Stakeholder Mapping

Stakeholder mapping is a foundational strategy in advocacy that helps occupational therapy practitioners understand who is involved in, impacted by, or able to influence a given issue. In the context of occupational therapy, stakeholders may include clients, families, healthcare providers, administrators, policymakers, community organizations, and advocacy groups. Identifying and analyzing these stakeholders allows practitioners to move beyond individual-level interventions and engage more effectively at systems and policy levels.

Stakeholder mapping involves identifying key individuals or groups, understanding their interests and perspectives, and assessing their level of influence or power. This process supports more strategic advocacy by helping practitioners determine who to engage, how to communicate with them, and where to focus efforts. Research in health policy and systems highlights that stakeholder analysis is critical for understanding relationships, influence, and decision-making dynamics, ultimately supporting more effective planning and implementation of policies and services.

Additionally, stakeholder engagement has been shown to improve the relevance and impact of health initiatives by ensuring that diverse perspectives are included and that advocacy efforts are aligned with real-world needs. Without intentional stakeholder mapping, advocacy efforts may overlook key voices, encounter resistance, or fail to create meaningful change.

In advocacy practice, stakeholder mapping is often visualized using tools such as a power-interest grid, where stakeholders are categorized based on their level of influence and level of interest. This allows practitioners to tailor their engagement strategies, prioritize efforts, and anticipate support or opposition. It also aligns closely with systems thinking, as it helps practitioners see the relationships and dynamics between individuals, organizations, and systems.

As you engage with this topic and the accompanying videos, consider how stakeholder mapping can expand your role as an occupational therapy practitioner from providing care within systems to actively shaping those systems.

Read:

Read this article by Franco-Trigo et al. (2020) that highlights stakeholder analysis as a critical component in planning health policies and services, supporting strategic decision-making and implementation across healthcare systems.

Optional:

Watch this 100:15-minute video for an introduction to stakeholder mapping in health policy.