This is what a good

stakeholder analysis looks like

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The example below is based on a fictional redevelopment of a village centre, in which a local authority wishes to transform a busy through road into a 30 km/h zone with more greenery and space for cyclists. The interests and issues mentioned here are abstract and need to be made more concrete by asking why they are relevant

Example analysis – Village centre redevelopment

Step 1 – Stakeholders

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Step 2 – Interests

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Step 3 – Issues

This is where the actual SOM analysis takes shape.

It is now clear that several stakeholders may share the same issue. And more importantly:

The discussion is no longer about individuals but about topics.

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Step 4 – Relationships and influence

Here, for example, you can see:

The primary school has little formal power.

But, through 600 parents, it wields considerable social influence.

A traditional stakeholder matrix often fails to capture this entirely.

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Step 5 – Prioritisation

Highest priority

Key issues

Strategic conclusion

This is where SOM stands out. An average stakeholder analysis ends here:

Shopkeepers have a lot of influence.

A SOM analysis goes further:

Shopkeepers are concerned about a loss of turnover due to the removal of parking spaces.

Their underlying interest is not parking, but economic sustainability.

That interest can potentially be combined with the interests of residents (quality of life) by retaining short-term parking and relocating long-term parking. This creates a Mutual Gains solution.

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And what about a national-level challenge?

A village centre is still easy to get to grips with. But how does SOM work when dealing with a challenge such as grid congestion, involving many parties and conflicting interests? Find out how to approach the challenge and identify the right stakeholders.

View the grid congestion example

How a SOM environmental manager summarises this

Stakeholder: Retailers’ association

Interests:

Economic sustainability
Customer accessibility

Issues:

Loss of parking spaces
Traffic flow

Influence:

High
Strong political connections

Relationships:

Works closely with town centre management

Strategy:

Involve them at an early stage
Jointly develop alternatives to parking

Opportunity for Mutual Gains:

Retain short-term parking
Encourage more pedestrians and cyclists
Improve the quality of the town centre experience

This example meets all five characteristics of a strong SOM analysis:

✅ Focus on interests

✅ Focus on issues

✅ Relationships are visible

✅ Prioritisation is possible

✅ Dynamic and strategically applicable

And perhaps even more importantly: it provides an area manager with immediate guidance for the next step, rather than just an overview of stakeholders.

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Want to know more?

Schedule a 20 minute call with Rutger

Wondering how a stakeholder engagement can enhance your project? Schedule an informal chat and demo with Rutger den Hartog, managing partner of Dialog and expert in strategic stakeholder engagement. He will be happy to think along with you about a smart approach that works in your practice.