Decision-Making Stakeholder Matrix

This tool will help you identify the decision-makers who influence the adoption, purchase, use, and support of your digital solution and where they sit in the decision-making process. It consists of four steps:

1. Identify: Think about who the decision-makers are and who will benefit from the decision.
2. Understand: Consider what is important to each of the stakeholders and what role each plays in the decision-making process.
3. Map: Consider the level of impact the decision has on each stakeholder and how much influence each may have over the decision.
4. Action plan for “yes”: Determine what it will take to get stakeholders to say “yes” to your digital solution. Questions to consider for each of the columns in this step include:
   1. What are the potential objections and/or barriers stakeholders may have to the decision?
      • Does your product or service create any conflict of interest for them?
      • Have these stakeholders previously expressed resistance, and are they still prone to resist?
      • What could stakeholders do to stop the decision from taking place?
   2. What are the potential enablers of getting each stakeholder to say “yes”?
      • How could stakeholders benefit, and does your product or service align with their mission and/or vision?
      • Are there any existing connections that may influence their decision in a positive way?
      • Have these stakeholders previously expressed interest, and are they still likely to be interested?
   3. What engagement activities are needed to get each stakeholder to say “yes”?
      • Examples of activities include roundtable discussions, workshops, meetings, third party endorsements, demonstrations, free trials etc.

1. Identify	2. Understand	3. Map	4. Make Action Plan
Name of stakeholder ​	What’s important to stakeholder? ​ What role does stakeholder play in decision-making? ​	Impact ​ ​ Impact ​ ​	Potential objections or barriers to the decision ​ Potential enablers to get the stakeholder to say “yes” ​ Engagement activity to get the stakeholder to say “yes” ​ Responsible contact person ​
Name of stakeholder ​	What’s important to stakeholder? ​ What role does stakeholder play in decision-making? ​	Impact ​ ​ Impact ​ ​	Potential objections or barriers to the decision ​ Potential enablers to get the stakeholder to say “yes” ​ Engagement activity to get the stakeholder to say “yes” ​ Responsible contact person ​
Name of stakeholder ​	What’s important to stakeholder? ​ What role does stakeholder play in decision-making? ​	Impact ​ ​ Impact ​ ​	Potential objections or barriers to the decision ​ Potential enablers to get the stakeholder to say “yes” ​ Engagement activity to get the stakeholder to say “yes” ​ Responsible contact person ​
Name of stakeholder ​	What’s important to stakeholder? ​ What role does stakeholder play in decision-making? ​	Impact ​ ​ Impact ​ ​	Potential objections or barriers to the decision ​ Potential enablers to get the stakeholder to say “yes” ​ Engagement activity to get the stakeholder to say “yes” ​ Responsible contact person ​

Created by Cristina Alves, Eliana Fram, and Ian Gray