Stakeholder mapping: identifying and connecting with a diverse range of partners

Article type
Authors
Head K1, De Haan S2, Kiekens C3, Negrini S4, Haddaway N5, Lotfi T6
1Cochrane
2Cochrane
3Cochrane Rehabilitation, University Hospitals Leuven
4University of Brescia, IRCCS Don Gnocchi Milan
5Stockholm Environment Institute
6Global Evidence Synthesis Initiative (GESI) Secretariat, American University of Beirut
Abstract
Background: forming partnerships and alliances with a diverse range of external organizations has many potentially mutual benefits for both Cochrane and their partners, such as prioritizing the most important topics for review; co-producing reviews that meet the needs of target users; disseminating published Cochrane Reviews and partner information of interest to people within Cochrane; and supporting target audiences in the use of Cochrane Reviews. Partnerships can also be leveraged to both bring diversity into Cochrane groups and to help this work to reach wider audiences.

There are often several different individuals and organizations who could be approached to become partners, but each partnership brings complexities and challenges. It is important to identify the ‘right’ partners. Stakeholder mapping is a helpful tool that Cochrane groups might use to identify potential partners that could bring added value, skills or resources, and to help prioritize the most appropriate stakeholder to partner with across a range of activities.

Objectives: this interactive, practical session will help participants to look at the potential opportunities for a partnership through four key stages.
- Identifying: listing relevant groups, organizations, and people
- Analyzing: understanding stakeholder perspectives and interests
- Mapping: visualizing relationships to objectives and other stakeholders
- Prioritizing: ranking stakeholder relevance and identifying issues

Participants will be invited and supported to consider issues related to forming partnerships for this work as identified in the KT Partnership guidance note, including:
- organizational and collective benefits gained through the partnership;
- risks the potential partnership could incur;
- how the activity will advance Cochrane’s mission, vision, and Strategy to 2020;
- organizational costs or harms;
- potential conflicts of interests;
- the level of commitment of each partner towards the proposed partnership.

Description: participants will be asked to come to the workshop with a topic, area of work or project in mind for which they are considering building partnerships.

In small groups, participants will work through key considerations for forming partnerships to support this activity based on guidance developed by the KT Partnership Working Group, the experience of Cochrane members, and other helpful tools.

The session will be facilitated by members of the KT Partnership Working Group and Advisory Advocacy Group.