The Stakeholder Engagement Manual Volume 2 - AccountAbility

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Analyse and Plan P8: UNDERSTANDING AND LEARNING ABOUT STAKEHOLDERS AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVES Stakeholders’ expectations Knowledge of the issue Legitimacy of stakeholder representative Willingness to engage Possible impacts (negative or positive) of the representative Cultural context Geographical scale at which they operate Stakeholders’ engagement capacity Relationships of stakeholders with each other Stakeholder Profi le - Key Issues Stakeholders will have their own specifi c view regarding an issue, about potential problems, their causes and solutions. Furthermore, stakeholders investing time in engaging with you will expect a ‘return on investment’ in terms of action and response. Try and be as clear as possible about both, the stakeholders’ general view on the issue, and their expectations towards you. Some stakeholders only expect you to have an open and honest conversation with them, others may expect you to make specifi c operational changes or adhere to a certain set of performance standards. Compare the expectations to what you think you can and want to actually do about an issue, given your resources and strategic objectives (these ‘margins of movement’ are further considered in the next step.) Be clear about the representative’s knowledge of the issue. Some stakeholders know as much or even more about an issue than you. In such cases, you may wish to learn from them. Others know far less, and you may want to inform or educate them. This may be particularly important if their actions can have a strong direct or indirect impact on you, for example when they infl uence public policy regarding the issue. When engaging with an individual or an organisation you are often seeking for them to stand as representative of a larger group of stakeholders. Be clear about any assumptions or claims about who a representative speaks for. Are they an elected or recognised representative? Do they have legitimacy in terms of broad support or acknowledged expertise? Or are you seeking a representative sample opinion from individuals who refl ect the broader make-up of the community? Successful engagement requires willingness on both sides. If there is unwillingness, it is advisable to investigate the reasons for this. Sometimes, this may be due to circumstances which you can control and change. In other times, it is important to acknowledge the stakeholders’ right not to engage. Be clear about the specifi c possible impacts of the stakeholder on your business. How can s/he contribute to your objectives? How can s/he stop you from achieving them? When doing this, you also need to consider her/his indirect impacts on you via other stakeholders. Some representatives’ potential impacts on you or on the stakeholder engagement process may be so signifi cant that there is a defi nite necessity to engage them. Consider the specifi c cultural circumstances of the engagement, e.g. language, customs regarding social interaction, gender issues. This may be very relevant to the methods you choose for engagement, as well as to the resource implications. The consideration of cultural issues should ideally be undertaken together with someone familiar with that culture, whether from within or outside the organisation. The geographical scale at which the representative operates, or is willing to operate, should match your engagement plans and objectives. Do you need someone who can engage on a global issue (e.g climate change)? This would require that the representative organisation possesses a signifi cant degree of credibility, legitimacy and oversight for this (e.g. WWF). An issue like the environmental considerations in the building of a new plant, however, is for example more competently addressed with the local administration and/or community. Stakeholders must be treated as a scarce resource, which includes the respectful treatment of their attention and time. Smaller organisations may have very limited fi nancial means and staffi ng capacity. See Stage 3 for further considerations on stakeholder capacities. If you are intending to engage with different stakeholders at the same time, or maybe even involve them in the same activity or locality, it is important to understand their views of and relationships with each other. Tension between your stakeholders can, especially if they are not considered, have very negative infl uences on the outcomes of your engagements with them.
Novozymes' Partnerships in China: STAGE 2 Expanding a company’s business activities into China brings unique challenges, especially for companies from the western hemisphere. The different cultural, economic and regulatory environment in China poses unique challenges. Also, China faces huge pressure in balancing economic growth with environmental and social development. Danish biotech company Novozymes has taken cooperative approaches to managing such challenges and to make the most of the Chinese business environment. For example, Novozymes has teamed up with various Chinese and foreign businesses to set up the China Business Council for Sustainable Development (CBCSD) in January, and currently holds the vice presidency. This gives Novozymes in the opportunity of understanding the link between economic growth and sustainable development in China. Novozymes and all of the other involved companies have undertaken to promote sustainable business practice in China. The CBCSD is affi liated to the World Business Council on Sustainable Development. Another example are Novozymes various partnerships with Chinese universities. These help Novozymes to draw on China’s longstanding tradition in microbiology. In practice, this often involves Chinese students from e.g. Yunnan University in Southern China working together with researchers in Novozymes’ laboratories. Novozymes also invites customers to work with them to increase knowledge of different enzymes and allow them to infl uence the development of solutions to meet their needs. In the longer term, Novozymes expects these engagements with customers and universities to help identify completely new enzyme applications that are directly suitable for the large Asian market. SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY M8: BUILDING STAKEHOLDER PROFILES Th e purpose of this activity is to build up profi les of stakeholder representatives, their expectations, preferred levels of engagement, and their potential impacts. Identify potential representatives for the stakeholder groups that you have identifi ed. • Consider the stakeholders you are already engaging with (identifi ed in previous step), and those that you have come across in your previous research and analysis. • You also have the option of ‘spreading the word’ that you are looking for engagement partners as wide as possible. You may want to launch articles in industry or issue specifi c magazines – asking stakeholders who are willing to engage to approach you. Th is pre-empts the criticism that you are only dealing with ‘the same old stakeholders representatives’ who never push you hard. However, if you do this, make sure you have the resources to at least reply to all stakeholders that approach you. Use the table above as guidance in learning as much as you can about the stakeholder representatives. Visit their websites, read their reports, investigate others’ opinions. Talk to people internally and externally who have been in touch with these stakeholders. You may also want to have some initial conversation with stakeholders, but be careful not to create any false expectations at this Stage. Summarise your understanding by fi lling in parts of the summary Template 8 (next page) for each stakeholder representative that you are already engaging with, or for those that you are considering seriously. THE PRACTITIONER'S HANDBOOK ON STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT | 67
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VOLUME 2
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Forewords Foreword by AccountAbilit
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Contents WELCOME STAGE 1 STAGE 2 ST
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Introduction OPENING NOTE Backgroun
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Introduction WHY ENGAGE? Th e past
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Introduction WHAT IS IN THIS HANDBO
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Forwards Introduction HOW TO USE TH
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Introduction PRINCIPLES AND STANDAR
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Introduction PRINCIPLES AND STANDAR
Page 20 and 21: Introduction PROCESS SUMMARY STAGE
Page 22 and 23: Introduction BEFORE YOU START Befor
Page 24 and 25: Think Strategically STAGE 1 PURPOSE
Page 26 and 27: STAGE 1 Th e process outlined in th
Page 28 and 29: STAGE 1 SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY M1: M
Page 30 and 31: Camelot's Eight Stakeholder Groups
Page 32 and 33: New obligations Public Scrutiny New
Page 34 and 35: Awareness and Preparedness for Emer
Page 36 and 37: STAGE 1 • Identify Strategic Enga
Page 38 and 39: P3: IDENTIFYING ISSUES A B C D E ST
Page 40 and 41: ‘What we know’ ‘What they tel
Page 42 and 43: STAGE 1 THINGS TO CONSIDER This is
Page 44 and 45: Latent Emerging The Four Stages of
Page 46 and 47: Stakeholder dependence on the organ
Page 48 and 49: High impact stakeholder groups are
Page 50 and 51: KEY PRIORITIES Sales, players and w
Page 52 and 53: STAGE 2 Take time to analyse and pl
Page 54 and 55: Analyse and Plan PRINCIPLES Th e ke
Page 56 and 57: Analyse and Plan P5: REVIEWING YOUR
Page 58 and 59: Analyse and Plan P5: REVIEWING YOUR
Page 60 and 61: Analyse and Plan P6: LEARNING FROM
Page 62 and 63: Analyse and Plan P6: LEARNING FROM
Page 64 and 65: Analyse and Plan P7: ASSESSING YOUR
Page 72 and 73: Analyse and Plan P8: UNDERSTANDING
Page 74 and 75: Analyse and Plan P8: UNDERSTANDING
Page 76 and 77: Analyse and Plan P9: CHECKING FOR R
Page 78 and 79: Analyse and Plan P9: CHECKING FOR R
Page 80 and 81: Analyse and Plan P10: CREATING AN I
Page 83 and 84: STAGE 3 Maintain and strengthen the
Page 85 and 86: Strengthen Capacities for Engagemen
Page 99 and 100: Engage with your stakeholders in wa
Page 101 and 102: How this Stage relates to the other
Page 103 and 104: Level Remain Passive Monitor Inform
Page 105 and 106: STAGE 4 • Use the table, as well
Page 107 and 108: Telephone Hotlines (continued) One-
Page 109 and 110: STAGE 4 Involving Stakeholders in I
Page 111 and 112: Stakeholder Advisory or Assurance P
Page 113 and 114: 12 Offi ce of Consumer Affairs “V
Page 115 and 116: Name Common Facilitation Techniques
Page 117 and 118: STAGE 4 Outcomes and process planni
Page 119 and 120: British American Tobacco Uses Indep
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STAGE 4 Article 13's Method of Asse
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STAGE 4 REVIEW STAGE 4 By the end o
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Take action and review the engageme
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P16: CREATING A PLAN FOR ACTION STA
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Strategic Objective STAGE 5 THINGS
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Camelot's Performance Reporting STA
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BAT's Reporting on Stakeholder Dial
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STAGE 5 SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY M17:
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Thinking about Assurance (continued
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Engagement Process SUMMARY TEMPLATE
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ANNEX
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Annex JARGON BUSTER JARGON BUSTER 1
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Annex FURTHER RESOURCES & BIBLIOGRA
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Annex Interact Network: Framework f
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Annex FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS In a
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Annex ACCOUNTABILITY AccountAbility
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Annex STAKEHOLDER RESEARCH ASSOCIAT
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