Stakeholder Map Template

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Showing example: Redesigning an internal tool

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Redesigning an internal tool

Power and interest grid

Manage closelyKeep satisfiedKeep informedMonitorInterest in the projectLowHighInfluence (power)LowHigh123456789
  1. Head of Operations (supportive)
  2. IT / security lead (neutral)
  3. Engineering manager (neutral)
  4. Team leads (daily users) (resistant)
  5. Frontline staff (neutral)
  6. Customer support lead (supportive)
  7. Finance (neutral)
  8. Legal / compliance (neutral)
  9. Other departments (neutral)
  • Supportive
  • Neutral
  • Resistant

Drag a marker, or tap it to edit. Keyboard: focus a marker, then arrow keys to move or Enter to edit.

Add a stakeholder

Stakeholders9

  • Head of Operations

    Influence 9 / Interest 8 / Supportive

    Sponsor. Owns the budget and the success measures.

  • IT / security lead

    Influence 8 / Interest 4 / Neutral

    Can block on access and data rules. Bring them in early.

  • Engineering manager

    Influence 7 / Interest 8 / Neutral

    Worried about scope and the delivery date.

  • Team leads (daily users)

    Influence 4 / Interest 9 / Resistant

    Like the current workarounds. Need to see what they gain.

  • Frontline staff

    Influence 3 / Interest 8 / Neutral

    Best source of real pain points. Interview and test with them.

  • Customer support lead

    Influence 4 / Interest 6 / Supportive

    Hears every complaint about the tool.

  • Finance

    Influence 6 / Interest 3 / Neutral

    Signs off spend. Keep the business case short.

  • Legal / compliance

    Influence 7 / Interest 2 / Neutral

    Review needed before launch.

  • Other departments

    Influence 2 / Interest 2 / Neutral

    Affected later, if at all.

Manage closely

Involve them throughout and agree decisions with them.

1 Head of Operations, 3 Engineering manager

Keep satisfied

Consult them early and avoid surprises.

2 IT / security lead, 7 Finance, 8 Legal / compliance

Keep informed

Share progress regularly and ask for their feedback.

4 Team leads (daily users), 5 Frontline staff, 6 Customer support lead

Monitor

Check in occasionally and keep effort light.

9 Other departments

Engagement plan9

#StakeholderDefault actionEngagementChannelFrequencyOwner
1Head of OperationsManage closely. Involve them throughout and agree decisions with them.Supportive -> Leading1:1WeeklyDesign lead
2IT / security leadKeep satisfied. Consult them early and avoid surprises.Neutral -> SupportiveWorkshopFortnightlyProduct manager
3Engineering managerManage closely. Involve them throughout and agree decisions with them.Neutral -> SupportiveSteering groupFortnightlyProduct manager
4Team leads (daily users)Keep informed. Share progress regularly and ask for their feedback.Resistant -> SupportiveWorkshopFortnightlyDesign lead
5Frontline staffKeep informed. Share progress regularly and ask for their feedback.Unaware -> SupportiveDemoAt milestonesResearcher
6Customer support leadKeep informed. Share progress regularly and ask for their feedback.On track (Supportive)Email updateMonthlyResearcher
7FinanceKeep satisfied. Consult them early and avoid surprises.On track (Neutral)Email updateAt milestonesProduct manager
8Legal / complianceKeep satisfied. Consult them early and avoid surprises.Neutral -> Supportive1:1At milestonesProduct manager
9Other departmentsMonitor. Check in occasionally and keep effort light.On track (Unaware)Email updateAt milestonesDesign lead

The default action comes from the quadrant. Set current and desired engagement, channel, frequency and owner on each stakeholder to fill in the rest.

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The basics

What is stakeholder mapping in UX?

It's a quick way to see who can shape your project and how much they care, before you start designing. UX designers use it to decide who to interview, who to bring into workshops and who needs a heads-up. It pairs well with a persona and a journey map.

1

List

Everyone who can affect the work, or is affected by it.

2

Score

Influence and interest, 1 to 10. Add their stance.

3

Place

Each person lands in one of four quadrants.

4

Plan

Pick an engagement approach and a first conversation.

Planning the research that follows? Try the UX research plan template.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is a power interest grid?

It's a 2x2 that sorts stakeholders by how much influence they have over your project and how much they care about it. High influence and high interest means manage closely. High influence and low interest means keep satisfied. Low influence and high interest means keep informed. Low on both means monitor. Some teams call it a stakeholder matrix.

How do I score influence and interest?

Score each from 1 to 10, where 6 and above counts as high. Influence is their power to block, fund or change the work. Interest is how much the outcome affects them. Your scores are judgement calls, so check them with a colleague. If you don't know someone's stance, mark them neutral and go and find out.

What is a stakeholder engagement assessment matrix?

It compares where each stakeholder is now with where you need them to be, using five levels: unaware, resistant, neutral, supportive and leading. The gap between the two is the work. Someone who's resistant but needs to be supportive needs more of your time than someone who's already there.

How do I turn the map into an engagement plan?

Start from the quadrant, which sets the default action, then add the gap, a channel (a 1:1, workshop, email update or demo), how often you'll speak and who owns the conversation. The engagement plan table below the map builds itself from those fields, and it's included in the Markdown, CSV and print exports.

Who should I put on a stakeholder map?

Anyone who can affect the project or is affected by it. Start with the sponsor, product, engineering, support, legal and finance, then add the people who use the thing every day. End users belong on the map even though they rarely have formal power.

Is my data saved anywhere?

In this browser (localStorage), on your own device. You can log in to save it to your account and open it anywhere. Clear your site data without saving and the map is gone, so export it too if you want a copy.

Can I use this for real work?

Yes. Export a PNG for a slide, Markdown for a doc or wiki, or CSV for a spreadsheet. There's no watermark, login or attribution requirement. The starter templates use generic roles, so replace them with your actual people.

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