Stakeholder Consultation & Dialogue
We distinguish between two forms of stakeholder interaction:
- Consultation can take several forms, where the emphasis is on ascertaining stakeholder views and recommendations. Typical activities might include surveys to gauge views on content and style for a planned report, or employee workshops to assess views on how a company should embark on a journey towards sustainability. We use several qualitative and quantitative techniques to gather the views of informed audiences on a range of discussion topics – and for some of our international clients, we track changes in stakeholder concerns year on year.
- Dialogue centres on engagement. Gathering and recording views are not sufficient: we need to engage actively with stakeholders to explore views, question attitudes, take debates forward.
Stakeholder consultation forms an integral part of our work, whether in developing reports, setting sustainability targets or devising communications strategies.
We are also increasingly involved in facilitation projects centering on stakeholder dialogue, and since 1998 have formed part of a team facilitating an on-going national dialogue between the UK nuclear industry and over 400 stakeholders from civil society. Meetings may involve 150 stakeholders in two-day conferences, or monthly meetings of fewer than twenty stakeholders. We are involved in the design, facilitation and reporting of each of these meetings.
For further details see:
www.the-environment-council.org.uk/templates/mn_template.asp?id=211
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