Stakeholder Analysis and the

Organizational Environment

Jack Thompson, MSW, Senior Lecturer

Department of Health Services

Faculty, Northwest Center for Public Health Practice

Tools of the Trade – Stakeholders 1

You realize that there will be a number of key steps involved in carrying out your Board’s directive. First and foremost, you need to get a handle on all the players that will be involved, because you are pretty sure that not everyone is on the same page. Some will be enthusiastic about this new assignment, some will not be.

Tools of the Trade – Stakeholders 2

You will also have to think about key individuals and organizations in the community. You are hoping that some basic tools are available to help you with these important first steps.

Elements of Public Health Policy

It is the intent of the legislature that health services beaccessible to all communities in the ...

The Policy Framework

• Identify and define the public policy issue• Understand the economic and political context• Identify the stakeholders, their values and

interests• Determine potential options for policy action• Analyze strengths and weaknesses of options

regarding science and values

Key Steps in Policy Development

• What is the issue?• Who are the stakeholders?• What are their interests?• What are the policy options?• What are the pros and cons?• What are the unintended effects?

Stakeholder Identification

• People impacted

• People with influence over the issue

• People interested in success or failure

• Internal and external stakeholders

• Only people decide, not organizations

Stakeholder Analysis

High

Low

POWER

HighLowINTEREST

Stakeholder Analysis

High

Low

POWER

HighLowINTEREST

Newspaper Editor

Board of Health Member

“Average Citizen”

Mother of Health Department

Client

HIGHHIGH

LOLOWW

Pow

er/

Influ

ence

Pow

er/

Influ

ence

InterestInterest HIGHHIGH

(8)

Consider both benefits and barriers at each stage

Force Field AnalysisOvercoming Resistance to Change

• Education and communication

• Participation

• Facilitation and support

• Negotiation

• Manipulation and cooptation

• Coercion

Force Field AnalysisFactors that Influence Strategies

• Degree of resistance

• Size and diversity of target group

• Facilitation and support

• The stakes

• Time frame

• Expertise in change management

• Staff/management dependency

Force Field Analysis

DRIVING

RESISTING

Policy Development as a Public Health Core Function

“Used judiciously, the knowledge base of public health

tempers the excesses of partisan politics and

encourages just decisions. Technical knowledge will

have the best effect, however, when used in the

context of a positive appreciation for the democratic

political process, by professionals who are politically,

as well as technically, astute.”

The Future of Public Health, Institute of

Medicine, 1988

Characteristics of Collaborative Organizations

•Advisory Committee

•Commissions

•Consortia and Alliances

From Turnock, BJ Public Health: What It Is and How It Works. Jones and Bartlett, 2004, p.244

•Generally respond to organizations or programs by providing suggestions and technical assistance

•Usually consist of citizens appointed by official bodies

•Tend to be semiofficial, membership organizations; typically have broad policy-oriented goals, and may span large geographical areas; usually consist of organizations and coalitions, as opposed to individuals

Characteristics of Collaborative Organizations

•Networks

•Task forces

From Turnock, BJ Public Health: What It Is and How It Works. Jones and Bartlett, 2004, p.244

•Are generally loosely-knit groups, formed primarily for the purpose of resource and information sharing

•Most often come together to accomplish a specific series of activities, often at the request of an overseeing body