A stakeholder analysis template is a table that lists everyone with an interest in your project and ranks them by influence and interest, so you know who to keep close. ProjectManager's method has three steps: list the stakeholders, analyse them, prioritise them. The layout below adds the two columns people tend to forget.
You don't need special software for this. A table in a shared doc or a spreadsheet does the job, and the version on this page is ready to copy.
It's worth the half hour because a project can stall on people as easily as on the work. ProjectManager describes stakeholder analysis as a way to get help from key project players, since those are the people who can hand you the staff, tools and other resources you need. Atlassian puts the risk the other way round: ignoring stakeholders, or failing to manage what they expect, often leads to misalignment, scope creep and missed deadlines.
The stakeholder analysis template
Give each person or group one row. Here's what each column is for:
| Column | What to write | Why it's there |
|---|---|---|
| Stakeholder | A name and role, or a group if you can't name one person | You can't plan for anyone you haven't written down |
| Internal or external | Inside your organisation or outside it | Atlassian says this split helps you tailor what you share and with whom |
| Influence | High or low: can they change the outcome? | Sets their left or right position on the grid |
| Interest | High or low: how much do they care? | Sets their top or bottom position on the grid |
| Grid position | Manage closely, keep informed, keep satisfied or minimal contact | Turns two ratings into a plain instruction |
| What they need from you | Approval, reassurance, a warning about a change, or nothing yet | Stops you sending everyone the same update |
| How and how often | The channel and the rhythm you'll stick to | Makes the plan something you can do this week |
| Last reviewed | The date you last checked this row | Shows when a row's gone stale |
Copy this template
STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
Project name: one line on what this project will deliver
Project focus: the one outcome this table is built around
Owner of this table: your name
For each stakeholder, copy this set:
Stakeholder: name and role, or the group
Internal or external: pick one
Influence: high or low
Interest: high or low
Grid position: manage closely, keep informed, keep satisfied or minimal contact
What they need from us: one sentence
How and how often we'll update them: channel and rhythm
Last reviewed: date
Who counts as a stakeholder
Atlassian's definition is the one I'd use: people or groups who are impacted by a project or who can influence its outcome. That's wider than most first drafts, which tend to stop at the boss and the immediate team.
Atlassian sorts them into two categories, and ProjectManager adds a second way of looking at the same list:
- Internal: department heads, executives and others inside the organisation. Atlassian notes they usually see more of the day-to-day and can influence decisions quickly.
- External: customers, vendors, investors and regulators.
- Contributors: ProjectManager's example is the project manager and the team.
- Affected people: its example here is the end user. Someone can sit in both groups.
At this stage, write down everyone, however minor they seem. ProjectManager's point is that you narrow the list later, and that a better list means you're less likely to be delayed or sidetracked. If you want to see what happens when people come in late, here's my piece on why involving people early pays off.
The influence and interest grid
ProjectManager calls this an influence-interest matrix: a box split into four sections. More influence sits towards the right and more interest sits towards the top, so the top right holds your most important players.
| Where they sit | Influence and interest | ProjectManager's label | What I'd do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top right | High influence, high interest | Manage closely | Talk to them directly and early, before anything's decided |
| Top left | Low influence, high interest | Keep informed | Send regular short updates, because they'll notice if you go quiet |
| Bottom right | High influence, low interest | Keep satisfied | Bring only what needs their attention, then leave them alone |
| Bottom left | Low influence, low interest | Minimal contact | A note at the big milestones is plenty |
You may come across other versions. ProjectManager also lists a grid based on what people know and how they feel about the project, and a model that weighs power, legitimacy and urgency. For most small business projects, I'd start with influence and interest and only go further if that leaves you stuck.
Filling it in, step by step
- Pick the project's focus. ProjectManager says to do this first, because it decides who matters most.
- List everyone. Include people who are affected as well as people who contribute.
- Analyse each one. Note their role and what they expect, then place them on the grid.
- Prioritise. Rank the list by who has the most influence on the plan and who's most affected by it.
- Plan the contact. Fill in what each person needs and how often you'll update them. ProjectManager treats this engagement step as the point of the whole map.
A made-up example: a website rebuild
Here's an illustration for a marketing project. The managing director has the final say and cares about the launch, so they go in manage closely. The finance lead can stop the project but isn't interested in page designs, so that's keep satisfied. The customer service team has little say but will field every complaint if something breaks, so they're keep informed. A supplier whose logo sits in the footer is minimal contact.
The part most tables get wrong: they never change
Here's what people miss. ProjectManager says a stakeholder's status isn't static and that this analysis should carry on throughout the project, not happen once. Someone who barely cared at kickoff can become your biggest blocker once the work reaches their team.
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The other gap is in the columns. Plenty of tables stop at the ratings, which tells you where someone sits but not what to do about it. What they need from you and how often you'll update them are the two columns that change your week. Atlassian says misaligned expectations are one of the biggest sources of stakeholder frustration, and that regular check-ins and shared documents help.
You don't have to give everyone every detail, either. ProjectManager makes the point that sometimes the big picture is what counts. As of Nov 2026, Atlassian's Confluence offers a stakeholder register template and a communication template for repeat updates, and ProjectManager offers a free stakeholder map template, so you've got options if you'd rather start from a vendor's file.
Is it worth doing? My verdict
The downside first: this can turn into box-ticking. A beautifully rated table that nobody opens after week one won't help anybody. Also think about who can read it, because nobody enjoys finding themselves labelled minimal contact.
The real pro is that it saves you time. A shared format means you stop guessing who needs what, and when the project changes hands, the next person can see who matters and why. Atlassian says that when stakeholders feel informed and included, decisions happen faster and roadblocks surface earlier.
I'd fill this in for any project where more than a couple of people can say no, keep it to the one table above and skip the scoring systems. Then I'd book a short review at every major milestone, because the table's only useful while it's true. If people sit at the centre of your day job, these AI tools for business analysts may be worth a look, and if you're selling rather than delivering, try mapping the buyers in a deal instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is a stakeholder analysis?
It's a way of working out who has a stake in your project and how much attention each person needs. ProjectManager describes it as a way to get help from key project players, and says it uses a technique called stakeholder mapping.
What goes in a stakeholder analysis template?
At the least, it's the stakeholder's name or group, whether they're internal or external, their influence, their interest and where that puts them on the grid. I'd also add what they need from you, how often you'll update them and when you last reviewed the row.
What is an influence-interest matrix?
It's a box broken into four sections. ProjectManager labels them manage closely, keep informed, keep satisfied and minimal contact. Anyone placed further right has more influence, and anyone nearer the top has more interest.
Who counts as a stakeholder?
Atlassian says it's people or groups who are impacted by a project or who can influence its outcome. That covers internal people such as department heads and executives, and external ones such as customers, vendors, investors and regulators.
How often should I update it?
ProjectManager says it's a process that should continue throughout the project, but it doesn't set a fixed schedule. I'd review it at each major milestone and any time someone important changes role or joins.
