Every project involves specific people, teams, or organizations. Some make decisions, others fund the endeavor, and others will use its results. All these people and groups are called stakeholders. If you fail to identify who they are and what role each plays, problems will emerge — a key decision-maker overlooked, users not informed of planned changes, a whole department's needs ignored.

Who Are Stakeholders?

A stakeholder is any person or organization connected to the project — they may influence its course, make decisions, or feel the effects of the implementation.

Internal Stakeholders

  • Project sponsor
  • Board / executive management
  • Project manager
  • Project team members
  • Department managers
  • Business users

External Stakeholders

  • Customers
  • Suppliers
  • Business partners
  • Regulatory bodies
  • Investors
  • Local communities

How to Find Stakeholders

Start by building the broadest possible list of people and groups connected to the project. Several complementary techniques help.

Organizational Structure Analysis

Review the org chart and ask: who makes decisions, who controls the budget, who owns the processes the project touches.

Business Process Analysis

Identify which departments will use the project's results and whose daily work will change after go-live.

Workshops and Interviews

A short workshop with business and project team representatives often surfaces people who never appear in documentation but hold real influence.

Document Review

  • Business case
  • Business requirements
  • Contracts
  • Process documentation
  • Materials from similar past projects

Key Discovery Questions

  • Who funds the project?
  • Who approves the most important decisions?
  • Who will use the solution after go-live?
  • Who can block or delay the project?
  • Who gains the most from the change?
  • Who will have to change the way they work?

Prioritizing Stakeholders with the Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix is best known as a task-prioritization tool, but its 2×2 structure translates naturally to stakeholder mapping. Here we analyze two dimensions: importance — how much influence a person has on the project — and urgency — how frequently they require contact and team involvement.

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Note: The same two-axis logic underpins the Power/Interest Grid described in the PMBOK® Guide (PMI), where 'power' maps to importance and 'interest' maps to engagement frequency. The Eisenhower framing simply makes the quadrant logic intuitive for teams already familiar with the matrix.

Important and Urgent — Manage Closely

These stakeholders must be at the center of the project team's attention. Examples: project sponsor, executive board, key client, business process owner.

  • Regular meetings
  • Ongoing progress reporting
  • Fast responses to raised issues
  • Involvement in decision-making

Important but Not Urgent — Keep Satisfied

They don't need daily contact, but their opinion can be significant for the project. Examples: department directors, business experts, strategic partners.

  • Periodic updates
  • Consultations at key project milestones
  • Maintaining regular contact

Urgent but Less Important — Keep Informed

They frequently need information or support but don't have significant influence over the project's direction. Examples: operational users, local coordinators, support teams.

  • Efficient communication channels
  • Quick answers to questions
  • Passing on the most important information

Not Urgent and Less Important — Monitor

This group only needs to be observed and notified of major events. Examples: departments indirectly related to the project, project observers, people not directly involved in the rollout.

  • General announcements
  • Project newsletter
  • Access to up-to-date information

Example Stakeholder Map

  • Project sponsor — High importance, High urgency → Close collaboration
  • Executive board — High importance, High urgency → Close collaboration
  • Sales department manager — High importance, Low urgency → Regular consultations
  • End users — Low importance, High urgency → Ongoing updates
  • Other departments — Low importance, Low urgency → Periodic communication

Stakeholder Mapping in Architectural Practice

Stakeholder mapping is directly connected to architectural drivers. The stakeholders you engage most closely are the primary source of quality attribute requirements, constraints, and project goals. Skipping even one important decision-maker at this stage often surfaces later as a costly architectural change.

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