Stakeholder Engagement

Effective stakeholder engagement requires a planned approach that identifies the key stakeholders, their needs and the benefits to them from participating in the process.

As a member of the Engagement Institute (formely IAP2)  I’m serious about meaningful community engagement processes. Open and transparent processes are paramount. I have been involved in the coordination of a range of consultation-based projects over several years, including a number of state-level strategies, plans and policies such as the:

• WA Roadmap to 2028 (Sheep Producers Australia)
• Regional Drought Resilience Planning (Pilbara Development Commission)
• Skills Summits (Department of Training and Workforce Development)
• Soil Health Strategy (Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development)
• Climate Adaptation Strategy (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation)
• Intellectual Property Policy Review (Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation)
• WA Plan for Plastics (Department of Water and Environmental Regulation)
• Forestry Industry Development Plan (Forest Products Commission)

Local government and business have been supported in their engagement processes, such as:

• Elected Members workshops (City of Joondalup)
• Murchison Georegion and Geoparks Strategic Plan - Review and update workshop (Shire of Mount Magnet)
• Community Reference Group workshops to inform the development of the Margaret River Precinct Plan (Shire of Augusta-Margaret River)
• Community forums to provide input into the development of an integrated management plan for local waterways (City of Busselton)
• Stakeholder workshop to provide input into the East Kimberley Strategic Community Plan (Shire of Wyndham-East Kimberley)
• Stakeholder Reference Group to review Alcoa Australia’s Long Term Residue Management Strategy at their Pinjarra, Kwinana and Wagerup refineries (Alcoa)

Planning your engagement process

You may need an independent person to help with the development of stakeholder engagement plan. This should include:

• The purpose and outcomes of the engagement process
• The scope of the plan – the issues around which engagement will occur
• Stakeholder identification and mapping
• Identification of the level of engagement – using the Engagement Institute Spectrum of Public Participation
• Engagement and consultation strategy
  • Scoping – identifying decision points, stakeholders and the negotiable issues
  • Planning – defining success for stakeholders and identifying risks
  • Implementation – outlining the engagement and communication activities
  • Evaluation – describing the monitoring and evaluation of the process.

Implementing your engagement process

Or you may be ready to actively engage your target audience. This may include:

• Key stakeholder workshops or information sessions
• Utilising your website or Youtube channel
• A set of FAQs to provide proactive responses
• Development of a project information pack

Our experience in working with government and community stakeholders throughout Australia means we’re able to deliver a tailored product and process that provides ongoing value for you, your project and your stakeholders long after the engagement process has been completed.