Power Interest Grid

Purpose

Classify stakeholders by influence and interest to guide engagement effort.

Use when

• stakeholder management is needed
• resource constraints require selective engagement
• escalation paths are unclear

Inputs

• problem context
• available evidence and constraints
• known stakeholders or actors
• desired output format

Procedure

1. Clarify the decision or deliverable.
2. State assumptions before analysis.
3. Apply the technique explicitly rather than implicitly.
4. Capture findings in a structured table or list.
5. Separate facts, inferences, and unknowns.
6. End with implications for next actions.

Outputs

• power-interest matrix
• category assignments
• engagement posture by stakeholder
• escalation notes

Guardrails

• Do not present the technique as the answer; use it to inform a decision.
• Flag missing evidence and weak assumptions.
• Keep terminology consistent with the project glossary.
• Where tradeoffs exist, rank them explicitly.

Completion criteria

• technique applied correctly
• assumptions visible
• findings actionable
• next step clear