stakeholders on the ground =?

Refers to "the governments and the PhD graduates who are eager to sell themselves?"

Context:

One way in which governments can bring about change is to better match educational supply with occupational demand. They should get smart, independent labour economists to comb through wage and employment data that reveal which types of science-related job are in short supply, and talk to stakeholders on the ground to confirm the findings. Governments should then open the doors to more PhDs only where they are most needed. Such analyses are already under way, and should be encouraged.

More:
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v472/n7343/full/472259b.html