Guide for Designing Stakeholder Maps The purpose of a stakeholder map is to provide strategic planners and policy makers with a simple illustration of a complex system on a single page. By doing so, planners can get a simplified perspective of the overall “big picture” of their strategic environment. Stakeholder maps are useful because they show us what we already know, but in a different light. Sometimes, the mere act of putting something on paper, helps us to conceptualize and understand our organization’s overall strategic environment. Guide for Designing Stakeholder Maps In addition to helping us conceptualize our strategic environment, stakeholder maps are also a useful tool for showing others a simplified illustration of the organization’s “big picture”. It puts things in a way that may not have ever been thought of before. Stakeholder maps are a good way of identifying and categorizing an organization’s competitors, potential adversaries, allies, suppliers, customers, and organizations with common interests. Stakeholder maps may also prompt creativity and innovation by depicting things in a manner that had never been thought of before. Guide for Designing Stakeholder Maps There is no “right” or “wrong” way for designing a stakeholder map. If you give 100 people an assignment to design a stakeholder map for an organization, you will likely get 100 different versions of the stakeholder environment. Nevertheless, there are some general principles that should apply to all designs. As discussed in the lecture notes, organizations (and systems) are comprised of two fundamental constructs: • Elements • Processes Below are some simple ways that may help you to conceptualize the differences between an element and a process: Elements • Are the boxes in the diagram • Are “things” that you cans see, hear, and touch (like a tree branch swaying in the wind) • Includes: organizations, departments, agencies, divisions, people, places, objects, etc. • “ELEMENTS are measurable things that can be linked together. They are also called objects, events, patterns, or structures” 1 Processes • Are the lines that connect the boxes • Are things that you cannot see, hear, and touch (like the wind) • Includes: communication (information flow), coordination, cooperation, command, etc. • “PROCESSES change elements from one form to another. They may also be called activities, relations, or functions” 1 1 University of Washington (2006). Systems Theory. Retrieved on December 10, 2007, from http://silvae.cfr.washington.edu/ecosystem-management/Systems.html The following diagrams depict several different ways of designing stakeholder maps. MDPD Tourists Residents (Unincorporated) Residents (Incorporated)) Motorists (Commuters) Chambers of Commerce Tourism Industry Agriculture Industry Import/Export Industry Banking Industry Transportation Industry Small Businesses Criminal Courts Public ...

1. Guide for Designing Stakeholder Maps
The purpose of a stakeholder map is to provide strategic
planners and
policy makers with a simple illustration of a complex system on
a single
page.
By doing so, planners can get a simplified perspective of the
overall “big
picture” of their strategic environment.
Stakeholder maps are useful because they show us what we
already
know, but in a different light. Sometimes, the mere act of
putting
something on paper, helps us to conceptualize and understand
our
organization’s overall strategic environment.
Guide for Designing Stakeholder Maps
In addition to helping us conceptualize our strategic
environment,
stakeholder maps are also a useful tool for showing others a
simplified
illustration of the organization’s “big picture”. It puts things in
a way that
may not have ever been thought of before.

2. Stakeholder maps are a good way of identifying and
categorizing an
organization’s competitors, potential adversaries, allies,
suppliers,
customers, and organizations with common interests.
Stakeholder maps may also prompt creativity and innovation by
depicting things in a manner that had never been thought of
before.
Guide for Designing Stakeholder Maps
There is no “right” or “wrong” way for designing a stakeholder
map. If
you give 100 people an assignment to design a stakeholder map
for an
organization, you will likely get 100 different versions of the
stakeholder
environment.
Nevertheless, there are some general principles that should
apply to all
designs.
As discussed in the lecture notes, organizations (and systems)
are
comprised of two fundamental constructs:
• Elements
• Processes

3. Below are some simple ways that may help you to conceptualize
the
differences between an element and a process:
Elements
• Are the boxes in the diagram
• Are “things” that you cans see, hear,
and touch (like a tree branch swaying
in the wind)
• Includes: organizations,
departments, agencies, divisions,
people, places, objects, etc.
• “ELEMENTS are measurable things
that can be linked together. They are
also called objects, events, patterns,
or structures” 1
Processes
• Are the lines that connect the boxes
• Are things that you cannot see, hear,
and touch (like the wind)
• Includes: communication
(information flow), coordination,
cooperation, command, etc.
• “PROCESSES change elements from
one form to another. They may also
be called activities, relations, or
functions” 1

4. 1 University of Washington (2006). Systems Theory. Retrieved
on December 10, 2007, from
http://silvae.cfr.washington.edu/ecosystem-
management/Systems.html
The following diagrams depict several different ways of
designing
stakeholder maps.
MDPD
Tourists
Residents
(Unincorporated)
Residents
(Incorporated))
Motorists
(Commuters)
Chambers of
Commerce
Tourism

5. Industry
Agriculture
Industry
Import/Export
Industry
Banking
Industry
Transportation
Industry
Small
Businesses
Criminal
Courts
Public Defender’s
Office
State Attorney’s
Office
County

6. Commissioners
Team Metro
Crime Victims
Jails
Juvenile
Assessment
Advocate Groups
(ACLU)
Independent
Review Panel
ATF
Region 7
FDLE
FBI
Dept. of
Homeland Security
Immigration
U.S.
Coastguard

7. U.S. Central
Command
Air Force Base
Energy
Industry
U.S.
Secret Service
Sports
Industry
Entertainment
Industry
FHP
Municipal
Police Departments
Map of Miami-Dade Police Department stakeholder interests
Hospitals
Metropolitan
Fire Rescue

8. Federal Governmental Quadrant
Public Quadrant
Local Governmental Quadrant
Private Business Quadrant
Designating “quadrants” or categories of
stakeholders
• The preceding diagram illustrates the stakeholder
environment of a police organization that depicts
four distinct quadrants or “spheres” (federal
government, local government, private business,
and the general public).
• The next diagram shows how a police
organization creates specialized units to meet the
needs of certain stakeholders.
Specialization to meet the demands of multiple constituencies…
Mothers
Against
Drunk
Drivers
MPD
Tourists

9. National Football League/
Stadium
Cargo Industry
Agriculture
Industry
Public
Schools
Shopping
Malls
Domestic
Violence
Victims
Small
Businesses
Cruise Lines
Metro Rail
Riders
The next simple diagram depicts the manner in
which one police department organized its
forces to meet the challenges posed by
different types of protestors anticipated for the
Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)
conference in Miami, Florida (2003).
Note that the police response to the particular

10. threat was based on those groups’ past
behaviors, and not on their political views.
Flexible Response to Meet Each Threat
• Green groups SERT Teams
• Yellow groups Cut Teams
• Red groups Field Forces
• Terrorist groups SWAT/Bomb Squad
Matching Command Structures to Mission Spheres
Stadium
Operations
(On-site ICP)
Event
Operations
(Off-site ICP)
Region-wide
Operations
(JOC)
Hospitals
Airports

11. Electric
Utilities
Water
Utilities
Local
Government
Facilities
Community
Neighborhood
Colts
Football Team
Area Traffic
Area Schools
Stadium
Restricted
Airspace
Federal
Government
Facilities
Event Staging
Areas
Other Related
Events

12. NFL
Area
Businesses
Bears
Football Team
Fans
CBS Sports
The preceding diagram depicts the manner in
which one police department organized
multiple rings of incident command to meet the
challenges posed by different levels of
stakeholders during the week-long Super Bowl
events.
Other stakeholder maps may use a variety of ways to depict
stakeholder elements and processes.
Supplier Manufacturer Customers
Rotary Clubs
Local Charities
Environmental
Organizations

13. Progress Energy
(utility
company)
Boat Race
Promoters
Supply Chain Diagram Symbiotic Relationship Diagram
More ways to depict stakeholder elements and processes.
State EOC
Unified Command
(at the JOC)
Incident Command
(at the ICP)
Tactical Command
(at the TOC)
Federal
Agencies
State Police
Agencies
Joint Task
Forces
Local Police
Departments

14. Stakeholder Analysis
A Nine Step Approach
The Nine Steps
• Step 1: Describe and define your organization
• Step 2: Identify the key stakeholders
• Step 3: Identify the stakeholders’ interests and
concerns
• Step 4: Identify the claims that stakeholders are likely
to make on the organization
• Step 5: Identify which stakeholders are most
important to your organization
• Step 6: Conduct a SWOT Analysis of your organization
• Step 7: Determine organizational strategy
• Step 8: Determine organizational policy
• Step 9: Recommend specific action

15. Step 1: Describe your organization
• What is the name of the organization whose
stakeholder environment you are analyzing?
• Is this organization a profit-based company, a
non-profit organization, a hybrid organization,
or a governmental agency?
• Briefly describe what this organization does
(its mission).
Step 2: Identify the key stakeholders
• Are they internal or external?
• Are they claimants or influencers?
• How would you categorize them?
Some Categories of Stakeholders
• Customers
• Suppliers
• Employees

16. • Adversaries
• Competitors
• Allies
• Consumer Groups
• Trade Unions
• Local Communities
• Government Regulators
• General Public
• Prospective Employees
• Stockholders
• Partners
• Special Interest Groups
• Political Parties
• Other Agencies
• Trade Associations…
Step 3: Identify stakeholders’ interests and
concerns

17. • Are their interests the same or different than
those of your organization?
• What stakeholder concerns are important to
your organization?
• What stakeholder concerns are not important
to your organization?
Step 4: Identify the claims that stakeholders are
likely to make on the organization
• Are these claims legitimate?
• To what extent should your organization consider these
claims?
• What would likely happen if you don’t consider the
claims?
• What would likely happen if you do consider them?
What may be some unanticipated consequences?
Step 5: Identify which stakeholders are the most
important to your organization
• Which ones are the most important?

18. • Why are they important?
• Which ones are not as important?
• Why not?
Step 6: SWOT Analysis of Your Organization
• What are the strengths of my organization?
• What are the weaknesses of my organization?
• What are some of the opportunities that my
organization may be able to exploit?
• What are some of the threats faced by my
organization?
Step 7: Determine Organizational Strategy
• How do we best use our strengths to achieve the goals

19. of our organization?
• How do we minimize or eliminate the weaknesses of
our organization?
• How can we best exploit the opportunities to our
advantage?
• How can we prevent, respond to, or mitigate the
threats faced by my organization?
Step 8: Putting it all together - Policy
• Based on your conclusions in Step 7, briefly describe (in just
a few words) what the fundamental policy of your
organization is/should be.
• Some examples of policy statements:
– “War on Terror”
– “Containment”
– “Mutual Agreed Destruction”
– “Balance of Power”
– “Gain a competitive advantage”
– “No negotiations”
– “Appeasement”

20. Step 9: Recommend Specific Actions
• Based on your policy statement in Step 8, what specific
actions should your
organization take?
• Some examples of organizational actions:
– Negotiate an agreement
– Do not negotiate
– Arrest or indict
– Ignore the stakeholder’s demands
– Make a pre-emptive attack
– Counter punch or counter attack only if attacked
– Fight a war of attrition
– Hibernate until the problem goes away
– React to the stakeholder’s demands
– Demobilize and/or retreat
– Mobilize and/or reinforce
– Reach out to your allies
– Make friends with your adversaries…