The first step in any attempt to engage with policy is to identify who may be interested in, have the power to influence, or be affected by the issues. At this stage, only a basic understanding of the key issues and policies related to your field of work is needed. A more detailed assessment of evidence needs, and policy gaps will occur once you have identified the right people to speak with.
Using an interest-influence-impact or “3i” analysis is a way to understand who is most relevant to engage with. There are three questions at the heart of this analysis:
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Who is interested (or not)?
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Who has influence (to facilitate or block impact) or is voiceless, powerless, marginalised and/or hard-to-reach?
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Who might be directly impacted (positively or negatively)?
To get started with your 3i analysis, you can read Professor Reed’s online guide to stakeholder analysis or read his advanced guide.
You can also explore a detailed critique of the term ‘stakeholder’ and discussions on inclusive language that addresses systemic inequities in research and policy in the article Reimagining the language of engagement in a post-stakeholder world (2024) by Reed, et al.
If you’re curious to delve deeper into the practical application of the 3i analysis in decision-making processes, this article by Reed et al. (2023) offers an insightful exploration. It provides a nuanced understanding of how ‘interests’, ‘influence’, and ‘impact’ can be integrated for a more inclusive and effective stakeholder analysis.