Stakeholder analysis and natural resource management

Though poorly developed from a methodological standpoint, stakeholder analysis (SA) now belongs to the long list of virtues and catchwords reigning over the field of development. Much to its credit, the method travels well across disciplinary and theoretical boundaries. It is so eclectic as to stretch across the political spectrum and fit in with most of what it encounters, be it informed by participatory methodology or not (Burgoyne 1994: 205, Grimble and Wellard 1997: 182). SA is currently used in fields ranging from political science to policy development and international relations. The concept and related methodology have made significant inroads into poverty reduction studies and applied research pertaining to issues of sustainable livelihood, community-based natural resource and conflict management (Ramírez 1999). It is also part of World Bank thinking on participation methodology since about 1993 (MacArthur 1997a: 5).