The Stakeholder Engagement Manual Volume 2 - AccountAbility

Strengthen Capacities for Engagement
STAGE 3
PURPOSE
Th e aim of this Stage is to ensure that the company and its stakeholders have
the organisational systems and skills to engage successfully in a productive
relationship. It also looks at overcoming the barriers that may hinder stakeholders
from engaging.
Th e activities outlined in this chapter should be understood as an ongoing
eff ort to build and maintain the company’s and its stakeholders’ abilities to
engage. Th ese abilities concern not just the skills needed to facilitate dialogue
and other engagement processes, but also for all the activities that lead up to and
follow engagement, as described in stages one, two and fi ve. Th erefore activities
such as recruitment, training, performance appraisals and the development
of governance structures, policies and management systems should all refl ect
the requirements of the ‘engaging company’. Th is Stage provides some basic
guidance on how this can be done.
Th e abilities of stakeholders to engage also require attention and may need
strengthening. Companies who wish to engage with stakeholders need to
consider the specifi c requirements and limitations of stakeholders, and may have
to provide assistance to under-resourced stakeholders so that these can take part
in engagements.
THE PRACTITIONER'S HANDBOOK ON STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT | 79