Understanding the opinions, experiences and attitudes of key stakeholders is crucial to businesses and organisations.

Populus approaches the task of researching these individuals from the assumption that companies and organisations typically know best who their stakeholders are and so works with the client to compile a ‘long list’ of key stakeholders. However, our process is rigorous and we can challenge clients to reconsider their assumptions about who really matters to their business. The client is invited to approve the list, adding or removing individual names as appropriate. If appropriate, quotas are established, under which it is agreed that a defined proportion of the total number of participants will come from each stakeholder category.

Populus then writes to individuals named on the long list inviting them to take part in an interview or discussion, assuring them of confidentiality and offering an incentive as appropriate.

On completion of the project Populus will confirm the number of individuals who were interviewed or took part in a discussion from each category. In order to protect participants’ confidentiality and encourage candour, the names of individual participants are not disclosed to the client or to any third party.