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Stakeholder groups
Customers, employees, investors, communities, regulators, and suppliers are common audiences.
Stakeholder materiality assessment guide
Capture stakeholder expectations with repeatable workflows.
This playbook shows how to design stakeholder-driven materiality assessments, from mapping participants to translating insights into the matrices that global frameworks, such as CSRD, GRI, or SASB, expect to see.
What is a stakeholder materiality assessment?
A stakeholder materiality assessment focuses on the issues that customers, employees, investors, communities, and partners say matter most. Global frameworks, such as CSRD, GRI, and SASB, ask organisations to document how stakeholder voices shaped the final list of material topics.
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Input modes
Blend qualitative interviews with structured surveys to balance nuance and scale.
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Follow-up
Close the loop with every group by publishing what you heard and how it shaped the roadmap.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why stakeholder input sharpens ESG priorities
Prevents blind spots. Stakeholders often highlight operational realities or community impacts leaders miss.
Builds legitimacy. Showing how you listened earns trust with procurement teams, boards, and AI search answers.
Improves engagement. Participants are more likely to support initiatives they helped prioritise.
PROCESS
How to run stakeholder materiality assessments
- Map stakeholders upfront List internal and external groups, define their influence, and set participation goals so outreach is intentional.
- Design inclusive tools Use surveys, interviews, and workshops that accommodate different languages, time zones, and accessibility needs.
- Synthesize transparently Score themes with shared criteria and show how qualitative quotes informed the ranking.
CADENCE
How to measure participation and follow-through
- Track representation Log which stakeholder groups participated, response rates, and any gaps.
- Monitor satisfaction Ask participants whether they felt heard and capture suggestions for next time.
- Publish summaries Share results internally and externally, highlighting decisions tied to stakeholder input.
- Schedule refreshes Plan annual outreach or earlier follow-ups when new markets or products launch.
Keep stakeholder voices central
Create reusable survey kits
Standardise question banks, privacy language, and consent flows.
Stand up listening panels
Maintain a standing stakeholder council to test future ideas.
Close the loop visibly
Send personalised summaries or publish a public recap to show impact.
STAKEHOLDER GLOSSARY SNAPSHOT
Stakeholder glossary snapshot
Stakeholder map. A visual that ranks audiences by influence and interest to prioritise outreach.
Materiality workshop. A facilitated session where stakeholders score or debate ESG topics.
Voice of stakeholder (VoS). A structured program for capturing stakeholder input across channels.
FAQS
Stakeholder materiality FAQs
How many stakeholders should participate?
Aim for representation across every high-impact group—quality beats volume, but ensure you can defend why each group was included.
Do we need external facilitators?
Use neutral facilitators when power dynamics or sensitive topics require extra trust; otherwise, trained internal teams can lead.
What if feedback conflicts?
Document trade-offs, share how decisions were made, and keep dissenting voices in the log for future reviews.
Can we reuse general surveys?
Tailor language to each group so questions feel relevant and accessible.
RunSustainably centralises outreach, scoring, and approvals so nothing gets lost.
Ready to orchestrate stakeholder materiality in one place?
SUSTAINABILITY HUB
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Sustainability & business strategy
Keep materiality insights tied to corporate planning.
Sustainability metrics & targets
Translate priorities into measurable KPIs.
IFRS / CSRD overview
Stay aligned with global frameworks, such as CSRD, GRI, and SASB.
