Implementing Telecare
Identify and analyse key stakeholders

‘Stakeholders’ is a term used to describe all the people, groups or organisations with an interest in a project, and who may have the power to affect the outcome. Their ‘interest’ can range from active promoters and supporters, who want it to succeed; through some who are indifferent; to those who strongly oppose the change. Their power varies – some have very little influence over what happens, while others can block a project which threatens their interests.

Stakeholders have an interest both in the outcomes, and in how the change is managed, so project managers need to gain and keep their support. To turn a general awareness about stakeholders into useful action, the project manager can:

identify stakeholders (pressure groups, interested parties);
assess their power to help and hinder the project;
assess their commitment;
assess their interests – how will the project affect their priorities, performance etc;
manage relations with them - to gain their support, or to manage opposition.

Conclusion

Taking time to consider in detail who the project will affect, who can affect the project, and whose support you need, e.g. elected members, senior managers, front line staff, suppliers, etc is critical to the success of a project. Identifying a list of current key stakeholders, along with a clear view of their interest and influence in the project should help you to think about:

Setting and framing the language for the project outcomes
Creating steering groups and project teams
Developing a communication plan
Designing and conducting a monitoring and evaluation framework.

Tool 2 – Stakeholder analysis exercise

Activity guidance

This activity should assist the project team to identify key stakeholders and to guide their thinking on how to manage their involvement in the project.

1. Identify stakeholders

In the centre of a sheet of paper, write the name of the Telecare project. Then draw other circles around the sheet, each identifying an individual or group regarded as having a stake in the project. Place the most significant nearer the centre; others around the edge. Think widely, as powerful stakeholders may not be immediately obvious.

2. Assess their power

Consider which of those listed could have the greatest effect on the project by giving or withholding their support. Identify why they can do that – i.e. what are the sources of their power over the project?

3. Assess their interests

Use a grid like that shown on the next page. List the three most significant stakeholders down the left hand side of a sheet, and note answers to the following questions for each stakeholder:

What are their interests and priorities?
What are they expecting from the project – what benefits or other results?
How may the change affect them, such as in their working or in other ways?
Are they likely to welcome the change, or not?
What is their likely reaction? What might they do or say to help or hinder the project?

4. Manage stakeholders

The project team can begin to plan practical steps to influence and manage stakeholders. To assist with this, write down the team’s answers to the following questions:

Who are the most significant stakeholders?
How can the project be designed to meet their interests?

5. Involve stakeholders

The project team should consider how the main stakeholders are involved in the project. Think about the following:

Are the most significant stakeholders involved in the right ways?
If not, what can be done to address that?

Stakeholder analysis template

Download the Stakeholder analysis template [doc 12kb]

Stakeholder analysis example

The following example stakeholder analysis is sourced from the CSIP Telecare Implementation Guide (July 2005). It focuses primarily on practitioners, service users and carers, so project teams should also remember to consider senior managers, elected members and other key strategic stakeholders who may influence (both positively and negatively) the development of telecare locally.

Stakeholder	Interests / expectations / benefits	Barriers and concerns	Ideas for managing them / comments
Care Managers	Options in a care plan either alone or with home care/Supporting People arrangements Alternative solutions to risk reduction Ability to improve independence.	Initial cost Understanding knowledge of options	Telecare needs to be built into care management systems and Supporting People plans Costing could be picked up by ICES S31 or other pooled funding arrangements
Carers	Supports a care plan Provides confidence and reassurance	Lack of confidence in equipment and response Responding to false alarms	Demonstration flats can be helpful Improved reliability Standards for equipment and response services
Discharge planners	Prompt discharge from hospital. Early discharge planning needed. Pre-admission information from district nurses (DNs) and GPs and better links with Occupational Therapists (OTs)/AlliedHealth Professionals, Care and Repair.	Inappropriate identification of patients who could benefit from telecare Telecare could lead to lack of confidence in equipment	Control centres could provide a "care coordination and reference role" as well as the monitoring service provision itself Utilise the work of Equipment and Adaptations, Care and Repair services to tackle disrepair, property health & safety checks and provide aids and adaptations
District nurses and Community matrons	Remote monitoring and clinic support by nurses Visits saved so time could be reallocated for preventative work Telecare devices such as falls monitors could be included in falls programmes to improve confidence	Time for multidisciplinary training, agreeing protocols etc Initial cost of setting up	Comprehensive training, clear protocols and pathways of care are vital Links to NHS 24 and other out-of-hours services could be beneficial
Users and carers	Supports a care plan Provides confidence and re-assurance Encourages independence, control and self-care May reduce adverse incidents e.g. falls Reduces isolation 24/7 monitoring	'Big brother'/ethical issues Monitors may be abused, disabled, forgotten, lost Compliance issues	An early discussion with users and practitioners on ethical and other issues will help to overcome this.
Housing managers	Support in sheltered/supported and extra care housing Development of integrated care services Services to enable older people to live independently	May be more difficult to coordinate in other community settings	Clarity needed on local capital and revenue funding arrangements Link with Fair Access to Care Criteria (FACS), floating support and other Supporting People funded services
Intermediate care, Stepup, Stepdown	Support intermediate care programmes and rehabilitation In- patient units can give time to test equipment and gain user and carer confidence	Lack of telecare awareness of Primary Health Care Team particularly GPs and district nurses may lead to uncertainty of benefits	Follow up after discharge vital to sustain clients rehabilitation and confidence in telecare Assess 'move-on' housing with care options such as extra care
Occupational therapists	Single shared assessment process (SSA) Occupational therapy role in assessing for telecare and access to grants for adaptations.	Different types of assessments	Training and awareness needed in telecare assessment and implementation Useful to include Telecare in SSA discussions
Community Safety officer	Provides a number of crime prevention roles Bogus caller protection Domestic violence protection Intruder detection Witness protection, racial harassment	Compliance issues
Specific user groups e.g. mental health /dementia / learning disabilities	Allows early onset dementia sufferers to stay at home longer Provides respite for carers	Compliance issues Consent issues	Telecare needs to be built into Social Services care management systems and Supporting People plans

Practice examples and further information

Links to examples of related documents produced by telecare partnerships from across Scotland and the UK and further information can be found in the Telecare Resource Bank. These include:-

CSIP Telecare Implementation Guide (2005)
Edinburgh Partnership – Telecare Communication Plan
Fife Partnership - Telecare Communication Plan
Highland Partnership – Telecare Communication Plan

Tool 3 - Stakeholder Management and Communication Plan template

Download the template [doc 32kb]

Implementing Telecare Identify and analyse key stakeholders