A stakeholder is any individual, group, or organization with an interest in or affected by a decision, project, or policy. In municipal contexts, stakeholders include residents, businesses, community organizations, advocacy groups, developers, other governments, and municipal staff. Effective stakeholder engagement involves identifying who has interests in a matter, understanding their perspectives, and providing meaningful opportunities for input. Different stakeholders may have conflicting interests—balancing these is part of democratic decision-making. Stakeholder engagement ranges from informing people about decisions to collaborative processes where stakeholders help shape outcomes. Municipal projects typically include stakeholder identification and engagement plans appropriate to the project's scope and impact.