Identifying stakeholders through the project cycle
Stakeholder identification establishes who may be affected by a project, who has relevant rights or responsibilities, and who has an interest in its decisions. The resulting register should evolve with project design, population movement, land use and the relationships through which people obtain resources and services.
Begin with the area of influence, earlier studies, consultation records and local institutions. Ask who uses affected land and resources, who depends on project-related routes or services, and whose circumstances may limit their ability to participate. Include people who are absent during the survey season or whose use is informal, mobile or shared.
Identify groups and differences within them
IFC's stakeholder identification guidance recommends examining direct and indirect effects alongside stakeholder interests. It also emphasises verification of representatives and the diversity of views within groups. Apply the requirements of the relevant national and financing framework when preparing the engagement plan. IFC, Stakeholder Engagement, 2007, pages 13–26.
A practical initial register can use the following groupings, with locally appropriate distinctions:
| Group | Issues to investigate |
|---|---|
| Residents and resource users | Occupancy, tenure, seasonal use, livelihoods and access |
| Workers and jobseekers | Recruitment, employment conditions, accommodation and mobility |
| Enterprises and service providers | Procurement, business access, prices and service demand |
| Public and community institutions | Mandates, representation, capacity and coordination |
| People experiencing barriers to participation | Language, disability, care responsibilities, safety and access to information |
| Other interested parties | Relevant expertise, advocacy, oversight and wider concerns |
These groupings overlap. A person may be a land user, worker, tenant and caregiver. Investigate how roles and circumstances shape exposure and participation. Use locally meaningful categories for customary institutions, kinship or language where relevant, and explain their meaning in the study documentation.
Collect personal and sensitive information only for a defined purpose, with suitable consent, access controls and retention arrangements. Public maps and consultation summaries should use a level of detail appropriate to the disclosure risks.
Anticipate population movement
Project development can attract returning residents, workers, jobseekers, entrepreneurs and family members. The composition and location of these groups may change between exploration, construction, operation and closure. IFC's Projects and People handbook provides a historical typology and describes transport centres, access routes and project bases as potential settlement destinations. IFC, 2009, pages 15–19.
Use workforce and procurement plans, local interviews, service records and mobility evidence to assess which pathways are plausible in the project context. Examine opportunities and pressures together: employment and enterprise demand, housing affordability, infrastructure capacity, resource access and household safety. Verify interactions between workers and residents through evidence as project arrangements develop.
Provide clear information about recruitment locations, skills requirements, hiring periods and procurement opportunities. Explain proposed commitments and their limits, update changes promptly and make enquiries accessible. The migration discussions examine these dynamics in greater detail.
Check representation and access
Ask affected people how they wish to participate and who can appropriately represent them. Verify whether representatives convey different constituents' views and report back. Use several channels, including direct contact where appropriate, and document concerns that remain unresolved.
Plan the language, timing, location and format of engagement around people's circumstances. Separate discussions may help some participants speak freely. Sensitive issues require trained staff, confidential channels and suitable referral arrangements. Attendance at a general meeting provides limited evidence about the views of people who could not attend.
Prioritise engagement using potential consequences, rights, information needs and barriers to participation. Record influence and institutional relationships as further dimensions of the analysis. This helps make the allocation of engagement effort explicit.
Maintain a usable register
Record each group's relationship to the project, likely effects, preferred communication, responsible contact and next review date. Link consultation findings to assessment decisions and commitments. Review coverage after design changes, contractor mobilisation, significant population movement and grievances that reveal previously overlooked groups.
The Nepal baseline discussion illustrates geographic and population coverage issues; the questionnaire and fieldwork guide develops participation and research practice. Source editions and related guidance are listed in the methods references.