What is stakeholder mapping and who should you include when advocating for a project?

• A. It identifies random people in the organization; include anyone.
• B. It maps geographic stakeholders only.
• C. It excludes end users.
• D. It identifies individuals or groups who influence or are affected by the project; includes decision-makers, sponsors, experts, potential blockers, and end users; analyzes interest and influence to tailor messages.

Answer: (D)

Stakeholder mapping identifies individuals or groups who influence or are affected by a project and analyzes their interests and influence to tailor messages. In practice, you include decision-makers who authorize resources, sponsors who champion the effort, experts who provide essential knowledge, potential blockers who might resist or slow progress, and end users who will experience the outcomes. By understanding who matters and how much influence they have, you can plan who to engage, when to involve them, and what information to share, so your advocacy is focused and effective.

This approach is the best because it ensures you’re addressing the people who can steer the project toward success or derail it, aligning your communication with each group’s concerns and level of influence. Focusing on random people or geographic scope, or excluding end users, would miss critical sources of support or resistance and overlook those who will actually use or be affected by the project.