What is a Stakeholder?
A stakeholder is any individual or group who has an interest in—or could be affected by—a project, initiative, or decision. In higher education, stakeholders might include students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, community partners, or even accrediting bodies. Stakeholders can be internal or external, supportive or resistant, directly involved or simply impacted by the outcome.
Understanding who your stakeholders are—and how to engage them effectively—is essential to designing inclusive, sustainable, and successful projects.
What are the benefits of identifying and engaging stakeholders?
Stakeholder engagement can make or break a project. When done well, it ensures the right people are included, informed, and invested. Key benefits include:
- Stronger Buy-In: When stakeholders are involved early, they’re more likely to support the project and champion it to others.
- Better Decisions: Stakeholders can provide context, feedback, and insights that strengthen your approach and avoid blind spots.
- Fewer Roadblocks: Anticipating stakeholder concerns or needs can reduce pushback or misalignment later on.
- Increased Equity: Thoughtful stakeholder mapping ensures that voices from across roles and backgrounds are included.
- Smoother Implementation: Engaged stakeholders are more likely to follow through, adopt outcomes, and advocate for the project’s deliverables.
For example, a team designing a new advising system might consider students, academic advisors, IT staff, and faculty as key stakeholders—all of whom need different information and levels of involvement.
Where might you see stakeholder engagement in higher education?
Stakeholder engagement is central to nearly every cross-functional project or initiative on campus, including:
- Policy development where you might involve faculty, staff, and students in the review of grading or academic integrity policies.
- Strategic planning where you would seek input from across the institution to shape vision and priorities.
- Technology implementation where you might gather feedback and testing systems with end users.
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives where you would ensure representation from marginalized communities.
- Curriculum design where you would work with faculty, students, and employers to shape relevant programs.
A step-by-step guide to identifying and engaging stakeholders
- Start with stakeholder identification: Who is directly involved? Who is affected? Who can influence the outcome? Include both supporters and potential skeptics.
- Conduct a stakeholder analysis by grouping stakeholders based on their level of interest and influence. You might use a matrix to map them (e.g., low influence/high interest, high influence/low interest, etc.).
- Decide what level of engagement is appropriate for each group: inform, consult, involve, collaborate, or empower. Be intentional and inclusive.
- Tailor your messages and updates to different audiences. A project dashboard or newsletter might work for some groups, while others need 1:1 conversations or listening sessions.
- Provide opportunities for stakeholders to give input, and show how their feedback influenced the project. This builds trust and transparency.
- Keep a stakeholder engagement plan (even a simple list!) and revisit it throughout the project. As your work evolves, new stakeholders may emerge.
Reflective questions
- Who are the key stakeholders in your current or upcoming projects?
- How do you typically identify and engage stakeholders in your work?
- What perspectives or voices might be missing from your current stakeholder processes?
- How could stakeholder engagement improve your project’s design, implementation, or equity?
- Are there ways your charter or scope documents could more clearly define stakeholder roles?
- How might building stronger stakeholder relationships reduce future scope creep or resistance?