Stakeholder Interests, Roles, Skills tool1
Aim of the tool
To help stakeholders get clarity why they want to
enter a multi-stakeholder partnership, what they
expect
from
other
stakeholders,
and
what
skills/competencies are required to make the
partnership work.
When to use it?
This tool is good to use in workshops with various
stakeholders present. It helps to have good
conversations among stakeholders about different
interests and roles in the partnership: stakeholders
assess themselves, but also assess the other
stakeholders, and then discuss these opinions and
perceptions.
Step 3 of this tool is optional.
The tool is mainly for group facilitation, but could be
adapted for research purposes.
How difficult is it to use?
Easy
–
moderate
users/facilitators only
Tool for thought or tool for action?
Tool for action
–
for
experienced
Activities:
This tool describes three steps to work with multiple stakeholders to build partnerships around
a development programme:
1. Knowing your organization
2. Establishing the principles: looking at ‘interests’ and ‘roles’
3. Skills and Competencies required for the partnership.
Ad 1: Knowing your organization. Ask each participating organization first to reflect on their
own organization. Each of the following questions is to be dealt with. Give participants 10-20
minutes to write things down, individually or in small groups based on organization they
represent.
a. The mission of my organization: Why was it initiated?
b. Timeline: Which important events have marked the life of my organization?
c. The future vision of my organization: In the next 10 years, I dream my organization will
be…
d. Draw the symbol which best represents the identity of the organization.
Participant are asked to share their findings with the whole group. The objective is to get
different organisations to appreciate each other’s backgrounds and identities. This step is
essential before moving to step 2.
Ad 2. Establish the principles: looking at ‘interests’ and ‘roles’.
Here the question is what the subject of the partnership is: what is the domain? What are
boundaries? The objective is to know the motivations of each actor, and become aware of
potential conflicting interests.
1
This tool was developed by Célestin Dembélé, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation, Bamako/Mali
The first step is to ask organisations present to fill out the ‘interests’ table, followed by the
‘roles’ table. This is done individually, focusing on what participants believe to be their
organisations’ interests and roles.
Interests
Who could be our ally?
Why?
Who could be our
competitor? Why?
Interest 1
Interest 2
Interest 3
Roles
Actor 1
Actor 2
Actor n
Actor 1
Actor 2
Actor n
After each organization has filled out these two tables for their own organization, ask them to
repeat the exercise but defining what s/he believes to be the interest and roles of others.
In plenary, we then look for consensus on everyone’s agreed upon roles. These can be
considered principles, or a ‘social contract’.
Ad 3. Competencies required for the partnership
In this third step participants reflect on the necessary skills and competencies to perform the
different roles and functions in their organisations. By using a table this can be made visible.
Here is an example:
Role
ULFBV (breeders)
Dissemination of SP
information and other texts
Required skills
Qualities needed

Transparency and
reliability

Participation in the

identification of rules, tracks
and sites


DLCA (Chamber of agriculture)
Advocating that the state

structures to comply with

the provisions of the SP
Conflict management at the 
local level


Council circle (community)
Project management of
development processes
(intermunicipal consultations,
forum, evaluation…)
Following up major
intermunicipal actions





Knowledge of the pastoral charter, of SP
and other texts
Ability to explain the texts
In-depth knowledge of the problems of
pastoralism
Locating the routes and sites to develop
Serious interest in each site
Knowing to apply advocacy techniques
Partnering with other resource people of
the OP in the advocacy
Knowing the tradition
Knowing the local land agreements and
conventions
Being able to bring people together in
negotations and mediations
Respecting the law
Defining the concept of MO (stages,
roles…)
Applying the provisions of the employer
Credibility
Taking
responsibility
Lead a monitoring committee
Mastering monitoring and evaluation tools
Developing a monitoring and evaluation
report
Critical mindset
Availability
Level 0 : Our organisation does not know how to do it / not well
Level 1 : Our organisation is able to with external assistance
Level 2 : Our organisation has done it multiple times without external assistance
Level 3 : Our organisation has trained others in this area
Then, assess how well each skill is mastered in your organization. Do this by providing
participants with a spider diagram, consisting of as many spokes as there are skills required
(eg. 6 skills, then a wheel with 6 spokes). On each spoke, indicate levels starting with 0 from
the centre to 3 on the outskirts of the spoke. Each participant gives scores per skill, using the
following criteria:
Use the following table to help participants diagnose the levels of skills/competencies:
Skill
Level of the
organisation
Evidence (only level 2
and 3)
Number of competent
people
Skill 1
Skill 2
Lastly, reflect on ‘What do I need to strengthen?’ This includes clarifying whose responsibility
it is to strengthen skills and competencies. This can be aided by the following table:
Skills domain
What (what needs to
be strengthened ?)
Who
(People
concerned,
number, profile)
How
(capacity
building
method)
When
(favorable
timing)