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Planning: Your first steps
Once you have committed to becoming more proactive in community and business engagement, the next step is to identify the key stakeholders who will need to be included in the process. Some of these will have been identified in the rationale stage. They may also have taken part in the working group already or have been consulted.
There are a very wide range of individuals and groups who need to be included in any effective stakeholder consultation process. They will have a wide range of differing roles, levels of interest or viewpoints on the process as a whole and on the role of a provider in the community.
You will already have views about which stakeholders to include but it is important to take a very wide view at the start of the process. It may also be useful to try to identify the characteristics of your relationships with the various stakeholders identified, the types of which may include staff, learners, local businesses, suppliers, local voluntary organisations, pressure groups, trade unions, disability groups, churches, sports organisations etc.
Your approach to the different types of stakeholders may differ, depending on a number of factors. Some could be defined as “close range” stakeholders who have a direct and active participation with you and your organisation already or who may be interested in increasing their level of involvement. Others may be “wider” stakeholders, with more peripheral or occasional involvement with you and your organisation.
Having thought this through, it can be useful to identify all key local (and regional) stakeholders and document this in a diagram or table to show the nature of the relationship with a commentary on strengths and weaknesses. It is also important to identify named individuals at this early stage wherever possible this approach will help to accelerate networking and active participation by the provider and its stakeholders.
As a next step, you should map the key current / perceived needs of the stakeholders. For example, local residents may want to use your facilities for a meeting space, sports and recreation or evening classes.
There are a very wide range of individuals and groups who need to be included in any effective stakeholder consultation process. They will have a wide range of differing roles, levels of interest or viewpoints on the process as a whole and on the role of a provider in the community.
You will already have views about which stakeholders to include but it is important to take a very wide view at the start of the process. It may also be useful to try to identify the characteristics of your relationships with the various stakeholders identified, the types of which may include staff, learners, local businesses, suppliers, local voluntary organisations, pressure groups, trade unions, disability groups, churches, sports organisations etc.
Your approach to the different types of stakeholders may differ, depending on a number of factors. Some could be defined as “close range” stakeholders who have a direct and active participation with you and your organisation already or who may be interested in increasing their level of involvement. Others may be “wider” stakeholders, with more peripheral or occasional involvement with you and your organisation.
Having thought this through, it can be useful to identify all key local (and regional) stakeholders and document this in a diagram or table to show the nature of the relationship with a commentary on strengths and weaknesses. It is also important to identify named individuals at this early stage wherever possible this approach will help to accelerate networking and active participation by the provider and its stakeholders.
As a next step, you should map the key current / perceived needs of the stakeholders. For example, local residents may want to use your facilities for a meeting space, sports and recreation or evening classes.
