What is the power/interest grid?

It is a stakeholder mapping tool, often called Mendelow's matrix, that sorts stakeholders into four quadrants based on their power (influence) and interest. Each quadrant has a different recommended engagement approach.

What are the four quadrants?

High power and high interest stakeholders are Managed Closely; high power and low interest are Kept Satisfied; low power and high interest are Kept Informed; low power and low interest are simply Monitored.

How do I rate influence versus interest?

Influence is a stakeholder's ability to change the project's direction, budget, or fate. Interest is how much they personally care about the outcome. A regulator may have high influence but low day-to-day interest, while an end user is the reverse.

How often should the matrix be updated?

Stakeholders shift quadrants as a project evolves, especially around major milestones or leadership changes. Review the matrix at each phase gate and whenever a new sponsor, vendor, or regulatory body enters the picture.

Is anything stored or uploaded?

No. The matrix is built entirely in your browser and nothing leaves your device. Use the Markdown export to save your work before closing the tab.

Stakeholder Matrix Builder

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Every project succeeds or fails partly on how well it manages the people around it. A stakeholder matrix turns a vague list of “people who matter” into a clear map of who needs what level of attention. This builder places each stakeholder into the right quadrant and tells you how to engage them.

How it works

The tool uses Mendelow’s power/interest grid, a classic stakeholder-analysis framework. Each stakeholder is rated on two High/Low axes, and the combination determines their quadrant and engagement strategy:

High power + high interest  → Manage Closely (involve in decisions, weekly)
High power + low interest    → Keep Satisfied  (high-level updates, monthly)
Low power  + high interest    → Keep Informed   (regular updates, bi-weekly)
Low power  + low interest      → Monitor         (minimal effort, quarterly)

The logic is about effort allocation. The people who can both shape the project and care deeply about it deserve the most engagement, while those with little power and little interest only need light monitoring in case their position changes.

Tips and example

Be honest about power. A junior engineer with no budget authority but deep technical veto power belongs in a high-influence quadrant. Job titles can mislead, so map actual leverage.

Watch for stakeholders moving between quadrants. A “Keep Informed” user community can become “Manage Closely” the moment it organises and gains a public voice. Re-running this matrix at each milestone keeps your engagement plan honest as relationships and stakes shift.