🧠 Policy Skill of the Week: Staleholder Thinking

One of the most common mistakes in policy writing is proposing a technically good solution that fails politically or socially.
Before recommending any policy, always ask:
Who wins? Who loses? Who can block it?

👥 Key stakeholder types to consider:

🔹Direct beneficiaries — who clearly benefits from the policy

🔹Indirectly affected groups — impacted even if not targeted

🔹Veto players — actors who can stop or delay implementation

🔹Implementing agencies — those who must actually make it work

🔹Silent stakeholders — affected groups with little political voice