Stakeholder and Volunteer Management
Map stakeholders before managing them
Stakeholder management begins with identification and analysis: who affects or is affected by the event, what interest and influence they hold, and what they need. A power–interest grid guides approach - high power and high interest need close partnership; high interest and low power need good information; high power and low interest need to be kept satisfied. Exam questions often present a stakeholder complaint and ask for the best response; the answer is usually to acknowledge, understand the underlying interest, and escalate through the agreed channel rather than to make an on-the-spot promise.
Volunteers are managed, not just thanked
Volunteer management covers recruitment, role descriptions, screening where required, induction and training, scheduling with realistic shifts and breaks, supervision, recognition, and a clear exit or reference process. Volunteers need the same clarity as paid staff about who to report to and what authority they hold. Traps include assuming volunteers need no training, over-scheduling enthusiasts, and treating recognition as a substitute for good organisation.
Communication and governance
Define decision rights, a single escalation path, and regular stakeholder updates. Contracts and memoranda of understanding formalise commitments with partners and venues. Manage expectations early: changes communicated late damage trust more than the change itself.
Worked example
Rule of thumb: for each key stakeholder, record their interest, influence, preferred communication channel, frequency, and the person responsible. If a stakeholder appears in the plan without a named owner and a contact rhythm, the relationship is unmanaged and will surface as a problem on site.