Before you design tactics, you need to know who is touched by the issue and who can actually grant the win. A stakeholder analysis helps you see the full ecosystem—from residents living the problem to institutions with leverage. We use a simple two-axis map: Impacted by Issue and Can Impact Issue. Plotting everyone on that grid shows you who belongs at the decision table, who needs political education, and which power brokers deserve tailored pressure.
Step 1: List everyone connected to the issue
- Brainstorm individuals, organizations, agencies, funders, unions, and businesses.
- Include supporters, opponents, neutrals, and people you have not met yet.
- Capture demographics, existing relationships, and pain points for each.
Step 2: Score impact and influence
Give every stakeholder a score from 1 (low) to 5 (high) for both axes. Impact answers “How directly does this issue touch them?” Influence answers “How much power do they have to accelerate or block change?”
Step 3: Plot and interpret
Drop each stakeholder into the quadrant that fits their scores:
- Q1 High Impact / High Influence: Co-design strategy with them. They are your campaign core.
- Q2 High Impact / Low Influence: Build capacity so their stories drive the narrative.
- Q3 Low Impact / Low Influence: Keep informed; activate if they become more affected.
- Q4 Low Impact / High Influence: Treat as decision-makers or validators. Prepare tight briefs and asks.
Example: Clean Air Now
Student organizers in “Clean Air Now” want a clean-trucking ordinance. Parents and youth living near the freeway scored 5 on impact but only 2-3 on influence, so organizers scheduled listening sessions (Q2) and media trainings (Q1) to elevate them. City Council leaders and the logistics lobby sat in Q4: low direct impact but high power. The team prepared health + economic briefs plus ally endorsements before meeting them. Their filled-out map illustrates how each quadrant drove specific tactics.
Step 4: Turn the map into assignments
For every stakeholder, document the outreach approach, messenger, and deadline. Integrate the assignments into your project tracker so the analysis leads to action, not just another slide.