Identify stakeholders
Stakeholders are those who effect change and those who are affected by
it. The aim of inclusiveness makes the identification of stakeholders
important; excluding an important stakeholder can undermine the process.
Stakeholders may include community or neighborhood leaders and groups,
other government agencies, private landowners and developers, and
traditionally underrepresented groups, among others. The list of
stakeholders will likely be specific to the planning effort at hand, but
there is considerable overlap from one project to the next as the
community develops capacity for participation.
Identifying stakeholders can be assisted by a community profile, but it
is driven by common sense and some networking and detective work. It is
best to begin by being inclusive. Care must be taken to include groups
such as low-income and ethnic populations who traditionally are
underrepresented in planning efforts.
Resources & Links:
Participation Sourcebook
- The World Bank
Identifying
Stakeholders
Public Involvement Techniques for Transportation Decision Making
Federal Highway Administration, September 1996
Involving underrepresented groups:
Community Toolbox: Bringing Solutions to Light
University of Kansas
Work Group on Health Promotion and Community Development in Lawrence, KS,
and AHEC/Community Partners in Amherst, Massachusetts
Understanding community Leaders:
