In northern Ghana, a project can have the right budget and the right plan and still fail because the wrong people were left out. A chief who was not greeted properly, a women's group that was not asked, or a district officer who heard about the project from the radio can each slow or stop the work. Adverts for project officers and assistants regularly ask for stakeholder engagement and community mobilisation for this reason.
Who are stakeholders?
A stakeholder is anyone who affects the project or is affected by it. On a community project this often includes:
- The donor or funder.
- The district assembly and its departments, such as education, health or water.
- Traditional authorities: the chief, elders and the chief's linguist.
- Assembly members and unit committee members.
- Community groups: women's groups, youth groups, farmer groups, water committees, parent teacher associations.
- The people the project serves, including those who are often missed: people with disabilities, older people, women who cannot attend evening meetings.
- Suppliers and contractors.
- Your own organisation's staff.