Skill 12: Identifying Stakeholders in Problem Formulation

1. Stakeholder Identification Framework

What to Teach

Students should learn to systematically identify all parties affected by a computational system, not just the obvious users.

Who Are Stakeholders?

Stakeholders include anyone who is affected by or has influence over a technology system:

• Direct users: People who interact with the system directly
• Indirect users: People affected by the system's outputs or decisions
• System operators: People who maintain, moderate, or manage the system
• Data subjects: People whose information is collected or processed
• Economic stakeholders: Companies, advertisers, investors with financial interests
• Regulatory stakeholders: Government agencies, legal authorities
• Broader community: Society members affected by the technology's existence

2. Values and Interests Analysis

What to Teach

Each stakeholder has specific values and interests that may conflict with others. Students must identify what each stakeholder cares about.

Common Values in Technology Contexts

• Privacy: Control over personal information
• Safety: Protection from harm (physical, emotional, financial)
• Accessibility: Equal access regardless of abilities or circumstances
• Fairness: Equitable treatment and representation
• Financial cost: Minimizing expenses or maximizing profit
• Reputation: Maintaining positive public image
• Legal compliance: Following laws and regulations
• Autonomy: Having choice and control over decisions
• Efficiency: Accomplishing goals quickly and effectively

3. Stakeholder-Value Matrix

What to Teach

Students should create a matrix where rows represent stakeholders and columns represent values, with cells describing how each stakeholder relates to each value.

Matrix Construction Process

1. List all identified stakeholders as rows
2. List all relevant values as columns
3. Fill each cell with how that stakeholder experiences or prioritizes that value
4. Look for empty cells - these may reveal overlooked relationships
5. Identify patterns and potential conflicts

Partly Filled Matrices

Often, students will be given a partly filled in matrix, and will be asked to either fill in cells, or add rows or columns.

Example Matrix: Online Learning Platform

Stakeholder	Privacy	Safety	Financial Cost	Efficiency	Fairness
Students	Want control over personal data sharing	Need protection from harassment, cheating	Want affordable/free access	Want fast loading, easy navigation	Want equal grading standards
Instructors	Want to protect student data	Need tools to detect cheating	Want reasonable platform fees	Want streamlined grading tools	Want consistent course policies
Parents/guardians	Want transparency about child's data	Want to monitor child's safety online	Want cost-effective education	Want easy progress tracking	Want equal opportunities for child
School administrators	Must comply with FERPA regulations	Need to prevent academic misconduct	Want cost-effective institutional licenses	Want automated reporting systems	Want equitable access across demographics
Platform employees	Must protect user data per policy	Need safe working conditions	Want profitable business model	Want scalable technical systems	Want fair employment practices

4. Identifying Values Conflicts

What to Teach

Students must recognize where stakeholder interests directly oppose each other and analyze the implications.

Example Conflicts in Online Learning

• Privacy vs. Safety: Students want privacy, but schools need to monitor for academic integrity
• Cost vs. Accessibility: Platform wants profit, but students need affordable access
• Efficiency vs. Fairness: Automated grading is fast but may disadvantage some learning goals

Conflict Analysis Questions

• Which stakeholders are most affected by this conflict?
• What are the potential consequences if each side "wins"?
• Are there creative solutions that address both sides' core concerns?
• What modifications could reduce the severity of the conflict?