Stakeholder Analysis.
WS03 maps the human system around the program — who sponsors, who decides, who approves, who is affected, who needs to be informed — and sets engagement expectations before the plan gets drafted.
Purpose
Programs don't fail because the plan was wrong — they fail because the wrong people supported the plan, or the right people weren't consulted. WS03 forces the question up front: who has veto, who has influence, who needs to be consulted, who only needs to be kept informed.
When to use
Early in Assess, before any deep planning. Stakeholder posture is the input to almost every other Assess worksheet: it shapes the trade-offs conversation (WS05), the decision matrix criteria (WS06), the accountability system (WS08), and the decision hierarchy (WS09).
Template
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Name + role | Named person; "the team" is not a stakeholder |
| Classification | Sponsor / Decision Maker / Approver / Affected / Informed |
| Interest | Why they care; what outcome they want |
| Influence | High / Medium / Low — can they block or materially shape the program? |
| Current posture | Supportive / Neutral / Resistant, with reason |
| Engagement cadence | How often they'll be consulted or updated |
| Engagement owner | Who in the program team owns the relationship |
Common pitfalls
- Under-listing. Listing only the obvious names hides the shadow decision-makers.
- No posture. "Stakeholder: Joe — Director, Ops" is an entry, not an analysis.
- Vague engagement. "Regular updates" is not a cadence.