Discussion: the Relative Influence of Stakeholders

SWITCH Training Kit – Trainer Materials
Module 2: STAKEHOLDERS - Involving all the players / Module 2 – Exercise2

Trainer notes

Discussion: The relative influence of stakeholders

Using group discussions, this exercise aims to help participants understand the relative influence of different stakeholders in their city. (Module 2, pages 29-31)

Pre-requisites: Participants should have learned about or discussed (ideally with exercise 1 made for Module 2) the main stakeholders related to water in their city. Also, to facilitate discussion, the main elements of a stakeholder analysis process should be presented to participants prior to undertaking this exercise.

Option 1: Spider diagram

Timing
(assuming 20 participants)
TOTAL: 45 min. / Introduction by trainer / 5 min.
Group work / 20 min.
Presentation of group results; discussion / 20 min. (5 min. per group)

1. In advance, prepare a blank spider diagram as per below. You can copy/paste individual “legs” from the diagram, depending on how many stakeholders you want to focus on in total.Reproduce a large version of the diagram at the front of the room (on a flip chart or whiteboard for example).

2. Divide participants into groups, and ask each group to rank the influence (i.e. the capacity to facilitate or impede an activity) of a number of stakeholders (either ask each group to rank all chosen stakeholders or divide stakeholders, giving each group 3 or 4 to rank). Ranking can be done by using ordinal scores of 1 to 5 (1 being a low influence or low importance and 5 the highest).

3. Ask groups to share their findings with the rest of the participants, and fill in the spider diagram at the front of the room. Groups will have come up with different rankings, and the discussion will highlight these differences in opinion and stimulate debate. The final version can look something like this:

Option 2: Importance / influence matrix

Timing
(assuming 20 participants)
TOTAL: 45 min. / Introduction by trainer / 5 min.
Group work / 20 min.
Presentation of group results / 20 min. (5 min. per group)

1. Print the table below (large enough to fit on a landscape A4 page) so that there is one per group. Also reproduce a large version of the table at the front of the room (on a flip chart or whiteboard for example).

2. Divide the participants into groups and give each group one of the sheets from point 1. Ask each group to rank the importance and influence of 5 to 10 stakeholders each (depending on how many you have chosen). Groups should write down relevant stakeholders in the appropriate quadrant of the table. Examples of stakeholders are given below (more exist).

Water user associations / Retailers
Waste management & recycling companies / Urban farmers
Youth clubs / Tourism sector
Labour unions / Housing & construction industry
Health services / Fisheries management
Universities & research institutions / Professional associations
Mining industry / Home owners
NGOs / Forestry commission
Community-based groups / Water utilities
Catchment committee / Environment agency
Energy utilities / Formal & informal business community
Local industry / Schools
National water authorities / Women’s groups

3. Ask each group to share their findings with the rest of the participants, and fill in the blank table at the front of the room.

Participant handout

None

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