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Learning portal - Stakeholder mapping and analysis

Stakeholder mapping and analysis in evaluation is an engaging method for identifying the key players in any evaluation process right from the beginning, revealing who matters and why. Its main feature is providing insight into stakeholders' roles, motivations, and influences, enhancing the effectiveness of evaluations and their communication.

Basics

In a nutshell

Various forms of engagement

Stakeholder mapping and analysis can identify who is important and why they should be engaged in the evaluation of a given intervention. This engagement may take various forms e.g. setup of evaluation governance structures, planning, tendering and implementation of evaluations, data provision, quality control and dissemination of the findings of the evaluations, etc. The mapping and analysis of the stakeholders can provide valuable information on who the stakeholders are, what is their ‘nature’ and motivations, and which ones are the most important in terms of interest in and power to affect the planning and implementation of CAP Strategic Plan evaluations and corresponding interventions.

Understanding interests

The method consists of building an inclusive list of all relevant stakeholders and acquiring an initial understanding of their interests and perspectives. This allows for identifying the characteristics that could be used to cluster the stakeholders into meaningful groups, followed by prioritising these groups. The process sets the basis for deciding how to engage each stakeholder group in the planning and implementation of evaluations.

Pros and cons

Advantages	Disadvantages
Supports inclusive and participatory planning and implementation of evaluations. Allows better reporting and communication of evaluation findings to stakeholders´ needs. Helps to focus evaluation capacity building to the most interested stakeholders. Does not require particular professional skills.	Time consuming. Requires a working group with a broad understanding of the different actors related to different interventions. May need repetition to ensure accuracy in each specific evaluation. Identification of specific representatives for groups can be challenging.

When to use?

This method can be used during the drafting of the multi-annual evaluation plan in the context of a CAP Strategic Plan. It helps understand which stakeholder groups should be more heavily engaged to support more tailored evaluation planning and effective capacity-building activities.

The method can also be used when preparing for specific evaluations to better define their scope, understand which groups should be particularly engaged, and identify the reporting and communication requirements.

Preconditions

A working group with a comprehensive understanding of an intervention’s context and related actors.
Well-designed interviews to understand the characteristics of each stakeholder group.
A list of sources of information that can be used to assist in the identification of the relevant actors.

Step-by-step

Step 1 – Identify and analyse stakeholders. This step aims to identify all the potential people and organisations that have a stake in a programme and its evaluation and to begin to understand their perspectives on the programme and its evaluation. This should be a broad and inclusive brainstorming exercise. In order to ensure relevance, this brainstorming exercise could be based on the objectives and other specific topics that will be evaluated. For each objective or topic, all relevant stakeholders should be listed, regardless of their interest in or how they affect or are affected by it.
Step 2 – Record the interests and expectations about evaluated interventions. Use this information to cluster stakeholders into meaningful groups.
Step 3 – Classify stakeholder groups according to their potential to affect or be affected by a CAP Strategic Plan and its evaluation. The evaluation may use power and interest as dimensions for this classification. Power is the ability of the stakeholder to make or influence decisions that affect the planning and implementation of the corresponding interventions and evaluation, and the actual use of their findings. Interest is the level and directness of the political, economic, social, technological, legal or environmental benefits or losses that the stakeholder can experience because of the implementation of the corresponding interventions or the findings of the corresponding evaluations.

Main takeaway points

Stakeholder mapping and analysis is essential for identifying and understanding different stakeholders' roles, motivations and influences in the evaluation process.
This method promotes inclusivity in evaluations, ensuring that the needs and interests of a wide range of stakeholders are considered.
It helps tailor communication and reporting strategies to different stakeholder groups.
Understanding stakeholders' power dynamics and interests is crucial for effective evaluation planning.
The method aids in focusing capacity-building activities on stakeholders most interested in the evaluated interventions.

Learning from practice

Examples of stakeholder mapping from France, Sweden and Finland

Example of stakeholder mapping and analysis in Hungary

Stakeholder analysis and mapping was used in Hungary in a study on the 'Situation assessment of the agri-innovation and digitalisation ecosystem'. This was part of the preparatory process for the establishment of the CAP Network Innovation and Digitalisation Support Unit.

The aim of the study was to identify the actors, institutions, networks and segments of the agricultural innovation and digitalisation ecosystem in Hungary, map formal and informal connections between actors and examine the impact of these connections on sectoral knowledge transfer and innovation processes.

The mapping of the agricultural innovation and digitalisation ecosystem relied on primary and secondary data collection and analysis, obtained with quantitative and qualitative approaches. The research focussed on the actors and institutions, their role in the ecosystem and the presence of formal and informal relationships between them. The spatial characteristics of their relationships were also examined.

Secondary data was based on the pre-defined groups of ecosystem actors from public data sources, policy and legislative resources and online sources. Primary data was collected using questionnaire surveys and interviews. The surveys were carried out among farms included in the FADN and were used to find out the intensity, content and form of knowledge exchange and innovation cooperation between different groups of institutions (subsystems) of agricultural innovation and agricultural and food enterprises. The interviews (individual semi-structured) were used for actor groups (service providers, educational, research and consultancy organisations) to find out their innovation information, digitalisation, knowledge creation, and transfer, application activities and professional links, and achievements.

The study will present a comprehensive overview of the national stakeholders by AKIS groups and by AKIS subsystems (e.g. research, education, advisory, others etc.). The stakeholder mapping will allow the Innovation and Digitalisation Support Unit to rely on the identified actors for different types of activities.

Source: PUBLICATION - GUIDELINES AND TOOLS | 23 MAY 2023 Guidelines: Evaluating the AKIS Strategic Approach in CAP Strategic Plans