Streamlining Stakeholder Analysis with Digital Brainstorming and Mapping Platforms

Introduction to OFFB

The Operator’s Association for Emergency Response (OFFB) is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting several oil and gas companies operating on the Norwegian continental shelf. In addition to providing professional emergency response services, OFFB also acts as a resource and expertise center.  

OFFB’s 2nd line emergency response organizations main task is to respond to incidents which carry the risk of affecting or harming people, the environment or physical assets. OFFB trains and exercises its own personnel, the operator’s 3rd line emergency response organization as well as collaborating actors.

OFFB’s Strategic Crisis Communication Team (SKT in Norwegian) advises and supports operators at a strategic level through training and exercises, courses and continuous development in, among other things, writing messages about ongoing emergency situations, media management, media monitoring, stakeholder analyses and stakeholder follow-up.

The goal of the SKT is to ensure good collaboration between everyone affected by crises, and to make sure that correct information is released at all times.

The organization manages over 100 emergency drills annually, including stakeholder mapping, analysis, and communication strategy development. Learn more about OFFB on their official website.

About Alf Inge Molde

Alf Inge Molde is the head of OFFB’s Strategic Crisis Communication Team, which includes 15 seasoned communication experts. With a strong background in facilitation, leadership, and managing operations, Alf Inge plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth execution of crisis response strategies.

In his role, Alf Inge:

  • Leads emergency response initiatives for member organizations.
  • Facilitates stakeholder mapping and crisis communication workshops.
  • Oversees operations during real-time crisis events and complex emergency simulations.
  • With a reputation for fostering collaboration and delivering results under pressure, Alf Inge has been instrumental in driving the success of OFFB’s crisis management approach.

Alf Inge emphasizes, “Crisis situations demand clarity, collaboration, and precision. Our team’s ability to achieve these depends on having tools like GroupMap that make it easier to manage complexity.”

Challenges Faced by OFFB

In the oil and gas sector, crises have far-reaching implications for multiple stakeholders, including employees, contractors, and government agencies. Like other emergency response organizations, OFFB experienced that the ripple effect in emergency response situations presented challenges:

  • Stakeholder Complexity: Creating comprehensive, accurate stakeholder maps for offshore and onshore hazards.
  • Geographical Disparity: Collaborating effectively with teams dispersed across various sites.
  • Dynamic Situations: Adjusting stakeholder analyses and communication strategies to real-time developments during crises.

Alf Inge shared, “The biggest hurdle was finding a tool that was not only effective but also dynamic and accessible to multiple team members, often working on different locations. GroupMap has proven to be a good choice for our needs.”

Strengthened and Simplified Collaboration Through GroupMap

OFFB discovered GroupMap through recommendations from other crisis management professionals. Recognized for its ability to represent complex data and prioritize stakeholder needs visually, GroupMap quickly proved to be the ideal solution for OFFB’s unique challenges.

GroupMap became an integral tool in OFFB’s strategic crisis management processes. Using the platform’s customizable Power and Interest Matrix in the Stakeholder Map Template, OFFB is able to:

  1. Visualize Stakeholder Relationships: Identify and prioritize stakeholders’ needs and concerns during crises.
  2. Conduct Real-Time Adjustments: Dynamically update and refine stakeholder maps during emergency situations.
  3. Simulate Crisis Scenarios: Support the organization’s 100+ annual emergency drills with tailored stakeholder analyses.

Alf Inge explained, “We actively use GroupMap to create stakeholder maps for various defined hazard and accident situations. These maps are indispensable when we need to react quickly and accurately during an emergency.”

He added, “The ability to adjust stakeholder maps dynamically in real-time is crucial. With GroupMap, we’re able to align everyone on the team, no matter where they’re located, and ensure we’re always making informed decisions.”

For OFFB, GroupMap stands out due to its:

  • Reliability: Stable and dependable during high-pressure situations.
  • Intuitive Design: User-friendly interface accessible to all team members.
  • Flexibility: Adaptable templates for diverse crisis scenarios.

Alf Inge commented, “It’s not just about the features—it’s about how easily those features integrate into our workflow. GroupMap gives us the stability and usability we need in the moments that matter most.”

Outcomes and Benefits

Adopting GroupMap has led to transformative improvements for OFFB:

  • Enhanced Decision-Making: Clearer insights into stakeholder priorities allow faster and more strategic responses.
  • Improved Collaboration: Enables seamless teamwork across geographical locations.
  • Reduced Stress: Provides a structured approach that eases pressure during emergency simulations and real crises.

“GroupMap has helped us focus on what matters most—effective communication and engagement during critical moments,” Alf Inge shared.

He continued, “The feedback from our team has been overwhelmingly positive. They appreciate how intuitive the platform is and how it effectively enhances our ability to visualize stakeholder priorities.”

Alf Inge recommends GroupMap to any organization managing complex stakeholder relationships, particularly in high-pressure scenarios. His advice:

“Use tools like GroupMap to visualize and prioritize your stakeholders. It’s an invaluable resource for building effective communication strategies and fostering team collaboration.”

He added, “Whether you’re in a crisis or running a training simulation, having the right tools can make all the difference. GroupMap has become a cornerstone of our stakeholder management process.”

Ready to help your team improve collaboration and decision making?  Visit GroupMap today.

Creating workshops with a difference – Youth Leaders in Aged Care

How do you get young people to be more involved in aged care boards? Injecting fresh innovative ideas into boards requires a new approach. Rather than a traditional workshop, with sticky notes that don’t stick, the organizers ran an “unconference” where people across generations could share ideas in real-time using an online brainstorming tool. Combining an audience response system with guest speakers from leadership bodies helped to engage the crowd and capture more ideas quickly and come up with strategies for action.

Dr Nicky Howe of Southcare Inc.

Alicia Curtis, Facilitator

Teaming up with Southcare Inc and facilitator Alicia Curtis, GroupMap joined in the action with over 30 brilliant minds to create innovative aged care organisations.

“How can we redesign our services and become more socially innovative?”

Dr. Nicky Howe

Southcare Unconference

Here’s their top 3, which they were happy to share. How would you rate?

1. Be okay with failing – Don’t blame failure, celebrate it. Define the appetite for the risk, then take a bite!

2. Create a culture of open communication – have respectful debates and look outside your own community for ideas.

3. Challenge the values of the boardroom– give people permission to think with innovation and challenge the “common sense” approach in the boardroom.

Engaging youth was the next challenge, but with over 46 ideas generated, there were certainly a few standouts. Popular actions included advertising in youth areas and universities, reaching out to grandchildren and specialised training programs. Specific governance strategies included changing constitutions to re-define board profiles to hosting youth-driven think tanks. Ideas that really broke from the norm included reaching out to detention centres, immigrant families and having permanent rotating positions.
So how did they come up with these ideas?
People sat in cross-generation teams and were addressed by industry leaders who shared their views and insights, creating a little communication fodder. Some believed it was about creating innovation champions within organisations and individuals change agents (Sue Van Leeuwan, CEO-Leadership WA) whilst others believed it required the whole Board to have the right mix and culture. Patrick Critchton, Justine Colyer – Chair.CEO – Rise Network). What seemed less divided was the need for training the next generation through structured pathways (Julian Keys- Chairperson, Swancare) and creativity and diversity on boards to ensure you aren’t just recycling the same old concepts.(Andrew York, CEO – People who care) The group was given tasks like writing a business case for their board and to brainstorm takeaway actions to increase engagement of youth in aged care. Seeing a room full of passionate people taking a collaborative approach to problem-solving was great. Coupled with an electronic meeting tool that brings everyone’s ideas together in real-time was an effective way to solve common problems across the sector.
From our perspective, it was great to see the inter-generational sharing and diversity of the team come together to meet help solve the issues associated with the Aged Care sector. Having a mixed team of ages, genders and industry backgrounds doesn’t come without its challenges. Sufficient time is needed to allow each participant to share their story and to justify why their idea should “stay on the page.”

All the best for your next collaborative workshop. We hope these tips and story helps you create better engagement too! Here are some testimonials from the facilitator and some of the participants during the workshop.