Identifying who your stakeholders are is an important task but can often become confusing and time consuming. Leading to mass communications, rather than orienteering relationships.
Interactions that are either targeted incorrectly or are irrelevant to the individual/organisation will dilute your messages and cloud communications.
Reminding yourself of the key features a stakeholder should exhibit will help you produce a more coherent, logical and therefore effective list.
Typically stakeholders will fall into two categories: those that are directly involved and therefore have a vested interest, and those not directly involved but who are interested for other reasons. For example would it set a precedent that would affect other areas?
Often a separate piece of work will be required to gather data and build a potential stakeholder database if the project or area is new to you.
A simple analysis of the power and influence should then enable the creation of a stakeholder register, segmented to facilitate personalised and appropriate exchanges.
Once you have completed step one of the Stakeholder Engagement Process and identified your stakeholders, you will then be in a position to move onto step two - Plan.