Templates and records · ISO 26000:2010 · Clause 5.3
ISO 26000 stakeholder map template
Who is affected by the company’s decisions or can influence them, what they expect and how they are heard.
In one sentence
The stakeholder map identifies each group affected by the company’s decisions or activities, its interests, how the organisation affects it and the way it is engaged; it is good practice, because ISO 26000 recommends identifying and engaging stakeholders (5.3) without requiring this to be documented.
- Where the standard requires it
- ISO 26000:2010 · Clause 5.3 Clauses are cited using the numbering of ISO 26000:2010, the only edition published. As it is a guidance standard, no template is mandatory: all are listed as good practice.
- Type of information
- Good practice Good practice: ISO 26000 is a guidance standard (clause 5.3)
- Who fills it in
- Social responsibility lead With each department that deals with a group: people, purchasing, sales, management
- When
- When the approach is launched and at each review Also when a project brings new impacts on the surrounding area
- How long it is kept
- Decided by the organisation As a guidance standard, ISO 26000 sets no retention periods. Keeping several years’ worth lets you show progress over time, which is what stakeholders value most.
What the standard requires
What ISO 26000:2010 demands and what it leaves to your judgement
The guidance suggests questions for identifying stakeholders: to whom the company has legal obligations, who may be affected by its decisions, who has raised concerns in the past, who can help address specific impacts and who would be disadvantaged if left out.
It distinguishes between identifying and engaging: engagement is a dialogue with genuine exchange, not one-way communication.
In SGE 21, the relationship with stakeholders is an auditable requirement (6.1.7); that plan goes beyond the map and includes commitments and evidence of results.
Structure
Fields the template should include
- Stakeholder and representatives
- Relationship with the company and how its decisions affect them
- Known interests and expectations
- Ability to influence
- Form of engagement: consultation, dialogue, collaboration
- Relationship owner
- Latest interaction and commitments made
Example
Example: four of the cooperative’s stakeholders (fictitious organisation)
Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Seasonal harvest workers | Affected by housing, transport and contracts · dialogue with their representatives and a local NGO · owner: people |
| Irrigation users’ association | Shares the aquifer · quarterly meetings · commitment to cut irrigation per hectare by 10 % |
| Local council | Permits and local jobs · annual meeting · partnership on agricultural training |
| Retail chain customers | Require social audits · annual questionnaires · owner: sales |
At the audit
Mistakes auditors commonly flag
- The map lists only customers, employees and shareholders.
- Groups are identified but there is no record of how they were heard.
- People who are affected but have no voice, such as subcontractors’ workers, are forgotten.
- The map never changes.
In Kimobox
How this record is kept in Kimobox
- 1The stakeholder map and their expectations are recorded in Kimobox.
- 2Every relevant interaction is logged with its outcome.
- 3Stakeholders are linked to the issues in the core subjects assessment.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before getting started
How does it differ from the SGE 21 stakeholder relations plan?
ISO 26000 recommends identifying and engaging stakeholders; SGE 21 turns this into an auditable requirement, with a method for detecting expectations, prioritised action plans and evidence of results.
Is a survey enough?
A survey is one form of consultation, but the guidance puts the emphasis on dialogue. For the most affected groups, a direct and ongoing relationship works better.
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Sources
Where each figure comes from
References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.
- ISO 26000:2010 — Guidance on social responsibility ISO · 2010 ed.
- SGE 21. Sistema de Gestión Ética, Sostenible y Responsable (Ethical, Sustainable and Responsible Management System) Forética · October 2024 version