Value flow mapping: Using networks to inform stakeholder analysis

Stakeholder theory has garnered significant interest from the corporate community, but has proved difficult to apply to large government programs. A detailed value flow exercise was conducted to identify the value delivery mechanisms among stakeholders for the current Vision for Space Exploration. We propose a method for capturing stakeholder needs that explicitly recognizes the outcomes required of the value creating organization. The captured stakeholder needs are then translated into input–output models for each stakeholder, which are then aggregated into a network model. Analysis of this network suggests that benefits are infrequently linked to the root provider of value. Furthermore, it is noted that requirements should not only be written to influence the organization's outputs, but also to influence the propagation of benefit further along the value chain. A number of future applications of this model to systems architecture and requirement analysis are discussed.