Overview
Thearckit stakeholders command helps enterprise architects and project managers understand stakeholder drivers, how they manifest into goals, and what measurable outcomes will satisfy each stakeholder.
This analysis becomes the foundation for requirements prioritization, design decisions, communication plans, change management, and success metrics.
Command Syntax
Arguments
Project ID or group name, e.g.
001, senior leadership, cloud migration projectWhat It Creates
Generates a comprehensive stakeholder drivers analysis document:- File:
projects/{NNN}-{project-name}/ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STKE-v1.0.md - Document ID:
ARC-{PROJECT_ID}-STKE-v1.0 - Content: Stakeholder analysis with drivers, goals, outcomes, and traceability
Prerequisites
While not strictly required, running
/arckit principles first helps align stakeholder analysis with organizational context and standards.Analysis Framework
The command generates a 7-phase stakeholder analysis:1. Identify Stakeholders
- Internal stakeholders (executives, business units, technical teams, operations, compliance, security, finance)
- External stakeholders (regulators, customers, vendors, partners)
- Power-Interest grid (ASCII box diagram showing engagement level needed)
- Stakeholder details table (Power, Interest, Quadrant, Engagement Strategy)
2. Understand Drivers
For each key stakeholder, identify:- STRATEGIC drivers: Competitive advantage, market position, innovation
- OPERATIONAL drivers: Efficiency, quality, speed, reliability
- FINANCIAL drivers: Cost reduction, revenue growth, ROI
- COMPLIANCE drivers: Regulatory requirements, audit findings, risk mitigation
- PERSONAL drivers: Career advancement, workload reduction, reputation
- RISK drivers: Avoiding penalties, preventing failures, reducing exposure
- CUSTOMER drivers: Satisfaction, retention, acquisition
3. Map Drivers to Goals
- Convert each driver into specific, measurable SMART goals
- Show which drivers feed into which goals
- Define success metrics, baselines, targets, and measurement methods
- Identify dependencies and risks
4. Map Goals to Outcomes
- Define measurable business outcomes that prove goals are achieved
- Specify KPIs, current values, target values, measurement frequency
- Quantify business value (financial, strategic, operational, customer impact)
- Define timeline with phase targets
- Identify leading indicators (early signals) and lagging indicators (final proof)
5. Traceability Matrix
- Complete Stakeholder → Driver → Goal → Outcome traceability table
- Identify conflicts (competing drivers between stakeholders)
- Identify synergies (drivers that align across stakeholders)
- Propose resolution strategies for conflicts
6. Engagement Plan
- Stakeholder-specific messaging addressing their drivers
- Communication frequency and channels
- Change impact and resistance risk assessment
- Identify champions, fence-sitters, and resisters
7. Governance
- RACI matrix for key decisions
- Escalation path
- Risk register for stakeholder-related risks
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Cloud Migration Project
- Stakeholders: CFO, CTO, Operations Director, CISO, App Owners, End Users
- Drivers:
- CFO: Reduce datacenter costs by £2M annually (FINANCIAL)
- CTO: Modernize tech stack to attract talent (STRATEGIC)
- Operations: Minimize downtime risk during migration (RISK)
- CISO: Improve security posture and compliance (COMPLIANCE)
- Goals:
- G-1: Reduce infrastructure costs 40% by end of Year 1
- G-2: Migrate 80% of workloads to cloud in 18 months
- G-3: Zero unplanned downtime during migration
- G-4: Achieve ISO 27001 certification
- Outcomes:
- O-1: £2M annual cost savings (CFO satisfied)
- O-2: 50% faster time-to-market for new features (CTO satisfied)
- O-3: 99.95% uptime maintained (Operations satisfied)
- O-4: Zero security incidents during migration (CISO satisfied)
- Conflict Identified: CFO wants speed (cost savings start sooner) vs Operations wants slow careful migration (minimize risk)
- Resolution Strategy: Phased approach - start with low-risk apps for quick wins, save critical apps for later when team has experience
Example 2: UK Government AI Project
- Minister: Deliver manifesto commitment, respond to parliamentary questions (POLITICAL)
- Permanent Secretary: Ensure proper governance, avoid NAO criticism (RISK/ACCOUNTABILITY)
- Service Delivery: Reduce call center volume, improve citizen experience (OPERATIONAL)
- Digital/Technology: Modern architecture, attract digital talent (STRATEGIC)
- Citizens: Fast accurate answers, accessible service (USER)
- ICO: Data protection compliance, transparency (REGULATORY)
- Treasury: Value for money, spending controls (FINANCIAL)
- Ministerial dashboard metrics for parliamentary questions
- NAO audit readiness
- GDS service assessment pass rate
- Technology Code of Practice compliance
- User satisfaction on GOV.UK
UK Government Context
For UK Government projects, the command automatically includes GovS 005 digital governance roles: SRO, Service Owner, CDDO, and DDaT Profession Lead.
- Minister accountability and public scrutiny
- Parliamentary questions and transparency requirements
- NAO audit and value for money
- GDS Service Standard assessment
- Technology Code of Practice compliance
Command Handoffs
The stakeholder analysis document feeds into these downstream commands:Create Requirements
Create Risk Register
Build Business Case
Success Criteria
A good stakeholder drivers analysis will:- ✅ Identify all stakeholders with power or interest (don’t miss hidden influencers)
- ✅ Dig into underlying motivations (not surface-level wants)
- ✅ Show clear Driver → Goal → Outcome traceability chains
- ✅ Quantify everything possible (metrics, timelines, costs)
- ✅ Acknowledge conflicts honestly and propose pragmatic resolutions
- ✅ Identify synergies that create stakeholder alignment
- ✅ Provide actionable communication and engagement strategies
- ✅ Include governance and decision rights
- ✅ Set up measurable success criteria that stakeholders care about
Important Notes
Key Concepts
- Drivers are the WHY: Don’t just list what stakeholders want - dig into WHY they want it
- Goals are the WHAT: Specific, measurable targets that address the drivers
- Outcomes are the PROOF: Business metrics that prove goals were achieved and drivers satisfied
- Traceability matters: Every outcome should trace back through goals to specific stakeholder drivers
- Conflicts are normal: Don’t hide them - document honestly and propose resolutions
- Be realistic: Use actual timeframes, real budget numbers, achievable metrics
- Stakeholders are people: They have careers, fears, ambitions - not just “business needs”
- Update regularly: This is a living document - stakeholders’ drivers evolve as context changes