How a Stakeholder Register Template Improves Your Communication Strategy

Feeling overwhelmed by your stakeholder information and looking for a way to get organized? A stakeholder register template is a great place to start. 

This structured resource is ideal for recording all your stakeholder data in one place, as well as gaining some quick insights that can enhance your project communication strategies and help you tailor your stakeholder approach.

So, let’s take a closer look at what’s included in a stakeholder register template and how you can apply this tool for smarter stakeholder engagement, more effective communications,and more successful project management.

What Is a Stakeholder Register Template?

A stakeholder register template is a fillable spreadsheet or document used to catalogue the individuals or groups involved in a project. 

It usually includes fields for:

• Stakeholder identification and contact information
• Assessing impact/influence/interest
• Tracking the engagement and communications
• Any other information critical to the project

The data tracked in stakeholder register templates is invaluable for project managers and stakeholder consultants because it can help them plan a consultation or engagement, set priorities, make decisions quickly, and track stakeholders throughout the project process. 

When Should You Use a Stakeholder Register Template?

Because it’s such a useful tool for planning, the best time to access a stakeholder register template is at the start of your project. As you fill out your stakeholder register, you can begin to identify:

• Potential teams, partnerships, and alignments between stakeholders
• The resources you’ll need for your consultation
• How you’ll categorize and prioritize stakeholders
• How much time you’ll need to allocate to engage key stakeholders
• How you’ll define success for your project and consultation
• What communication strategies you may need to use
• What actions you’ll need to take to achieve your project and consultation goals

Beyond this, your stakeholder register is a tool you should reference and update continuously — with every decision, every stakeholder interaction, and any time you uncover new information about your stakeholders.

Key Elements of a Stakeholder Register Template

Let’s break down the main components of a stakeholder register template, including stakeholder identification data, stakeholder assessment details, and stakeholder engagement data.

Stakeholder Identification Data

This component of your project stakeholder register template should resemble a stakeholder contact list. Here, you can include any details needed to identify your internal and external stakeholders and preferred methods of contact, such as:

• Name
• Role title
• Organization(s)
• Location 
• Postal address
• Email address
• Phone number

Not sure who to add to your stakeholder register? Stakeholders are the people, groups, and organizations that are impacted by, have an influence on, or an interest in your organization, project, or work. This may include shareholders, employees, senior management, customers, community members, partner organizations, suppliers, government representatives, media groups, the general public, and more. 

Overwhelmed by the sheer volume of contacts you need to record? Start by identifying those individuals who you believe to be your key stakeholders — you can always adjust this later on.

Impact Assessment

The next part of your stakeholder register template should support you to assess your stakeholders to determine your priorities and tailor your consultation. Your impact assessment can include stakeholder mapping values, such as their level of:

• Impact: Higher levels of impact should be assigned to the stakeholders that are most likely to be directly affected by your project or organization
• Influence: Higher levels of influence should be assigned to the stakeholders that are most able to influence your project outcomes or organization
• Interest: Higher levels of interest should be assigned to the stakeholders that have a right to be engaged or consulted based on their interests (not those that are most interested in your project)

To demonstrate how you can assign these values to stakeholders, we’ve included an example impact assessment below. 

Example Impact Assessment: Offshore Wind Farm Project

Want more insights into stakeholder engagement for the renewable energy industry? Check out our piece on the stakeholders in offshore wind energy projects.

To further classify your stakeholders, you can also note in your register whether a stakeholder is considered to be internal (inside your organization), external (outside of your organization), primary (directly impacted/influential), or secondary (indirectly impacted or influential).

Needs Assessment

A stakeholder needs assessment involves gathering and analyzing data about what your stakeholders expect or require from your organization, project, or consultation. It can help you align with stakeholder requirements and expectations wherever possible. Use your stakeholder register to assess and record your stakeholders’ needs, such as:

• Engagement methods: If known, note how your stakeholder expects to be involved in the project or consultation.
• Resource requirements: Note down any resources (time, finances, equipment, staff) your stakeholders may need to access throughout the project.
• Communication frequency: Note how often each stakeholder should be contacted (weekly, monthly, as needed, etc.).
• Communication methods: Note preferred methods of communication, such as email, phone call, LinkedIn, online chat, face-to-face chat, etc.
• Languages: If you need to use multiple languages to communicate with stakeholders, it’s a good idea to track this in your register. 
• Accessibility requirements: Note any ways you may need to accommodate stakeholders with disabilities or other barriers to participation so that they can access your project or engagement process.

Engagement Data

Lastly, your stakeholder register template should include a section for you to record all your stakeholder communication and engagement data. This includes:

• Emails (sent and received)
• Phone conversations (notes or transcripts)
• Event attendance
• Feedback, comments, form submissions, and survey responses
• Plus, any other stakeholder interactions you may want to track

How to Use a Stakeholder Register Template Effectively

So, how do you actually get started with your project’s stakeholder register template? Here’s a step-by-step process (and some handy tips!) to help you put your register into action:

Step 1: Stakeholder Identification Workshop

You’ll need to start by identifying who your stakeholders are so that you can add them to your register. One popular approach is to host a stakeholder identification workshop, which involves working with project teams and key participants to brainstorm a list of all potential stakeholders. This may iclude employees, customers, regulators, community members, shareholders, investors, and more. Your goal should be to ensure you don’t overlook any key stakeholders. Add any identified stakeholders (and analyses) to your stakeholder register template.

As part of this workshop, you should also analyze and map your stakeholders (based on factors like interest, impact, influence, criticality, etc.) so that you can begin categorizing stakeholders for prioritization and tailoring your engagement strategies.

Step 2: Gather Data

One of our top stakeholder management tips is to track everything! So, once you’ve identified your stakeholders, you should begin a practice of documenting all your interactions and any relevant data you can gather on them. 

Collect and input accurate, up-to-date data in your stakeholder register template, ensuring that your communications and interactions are assigned to the relevant stakeholder.

Step 3: Integrate Other Tools

Consider how your stakeholder register template could be paired with other project processes and consultation tools, such as:

• Communication Plans: Refer to your stakeholder register when planning tailored communication strategies and messages for different stakeholder groups.
• Risk Assessments: Use your stakeholder register to find contacts that may help you identify, reduce, or mitigate risks in your risk register — and examine your risks from the perspective of different stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Maps: Provide additional context to the findings in your stakeholder maps to help categorize and prioritize your stakeholder lists.
• Event Registers: Bring a copy of your stakeholder register to any events, focus groups, or workshops organized for your stakeholders so you can directly enter feedback and interactions into the spreadsheet.
• Project Planning: Determine who should be involved in (and consulted on) your project and at what stage.
• Project Documentation: Use your stakeholder register to document all relevant project communications and activities (including any input from your stakeholders), so that this information is easily accessible for reporting.

Step 4: Reference Continually

It’s clear that a stakeholder register template is a tool you can (and should!) reference throughout your project and consultation, from project meetings and planning, to analyzing, strategizing, and reporting.

Make sure you have an easy-to-access copy of your stakeholder register on hand and ready to reference. Although you may want to reference a paper copy on occasions, most project teams will prefer a digital version of their stakeholder register that’s always up-to-date and easy to share with colleagues.

Step 5: Revisit and Revise

Lastly, project managers and consultation professionals should regularly revisit and revise the template throughout the project life-cycle to ensure that:

• Any new stakeholders are added
• Any old stakeholders are removed
• Stakeholder assessments are still correct (e.g. level of impact, influence, interest, etc.)
• Stakeholder needs and preferences are accurate
• The latest stakeholder interactions and engagement data is being recorded

The Stakeholder Register Template as a Communication Tool

As you’ve seen from the steps above, simply creating a stakeholder register (step 1) is just the beginning. When you apply your register in different ways, it becomes a powerful tool for project management, stakeholder consultation, and communications. In fact, one of our favorite applications of a stakeholder register template is as a communication tool that allows you to… 

Adapt to Changes in Stakeholder Interests

Projects are dynamic and stakeholder interests can shift over time — equally, your stakeholder register should be a living document that tracks these changes as they occur. Each time you revisit and update your engagement strategies, reference your up-to-date stakeholder register to ensure your communication remains relevant and effective. This includes noting any changing interests, communication preferences, previous interactions, priority shifts, and emerging issues.

Document and Integrate Feedback

As you communicate and engage with stakeholders, use your stakeholder register to record any feedback you receive. Then use this record of feedback to revise your approaches and improve future interactions with stakeholders. 

Bridge Gaps Between Stakeholders

Your stakeholder register should provide an accurate snapshot of your stakeholders, allowing you to identify commonalities, alignments, and potential conflicts between different groups. With clear stakeholder data and analyses at your fingertips, your register can help you avoid conflict, address disputes, and foster collaboration between stakeholders.

Benefits of a Thoughtful Approach to Stakeholder Management

In addition to supporting your stakeholder analysis, management, and reporting processes, your register can help you foster inclusivity and encourage a more collaborative environment. You can take a more thoughtful approach to stakeholder management when you apply your stakeholder register to help you:

• Identify which stakeholders are participating and which stakeholders aren’t
• Uncover stakeholders that may face barriers to inclusion and need additional encouragement or accommodations (this is especially useful for supporting DEI programs)
• Discover which stakeholder groups haven’t had an opportunity to provide input, but should (a critical stakeholder engagement best practice)
• Document cultural considerations that may impact how you approach stakeholders
• Gain detailed stakeholder insights that improve communication outcomes, such as what messaging and timing works best for specific audiences
• Reference previous conversations with stakeholders to demonstrate active listening and that you care about their concerns and issues
• Track commitments so you can follow-through and build trust with stakeholders

For example, consider a non-profit organization undertaking a community health initiative in a diverse neighborhood with historically underserved populations. Their goal is to improve health outcomes, while ensuring equitable access to services for all community members. They could use a stakeholder register to:

• Identify Stakeholders: Intentionally seek out and identify groups that might otherwise be overlooked based on demographics, cultural background, faith, sexual orientation, ability, level of education, and other personal characteristics..
• Track Requirements: Track cultural and linguistic considerations, accessibility requirements, power dynamics, relationships, beliefs, communication preferences, and more
• Plan the Engagement: Intentionally plan an equitable engagement with culturally responsive communication and improved accessibility for health screening events and materials.

By using the stakeholder register in this way, they can measure participation rates across specific groups as they work towards their goal (equitable access and improved health outcomes), and evaluate whether this approach has been successful.

A More Advanced Stakeholder Register

Although a basic stakeholder register template in Excel or Google Sheets is a good starting point for some projects, others will require a more advanced approach to recording, analyzing, and managing stakeholders than a simple spreadsheet can offer. 

Stakeholder management software like Simply Stakeholders includes a stakeholder contact register, along with more advanced features that integrate with the register. For example, Simply Stakeholders’ register integrates with:

• Stakeholder Network Mapping: Visualize the stakeholders in your networks and how they intersect with one another on 3D stakeholder relationship maps
• Multi-Dimensional Stakeholder Mapping: Assign criteria for stakeholder needs, impacts, sentiment, influence, and more (and visualize this criteria on charts)
• Stakeholder Communication: Integrate surveys, forms, emails, communications, and more into your stakeholder register
• Stakeholder Analysis: See insights into stakeholder sentiment, issues, themes, and more

If you’re ready to upgrade to a more advanced stakeholder management solution, book a demo with our team.

Use Your Stakeholder Register Template to Its Full Potential

A stakeholder register template can make all the difference for project teams that need a dynamic resource for communication and engagement. If you haven’t already, be sure to download our free starter template below:

Finally, to get the most from your stakeholder register template, make it an evolving tool that you continually adapt to project conditions. With up-to-date, properly organized stakeholder data, you will be in a much better position to successfully manage stakeholders and deliver a successful project.