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particular strategy or policy. Stakeholder analysis enables policy makers to interact more effectively with key stakeholders and to increase their support for a particular strategy or policy (Schmeer 1999). The analysis also helps to detect potential misunderstandings about the strategy or policy and to identify actions to prevent opposition to it. International experience shows that the development of multisectoral national plans requires building and implementing cross-sectoral and multistakeholder networks that can provide a synergistic, concerted, and coherent approach to preventing NCDs and their risk factors (Hunter et al. 2019). A major challenge in the process is to ensure that diverse organizations, agencies, and groups develop meaningful partnerships to tackle shared goals—this effort is necessary because, traditionally, organizations are used to working within a single sector rather than across sectors.
METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH Eight broad steps in the analytical process, suggested by Schmeer (1999), were followed in preparing and conducting the stakeholder analysis.
Step 1. Plan the analysis process The first step entailed (1) defining the purpose of the analysis (to inform setting up a participatory, consensus-building process for developing the master plan and its implementation); (2) identifying the intended uses of the results of the analysis (to conceive approaches for engaging stakeholders and increasing their support of the master plan, to identify alliances among stakeholders and build on them, and to guide the identification of sectors for which implementation plans are required); and (3) establishing a timeline for the analysis (from October 2019 to April 2020). Two consultative workshops were held to involve representatives of various stakeholders in the analysis process.
Step 2. Select the focus of the master plan The analysis focused on the three behavioral risk factors and four biological ones, presented in chapter 9 of this book.
Step 3. Identify stakeholders Stakeholders were initially identified from the results of a stakeholder analysis recently conducted as part of the process of developing a public health strategy (SCDC 2019). The list of stakeholders identified during the review of existing strategies, policies, and programs (chapter 6) was then used to narrow down the analysis and focus it on the stakeholders with a mandate or interest in influencing or participating in tackling selected NCD risk factors, regardless of the sector to which they belong. The comprehensive list of stakeholders was discussed with participants at a consultative workshop held in February 2020 and refined on the basis of the feedback received.
Step 4. Select three mapping tools The comprehensive mapping table (annex 10A) was used to identify stakeholders’ interest in modifying selected behavioral and biological risk factors.
