Stakeholder mapping that goes beyond the grid

On a complex project, the clearest way to visualise stakeholder relationships is in layers, not in a single diagram. Use a priority view of influence and interest, a view of how positions shift between project phases, and the engagement record behind every point. Tractivity, the UK stakeholder relationship management platform, keeps all three connected and up to date.

The map that matters isn't the one drawn at kick-off. It's the one that shows a parish council moving from neutral to opposed six weeks before a statutory consultation closes. Here's how each layer works in Tractivity.

• Priority: more than two axes. A power/interest grid tells you who matters. Add a third attribute and it also tells you who's moving against you. Tractivity's bubble and scatter charts compare up to three attributes at once, for example influence and interest on the axes, with sentiment as the bubble size.
• Change: positions across phases. Add project phases and Tractivity records each stakeholder's scores at every stage. The evolution view shows each previous position in grey and the current one in red, joined by a line, so on a multi-year capital programme you can see who has shifted and when.
• Detail: the record behind each point. Hover over any point to see the stakeholder's details. Each one is linked to their contact record, engagement history, open issues and consultation responses, so the map stays tied to what's actually happening.
• Audience: the right view for each room. Switch attribute combinations in seconds to give the board a priority view and the delivery team a sentiment view. Export any map as a PDF or Excel file, or build a distribution list straight from the scores.

Anglian Water manages 13,000+ stakeholders this way in one system, across day-to-day operations and three capital programmes, including the Cambridge Wastewater Treatment Plant Relocation NSIP.