The Stakeholder Engagement Manual Volume 2 - AccountAbility

Analyse and Plan
P5: REVIEWING YOUR PROGRESS
Explanation to Template T5
SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY M5:
ASSESSING YOUR CURRENT ORGANISATIONAL RESPONSE
Th e purpose of this activity is to establish a clearer picture of the degree and
mechanisms that the business currently has in place to address specifi c issues. It involves
an assessment of current processes of management and stakeholder engagement in
relation to the issue, and helps you to identify areas for improvement.
• Using the Template 5 (below) as guidance, investigate what level of
development your organisation has reached in relation to each of your
prioritised issues, and note any particular areas where organisational response
enablers are weak in relation to a particular issue. The Template guides you in
doing this and helps to capture the results of this assessment.
• Chart issues on Issue/Response matrix (above) to highlight those areas
where you fall into the red risk zone or green opportunity zone.
• Identify target levels of development for specifi c aspects of your approach to
prioritised issues or stakeholder map.
• Finally, consider the fi nancial resources that may be required for engagement,
as well as for the possible outcomes of engagement. Are key budget holders
committed to supporting this process? Is it clear to which degree fi nancial
resources will be made available?
THINGS TO CONSIDER
• This process should draw on sources of expertise throughout the company,
including aspects of stakeholder management processes already documented
in policies and guidelines as well as through interviews, workshops or meetings
with key individuals within the company.
• The “current engagement activities” row should ideally be considered in
conjunction with the analysis of current engagement undertaken described on
p63.
The different rows of this table help you to assess whether your business’ current management systems / policies and processes
are adequate for the maturity of the issue in question.
If all of your responses are 1, your organisation is in a good position to respond to the issue in a strategic manner.
If your answers are all 2, then your business response can be considered as embedded.
If all answers are equal to 3, then the current processes are developing.
Answers of 4 indicate an exploratory approach. Finally if the majority of responses are 5, this indicates that your company is
not addressing the issue.
Consider your organisational response in light of the maturity of the issue – are you a leader or a laggard in relation to this issue?
How does this relate to your strategic objectives and assessment of risks and opportunities in this area?
Highlight areas for improvement in the fi nal row.