Module 6: Stakeholder Analysis

Reconciliation Action Plans are political instruments that are implemented in political contexts. Getting a good grasp of who the relevant stakeholders are is critical to their effectiveness. A discourse analysis is a method for identifying stakeholders, understanding where they are in conflict, and identifying potential compromises among them. It investigates how facts, values and interests are linked together into coherent themes. These themes are drawn upon in various ways by different stakeholder groups as they express their understandings of the issues that the RAP must address. A discourse analysis always begins with in-depth qualitative interviews with stakeholders through which the themes are initially identified. Several more advanced methods are available, including quantitative ones that can be used to understand more complex discourses.