This will likely not just be the target group; think broadly about impact.

Who will provide feedback for/represent the voice(s) of the 
impact group(s)?

  1. Level 2: Who will it take for the initiative to succeed?

For example, budget stakeholders. Consider team members who are also responsible and accountable for this project’s workstreams.

Who are the champions?

Who are the resisters?

  1. Level 3: Who should be consulted and informed?

What experts, leaders, 
departments, etc., need to be consulted for this initiative?

Who needs to be kept in the loop?

Template


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Project Title

Consulted & informed

Who will it take?

Impact group

Checklist



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Possible stakeholders to consider



  • University Leadership/Executive council & administrators


  • Board of Trustees, individual trustee, key board staff


  • Business Office


  • Research centers/institutes


  • Union(s)


  • Sister institutions and system stakeholders


  • National organizations


  • State legislature and governor’s office


  • Alumni and potential donors


  • Whole Institution


  • Other:

Students



  • Residential


  • Commuting


  • Specific underrepresented student groups


  • Student governance for both undergraduate and graduate students


  • Adult


  • H.S.


  • Traditional


  • Other:

Non-faculty employees



  • Student serving teams


  • Other:

Faculty



  • Department Chairs


  • Associate Deans


  • Professors



  • Adjunct


  • Early career


  • Mid-career


  • Tenured/senior untenured


  • Advisors/counselors



  • Academic councils


  • Academic senate


  • Faculty association liaisons


  • Faculty professional development academies/institutes


  • Other:

Community/community partners



  • H.S. partners


  • CC transfer partnerships


  • Corporate/business partners/employers


  • Advisory groups


  • Traditional knowledge bearers


  • Community groups


  • Parents Full-time/Part-time


  • Other:

Resident Life



  • Operations Team


  • Staff Senate


  • Central student support offices


  • Advising


  • Registrar’s office


  • Financial Aid


  • Admissions


  • Athletics


  • Student Accounts


  • Other:

Stakeholder Assessment Tool


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Why is this tool important?

The assessment tool is a supplement to stakeholder identification – going the next step to reflect on the particular needs of key stakeholders. This level of consideration grows in importance with a stakeholder’s impact on the initiative.

Activity



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Guiding Questions

  1. Stakeholder needs & motivations

General/Functional

This is related to their department or role. For example, closing
equity gaps.

Individual

This is related to their specific needs/position. For example, a physics professor with a pet project.

  1. Describe the impact of the change of the initiative on the
individual stakeholder.

Understanding the impact on individual stakeholders is critical for implementing sustainable change. Organizational change happens on the individual level. If individuals don’t adopt the change, then initiatives and change won’t be effective.

Consider life before and after the change for each stakeholder in the following ways:

  • Process
  • Systems
  • Tools

  • Behaviors
  • Mindset
  • Org chart

  • Job function & description
  • Performance evaluation
  • Compensation

Template


Download spreadsheet template

Project Title

  1. Stakeholder needs & motivations

Stakeholder name

Why are they a 
stakeholder in this 
project?

Why do they think they
are a stakeholder in this project?

General/Functional needs & motivations

Individual needs & 
motivations

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

  1. Stakeholder interest & impact

Stakeholder name

Rate impact 
on initiative

Rate impact on stakeholder

Describe your 
rating choice

Level of interest

Disposition 
toward initiative

Active or 
passive?

–

–         Low         +

–         Low         +

–

–         Low         +

–    Negative   +



Select

–

–         Mid         +

–         Mid         +

–

–         Mid         +

–     Neutral     +

Active

–

–        High        +

–        High        +

–

–         Mid         +

–     Positive    +

Passive

–

–         Mid         +

–         Mid         +

–

–         Mid         +

–     Neutral     +

Select

–

–         Mid         +

–         Mid         +

–

–         Mid         +

–     Neutral     +

Select



Tip

The contents of this table can be used to directly inform the Stakeholder Communication Plan.

Stakeholder Communication Plan


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Why is this tool important?

Once identified and assessed, key stakeholders require deliberate communication. This tool includes prompts to help develop the structure, format, and cadence of the stakeholder communication plan to make it a regular workstream within the initiative timeline.

Activity



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Building a Communication Plan

Begin by reviewing the structure of the template provided below. Download the template and use the guided questions to complete the table step by step.

Guiding Questions

  1. Determine the why & what for communication with 
each key stakeholder.

Roles & responsibilities in the initiative

Are they an active participant, do they belong to an approving body, are they a source of specific expertise, etc.?

Spheres of impact or information

Reference and add details about the “Who will it take?” group and “Consulted & informed” group from the Stakeholder Identification Guide.

What are we trying to accomplish through our communication?

For example, how can we increase awareness, keep in the loop, provide training, reinforce/follow up, or increase buy-in?

Key themes to highlight

What do they care about/need to know? You can use the Stakeholder Assessment Tool to help determine what to highlight.

  1. Map out when & how to communicate with each key stakeholder.

When do we need input, review, or feedback from each stakeholder?

For example: Minimal, launch and end only? At Key milestone(s) during initiative? Frequent, regular updates (e.g., weekly)?

What do we need from them?

For example, do you need input, review, feedback, or sign-off?

How to engage?

What communication channels & 
formats are best? Are there specific meetings to attend (e.g., Faculty Senate)? Do they prefer email or in-person updates?

Template


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Project Title

  1. Why & what to communicate

Stakeholder name

Role & responsibilities in
the initiative

Spheres of impact and 
information

Goals of communication

For example, how can we increase awareness, keep
in the loop, etc.?

Key themes to highlight

–

–

Select

–

–

–

–

Budget stakeholder

–

–

–

–

Champion

–

–

–

–

Consulted & informed

–

–

–

–

Impact group

–

–

–

–

Resister

–

–

–

–

Other

–

–

  1. When & how to communicate

Stakeholder name

What do we need from them?

How to engage?

Key touchpoints

For example: dates, feedback 
loop buffer, etc.

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

Tip

It may be helpful to sync this information with the Project Timeline component from the Project Charter Template.

  1. Next steps

Inquire and plan for anticipated turnaround times for input, review, feedback or sign-off from stakeholders in your 
project timeline.

Plan for and mark internal review deadlines on stakeholder communication in your project timeline.

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