Stakeholder Census Survey

The data collection technique that yields the richest and most precise data—entirely from primary sources—is a “stakeholder census,” the elements of which include:

• Consulting with management to identify the target population of local, regional, national, and (where relevant) international stakeholders. A target population typically includes between 50 and 250 stakeholders.
• Assembling and training a local team to conduct field interviews. To identify individuals with appropriate background skills, we typically draw from a pre-qualified population such as graduate students at a local university. We train interviewers during a two-day onsite workshop that runs for two days.
• Using a tailored survey instrument, interviewers conduct face-to-face interviews with leaders of local stakeholder groups in the target population. Some interviews are also conducted in provincial or national capital cities, as required. The interviews average 60 minutes in length and typically require approximately two weeks to complete. We often perform this phase in conjunction with Robert Boutilier and Associates using their best-in-class Stakeholder 360 approach.
• The survey instrument includes two types of questions: (1) 5-point agree/disagree statements that have been standardized in interviews with over 2,500 stakeholders of more than 30 projects on four continents, and (2) open-ended questions to discern issues, elicit opinions, and identify previously unrecognized stakeholders. The information collected include the following.
  • Each stakeholder’s key issues of concern
  • The client project’s perceived impact on the stakeholder
  • The stakeholder’s desired changes
  • Stakeholder issue sensitivity (i.e., the perceived relevance of the project and the issues associated with it)
  • Level of social license granted to the client or the client’s local operations
  • Degree of perceived conflict or alignment between the stakeholder’s key issues of concern, and the client or the client’s local operations
  • Information on relationships with other stakeholders, including:
    • Extent to which attitudes and opinions are shared with other stakeholders
    • Identity of other stakeholders that are typically consulted
    • Tendency to lead or follow these stakeholders