Identify the key agencies and individuals amongst a group of stakeholders
The Synap tool was used to identify the structure of interactions across stakeholders that design and deliver care for patients with cancer. Of particular interest was the way stakeholders influenced each other across the continuum of care. Using the Synap platform, we worked with a group of key informants to develop the structure of interaction, and identified key individuals within each organisation. We then used this as the basis of interviews with those in the identified organisations, in order to validate the model further. This allowed for identifying the organisations that were influential across the stakeholders, and those that acted in brokering roles - to connect up disconnected stakeholders. Each of these measures are explained below, along with a link to the interactive Synap visualisation platform.
Use the Synap platform to:
Identify the key agencies, i.e. these that are key in affecting decisions across the stakeholders.
Identify the agencies that connect up disconnected groups. It is these agencies that can act as gate keepers for information to flow across the network.
Identify the agencies to work with more closely to encourage the uptake of new ideas.
Value from using the Stakeholder Influence Mapper
- A robust approach to present the complex interactions of relationships across the stakeholders, in a simple and engaging format.
- Develop effective communication strategies by identifying the key agencies and individuals.
- Identify agencies that connect up sub groups within the network.
Analysing the network of stakeholders:
To interact with the visualisations below click on the relevant link. In the window that opens you can click on the organisations to see what they are connected with. There is also an instructions button in the window that opens. Click on that button to get further instructions on how to use the interface.
Key agencies across the group of stakeholders
Agencies influential across the stakeholders
Agencies are influential because they are connected to other key influential agencies, and connect to agencies which, themselves, have very few other agencies influencing them. The agencies that are influential are the ones to align with to influence decision process. If it is not possible to align with the main influencers, then align with those agencies that influence the main influencers.
Explore influential agencies in the interactive visualisation tool
Note - the Tool does not currently support Internet Explorer 8 or earlier versions. Click here for a pdf of agencies influential in this stakeholder group.
Agencies that broker relationships across the stakeholder group:
Agencies that broker relationships are the ones that connect up agencies that have little or not direct connections into. As such, the brokers are influential because they can act as gatekeepers to ideas moving across the wider network. If these agencies are not supportive to the intended action then interventions need to create other ways to connect up to the wider network to avoid the negative impact of the broker organisations.
Explore brokering agencies in the interactive visualisation tool
Click here for a pdf of agencies that broker relationships.