Stakeholders and Supporting Stakeholders vs Interested Parties, and Interest Holders

[NicolasLivanos]

Hi Team,

On the Scrum in a Nutshell section: https://scrumexpansion.org/scrum-guide-expansion-pack/#scrum-in-a-nutshell we read:

“ In a nutshell, Scrum is based on an environment where:

1. Supporting Stakeholders, hereafter referred to as Supporters, doing what is requested to proactively support and enhance the adoption of Scrum, guided and supported by the Scrum Master.”

The distinction between a Stakeholder, and a Supporting stakeholder is made further down in the Scrum Expansion Pack. A casual reader will understand by the “hereafter referred” part that this is what the term “Stakeholder” has been renamed to; but that’s not the case: the Supporters are a type of Stakeholder, as identified later in the doc.

Proposal A:
Consider deleting the “hereafter referred to as Supporters” section and make this distinction in the later part of the pack, more specifically here: The Scrum Guide Expansion Pack | Scrum Guide Expansion Pack

Proposal B:
Consider using the term “Interested Parties”, instead of Stakeholders. The word Stakeholder is a Colonial term and has a very negative connotation for Indigenous Peoples and First Nations. @KeyvanTR also recommended: “Interest Holders”

Thanks so much for your valuable work,

Nicolas

[ViralGoodAgile]

Thank you for bringing this up, @NicolasLivanos

[ViralGoodAgile]

@NicolasLivanos - @rjocham and I recognize your concern. On balance, we want to keep the word but be clearer that we're not referring to a colonial original for the word.

Suggested addition to the appendix with a new Notes section in the September 2025 update:
The authors recognize that the term "stakeholder" has been critiqued for its historical associations, including colonial land-claim practices. In this document, we use "stakeholder" in the sense defined by Freeman (1984): "those who are affected by or can affect a decision." Our intent is to include all individuals, groups, and entities—human and non-human—who have a legitimate interest in or are impacted by Scrum practices and outcomes. We are committed to inclusive, respectful engagement and invite feedback on language preferences.

Thoughts?

[NicolasLivanos]

Thanks so much, John and Ralph! That would be a great addition.

May I also suggest this for your last sentence:

From: " ... and invite feedback on language preferences."
To: " ... and invite your feedback on the Scrum Guide Expansion Pack tone and language."

Thanks so much,

Nicolas