Much information is available online in the form of articles, publications, project reports, etc. The urban context adds an element of complexity due to the density of diverse populations living in the same geographical area. A literature review can help navigate this diversity, but primary research in the field can prove very helpful, as people will provide useful insights into the context and its complex dynamics. Local sources may include universities, municipalities, NGOs, and other organisations, but these can be hard to find online. Therefore, contacting local entities to explicitly ask them for information is recommended. This may take some time, so starting early will avoid delaying the process.
Stakeholder mapping helps to identify the influential stakeholders in a specific context. Stakeholders can be identified during the research and through local partners. The stakeholder list should be populated throughout the different intervention phases (and often needs to be undertaken when generating the project idea), and helps identify with whom to conduct Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), surveys and other activities. Ensuring that enough information is collected can enable inclusive engagement in the next phases of the intervention. For example, engagement with different groups living in the same neighbourhood is possible only if they were identified during the context analysis.
