Module 09: Identifying Potential Partners

9.2 What are the key processes involved?

The main processes used to identify partners include identification of potential stakeholders and conducting stakeholder analysis.

A. Identification of potential stakeholders

By this time, a substantial amount of information will have been gathered about the key stakeholder groups (and their leaders). This stage aims to organise this data in a more comprehensive and strategic way.
Stakeholders will fall into one of three groups:

– public sector

– private sector and

– civil society stakeholders [see alsoTool 9-1].

B. Conducting stakeholder analysis

Stakeholder analysis is a vital instrument for identifying those groups and organisations that have significant and legitimate interests in specific urban service.

A clear understanding of the potential roles and contributions of the many different stakeholders is a fundamental prerequisite for a successful participatory urban governance process, and stakeholder analysis is a basic means by which this understanding can be achieved.

The analysis should identify separately relevant groups and interests within the public sector, within the private sector and within civil society. In addition, the analysis can seek out potential stakeholders to ensure proper representation in relation to gender, ethnicity, poverty or other locally relevant criteria.

Based on this analysis, a plan for how to involve each stakeholder group in subsequent stages of the project or policy work can be developed.
Stakeholder analysis is used to acquire an understanding of the power relationships, influence and interests of stakeholders involved in the development of a PPP project. Its findings can provide early and essential information about:

◊ existing and potential stakeholders (individuals, organisations and groups);

◊ the individuals/leaders within the stakeholder group (key stakeholders);

◊ the capacity of the organisations to engage in service-related activity;

◊ the capacity and attitudes of stakeholders to work in partnership with other sectors;

◊ the interests of each stakeholder – overt and hidden;

◊ the potential role of the stakeholder;

◊ the likely impact of the stakeholder – positive or negative; and

◊ the risks and assumptions about stakeholder actions.

Stakeholder analysis relies on qualitative data and perceptions and preferences. The absence of statistical representation places greater onus on careful selection of respondents and interpretation of data.

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