Salience Model

The Salience Model in Stakeholder Analysis and Stakeholder Mapping

The Salience Model is a vital framework in project management for analyzing and mapping stakeholders. By categorizing stakeholders based on their attributes of power, legitimacy, and urgency, the Salience Model helps project managers prioritize stakeholder engagement and address their needs effectively. This ensures that projects align with stakeholder expectations and avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Understanding the Salience Model

The Salience Model identifies and categorizes stakeholders into seven distinct types based on three key attributes:

1. Power: The stakeholder’s ability to influence the project or its outcomes.
2. Legitimacy: The stakeholder’s involvement or claim in the project’s objectives.
3. Urgency: The stakeholder’s immediate need for attention or action regarding the project.

The intersection of these attributes creates the following stakeholder categories:

1. Dormant Stakeholders: Possess power but lack legitimacy and urgency.
2. Discretionary Stakeholders: Have legitimacy but no power or urgency.
3. Demanding Stakeholders: Exhibit urgency but lack power and legitimacy.
4. Dominant Stakeholders: Hold both power and legitimacy.
5. Dangerous Stakeholders: Combine power and urgency but lack legitimacy.
6. Dependent Stakeholders: Have legitimacy and urgency but no power.
7. Definitive Stakeholders: Possess all three attributes and require the highest attention.

Using the Salience Model in Stakeholder Analysis

1. Identify Stakeholders:
   • List all individuals, groups, or organizations with an interest in the project.
2. Assess Attributes:
   • Evaluate each stakeholder’s power, legitimacy, and urgency.
3. Categorize Stakeholders:
   • Place stakeholders in the appropriate category based on their attributes.
4. Prioritize Engagement:
   • Focus on definitive stakeholders while addressing others proportionally to their impact on the project.
5. Develop a Stakeholder Management Plan:
   • Tailor strategies to engage each category of stakeholders effectively.

Using the Salience Model in Stakeholder Mapping

Stakeholder mapping visualizes stakeholder categories, helping project teams strategize communication and engagement efforts. Typically, a Venn diagram is used to depict the overlapping attributes of power, legitimacy, and urgency, with definitive stakeholders at the center.

Practical Examples of the Salience Model

Construction Industry

• Scenario: Building a residential complex.
• Stakeholders:
  • Dormant Stakeholder: Local government with zoning power but no immediate involvement.
  • Dominant Stakeholder: Investors funding the project, holding both power and legitimacy.
  • Definitive Stakeholder: Residents impacted by construction timelines, possessing power, legitimacy, and urgency due to quality-of-life concerns.

Healthcare Industry

• Scenario: Implementing a new hospital information system.
• Stakeholders:
  • Discretionary Stakeholder: Health advocacy groups with legitimate interest but no power or urgency.
  • Dangerous Stakeholder: Cybersecurity experts raising immediate concerns about system vulnerabilities.
  • Definitive Stakeholder: Hospital management requiring timely implementation to improve operations.

IT Industry

• Scenario: Developing a mobile app.
• Stakeholders:
  • Demanding Stakeholder: Users requesting a feature enhancement but lacking power and legitimacy.
  • Dependent Stakeholder: Early adopters advocating for specific changes, with legitimacy and urgency but no power.
  • Definitive Stakeholder: The client funding the app development with vested power, legitimacy, and urgency.

Case Study: Salience Model in a Thai Project

Project: Upgrading Public Transportation in Bangkok

• Scenario: A project to enhance Bangkok’s metro system with new trains and upgraded stations.
• Stakeholders:
  • Dormant Stakeholder: Foreign equipment suppliers with power to influence pricing but no local involvement.
  • Dominant Stakeholder: Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) responsible for project oversight.
  • Dependent Stakeholder: Commuters advocating for improved service but lacking direct influence.
  • Definitive Stakeholder: Government agencies funding the project and demanding timely delivery due to political commitments.
• Outcome: The Salience Model guided the project team to focus engagement on definitive stakeholders while ensuring others’ concerns were addressed appropriately, leading to smooth execution.

Benefits of the Salience Model

1. Clarity in Prioritization:
   • Helps project managers focus on the most influential stakeholders.
2. Effective Communication:
   • Enables targeted messaging and strategies for each stakeholder group.
3. Risk Mitigation:
   • Identifies potentially dangerous stakeholders early for proactive management.
4. Alignment with Goals:
   • Ensures stakeholder engagement aligns with project objectives.

Conclusion

The Salience Model is an invaluable tool for stakeholder analysis and mapping, enabling project managers to prioritize and engage stakeholders effectively. By understanding the dynamics of power, legitimacy, and urgency, teams can navigate complex stakeholder landscapes across industries. Practical applications in construction, healthcare, IT, and public projects in Thailand demonstrate the model’s versatility and impact on achieving project success.