Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Engagement

 

Focus is placed on the human element of change, which includes getting people to adopt new behaviours as well as change the way they think and feel.

Stakeholders need to know what we expect of them if we want them to participate or complete a task in a different way. The intent must be clear if we want them to feel assured, empowered, or confident.

We had a high-profile presentation to the United National Development Program (UNPD) in Zambia on the 22nd of October by a member of our executive leadership team for EDC-CJI

 

Promote the programme by spreading a positive message (at a specific time, place or way).

Assure that risks have been identified and managed and instil confidence in the team’s capability.

Government officials, non-profits, unions, and members of the media joined the UNPD delegation.

Our communities’ behaviour has to be changed, and since entrepreneurship is a new concept in Zambia, we have devised several ways to achieve this:

 

Engage in a dialogue that moves you forwards.

Create a communication strategy that includes the use of visual tools and storytelling techniques to create compelling messaging.

 

Convincingly communicate

Visual aids, multi-media, one-on-one meetings, workshops, forums, social media, surveys, newsletters, and web tools are all part of the plan to facilitate progressive dialogue. Reference groups are also part of the plan, as are scenario-based activities, hypotheticals, and experiential learning sessions.

Effective stakeholder engagement creates alignment, clarifies objectives, and empowers teams to deliver results.

Our experiences, core values, and what we’ve learned from other organisations like the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have all gone into developing best practices for stakeholder professionals. These practises span the phases of stakeholder engagement, communication, compliance, and reporting.

 

Here are five strategies for involving stakeholders that have worked well in the past.

 

Create a strategy.

Making a stakeholder engagement plan should always be your first step. As long as you have a strategy in place, you can be confident that your organisation has the capability necessary to effectively engage stakeholders.

By doing this, you’ll be able to show your reporting is transparent, and how you’ve addressed stakeholder feedback.

Be prompt in your response and ensure that you are followed up with.

Don’t just listen; address any issues or complaints that stakeholders bring to your attention.

Be adaptable and willing to change.

It’s not about making people your puppets when you engage stakeholders. Stakeholder engagement best practice means you’re open to making changes and adapting when constructive feedback is received.

 

Set goals and criteria for success and stick to them.

Even if you follow all the best practices for stakeholder engagement, you won’t know if your efforts have been fruitful unless you keep track of engagement levels, processes, and outcomes, and know what you’re looking for.

 

Update and report on the situation.

Stakeholder engagement software can assist you in preparing and sharing reports and updates.

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