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5.2
Developing an Awareness of Stakeholders
Submitted by Lori Britt
This activity is designed to help participants think deeply and methodically about who has a stake in the conversation and should be included at the table. It expands thinking and encourages greater inclusivity.
Learning Goal
Distinguish and identify various types of stakeholders in civic issues.
Instructions
Set Up: Prepare for the Activity
Select a topic that is important to your discussion group, something they are passionate about or where they see the need for change. As preparation for this activity, consider doing Activity 5.1 Identifying Your Civic Passion in a prior session.
Share the Identifying Stakeholders Worksheet with participants as handouts or create copies of this file for each group.
Organize participants into small groups (3-4 ppl).
Begin by introducing the learning goals of this activity.
Step One: Introduce the Four Types of Stakeholders (15 min)
Share the following introduction to stakeholders with participants:
When collaborating with others on civic or public issues, it is important to ensure that a wide variety of perspectives on the issue are considered. As we think about complex issues, we need to think about who the issue “touches” and then find out ways to gain their perspectives. One place to start is by thinking about stakeholders. A stakeholder is someone with an interest in the issue. This might be hard to conceptualize at first, so it may help to think about four categories of stakeholders in public issues:
Affected: Those directly impacted by the issue, whose lives are directly touched by the issue.
Helpers: Those who try to help those impacted, this could be family, friends, support groups, non-profits, institutions, etc.
Influencers: Those who try to influence how the issue is defined and/or advocate for changes.
Decision-Makers: Those who have the power to make change through policy. (Policy being defined as a change in the status quo which might include, but is not limited to legislation.)
Step Two: Introduce the Issue (5 min)
If this group has done Activity 5.1 Identifying Your Civic Passion, assign small groups to one of the “winning” issues. You might choose to have groups all focus on the same issue to be able to compare and add depth, or you may wish to have groups working on several of the final four issues.
If the group has not done Activity 5.1, briefly introduce the chosen issue prepared for this discussion.
Step Three: Create Stakeholder Charts (20 min)
In small groups, have participants identify stakeholders for the issue in each of the four categories using the Identifying Stakeholders Worksheet.
Encourage them to keep thinking for several rounds to encourage consideration of those beyond the “usual suspects” or people who are normally associated with the issue. At the same time, remind them to make sure these are people with a stake or connected to the issue in some way.
Use the following prompts to help participants think deeply about who these stakeholders are:
Who is directly impacted by the issue?
Are there others affected indirectly?
Who are the people or organizations who help those impacted?
Who has the authority to make decisions about this issue?
Who might inform those decisions?
Who is shaping public perception of this issue?
Who has critical information about this issue?
Who is involved in addressing the issue?
Step Four: Debrief as a Full Group (10 min)
Invite each group to share their chart of stakeholders. Discuss:
Are there any “surprise” stakeholders on these lists?
What are some strategies you can use to recognize the less obvious or marginalized stakeholders?
Why is it important to consider as many stakeholders as possible? What is gained by this? When might this hinder progress or development?
TIME
50
min
MODULE
Civic Collaboration
This activity can be completed by any discussion group.
This activity can be easily modified for asynchronous learning. See Sample Asynchronous Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
This activity is suitable for professional or more formal learning environments.
This activity can be used to support facilitation skills. See Sample Facilitation Certificate Program Design to illustrate sample sequencing.
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0 Comments
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:58:08 AM
Activity 4.8 provides useful phrases and techniques, as well as helps participants develop their own, to join in during discussions and express their views according to the goals they choose for themselves on what they want to offer to the discussion and how they want to be perceived.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:52:48 AM
Activity 4.7 uses a tactile and fun method, like a bag of beans, to have participants experience what it is like to have different amounts of power in a conversation. This activity also highlights how we base our ideas of how power is distributed on stereotypes.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:48:29 AM
Activity 4.6 employs useful tools like the Question Chart to help participants learn how to craft "good questions" that move beyond any assumptions they have about the views of others based on stereotypes or third party descriptions, and unearth their true views on the issue.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:45:08 AM
Activity 4.5 uses visual aids like the Emotion Wheel to push participants to move beyond just cognitive empathy and shows how to reflect back the emotions and understand their source through dialogue. It also helps participants differentiate between messages of intentional empathy and problem-solving.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:39:46 AM
Activity 4.4 uses both individual written reflection and discussion in small and large groups to explore the which aspects of a person's identity we use to determine if they should be included in the conversation on a particular issue. This activity also give participants to practice explaining and negotiating who is chosen.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:33:37 AM
Activity 4.3 uses physical movement and both lighthearted and serious topics to help participants see how positions on different topics lie on a continuum and how positions can change as one is exposed to new information or perspectives. Participants also flex their imaginative and creative muscle by arguing for the position opposite to theirs.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:28:28 AM
Activity 4.2 breaks down the individual aspects of active listening into separate rounds/steps to help participants consciously and methodically learn and practice this skill.
YD
December 3, 2022 at 1:25:28 AM
Activity 4.1digs deep into the many facets of social identity, by using drawing, as well as both written silent reflection and verbal discussion in small and large groups.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 6:26:51 AM
Activity 3.8 easily helps visualize the many dimensions of a topic by using the fishbone diagram.
YD
November 29, 2022 at 6:24:44 AM
Activity 3.7 provides useful mind tricks to help practice patience and giving people the benefit of the doubt, thus creating the sense of psychological safety required in collaborative efforts.