The STAKEHOLDER IDENTITY CARD is an empathy mapping exercise that aims at creating understanding around a stakeholder's specific role, strengths, constraints and motivations within their local context. It creates the baseline to inspire and motivate stakeholders, ensuring their enthusiasm and commitment to your project.
This tool was developed alongside two others for the URBACT University 2026. By the end of the exercise participants will clearly know what moves their stakeholder to engage, which may help them move forward their characters on the Stakeholder Engagement Board and define their role for the Testing Action Implementation Canvas.
Who is this tool for?
City practitioners in charge of multi-stakeholder groups
When should the tool be used?
It should be used towards the beginning of the project, during the initial stakeholder mapping and may be repeated as needed during the project cycle. It is particularly useful when elaborating a strategy to identify which stakeholders can and should be involved.
How to use it online?
This tool can be used during virtual meetings. An editable version of the Stakeholder Identity Card can be downloaded below and sent to participants to fill out. As it was conceived in an A4 format, they can also print it out themselves and fill it out by hand.
Two Tips for Facilitation
- While personas can be powerful tools for building empathy and exploring different stakeholder's perspectives, they also carry the risk of reinforcing stereotypes and unconscious biases. Encourage participants to question assumptions and base their insights on real-world observations, rather than generalities.
Following this initial stage of generating working hypotheses, the tool reaches its full potential if participants bring these profiles into one-to-one stakeholder interviews, using them as a guide to structure a dialogue to uncover real-world constraints and motivations.
- The tool is structured over two pages, that can be used separately or together. Throughout the majority of the exercise, participants step directly into their stakeholder's shoes, completing the card in character. Toward the end of the activity, dedicated sections prompt participants to step out of their persona and capture the new insights and learnings gained from this exercise.
The Stakeholder Identity Card in use during the URBACT University 2026
