Mapping Your Stakeholders: Turning Insight into Impact 

Understanding your community’s strengths and resources, your assets, is only half the story. If you haven’t already, explore our Asset Mapping Worksheet to identify those strengths. The other half is understanding who shapes, supports, and is impacted by your work. That’s where stakeholder mapping comes in. 

Stakeholder mapping is a strategic process that helps you identify the people and organizations connected to your mobile health program and understand how to engage them. It turns your asset map into action by revealing the relationships and networks that make your work possible. 

Why Stakeholder Mapping Matters 

Every mobile health program operates within a web of relationships. Patients, community members, policymakers, funders, faith leaders, and local businesses all have a role to play. Mapping these stakeholders helps you: 

• Clarify influence and interest. Stakeholder mapping helps you see who has the power to drive change and who brings valuable lived experience. 

• Target engagement effectively. Focus your time and energy where it matters most: deep engagement with those most affected and strategic communication with key decision makers. 

• Strengthen your needs assessment. Identify who to involve in data collection, interviews, or focus groups to ensure diverse voices shape your strategy. 

• Build stronger partnerships. When stakeholders feel heard and included, they become advocates who help amplify your mission. 

Tools To Help You Map Your Stakeholders 

Our Stakeholder Mapping Worksheet guides you through each step, from identifying your stakeholders to visualizing their influence and interest. It’s designed to help you translate your asset map into a clear engagement strategy, whether you’re working with a small team or a large coalition. 

You can use our template to: 

• Categorize your stakeholders as Primary, Secondary, or Supportive 

• Plot them on an Influence–Interest Matrix 

• Develop engagement strategies based on their level of involvement 

Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Stakeholder Mapping 

• Be inclusive. Think beyond your immediate partners and consider community groups, faith leaders, or local businesses with deep neighborhood connections. 

• Look for bridges. Identify people who can connect different groups or sectors; they often play a key role in building trust. 

• Make it visual. Use color coded sticky notes, a digital tool like Miro, or simple pen and paper, whatever helps you see relationships clearly. 

• Keep it current. Revisit your map regularly as your program evolves and new partners emerge. 

Turning Mapping into Momentum  

Stakeholder mapping is more than an exercise; it’s a foundation for collaboration and sustainable impact. By pairing your asset map with a clear picture of your stakeholders, you can build partnerships that are strategic, equitable, and rooted in community. 

Ready to get started? Download the Stakeholder Mapping Worksheet and begin charting the relationships that will drive your program forward. 

If you have questions or want personalized support, reach out to us at MobileHealthMap@hms.harvard.edu.