Quality Engagement and Integrated Planning

Stakeholder engagement :

Hitomi Rankine

& Arun Jacob

Environment and Development Division

UNESCAP

2030 Agenda engagement – not “business as usual”

2030 Agenda commitments

Leave no one behind: inclusion; multistakeholder partnership, participation

Balanced integration of the threedimensions of sustainable development –economic, social and environmental

Transparency & accountability

What is stakeholder

engagement?The defining characteristics of stakeholder and community engagement include that it is:

• PURPOSEFUL: An intentional process that has a clear objective and is mostly planned

• INFLUENTIAL: Provides opportunities to shape decisions and actions of individuals, communities and/or organizations

• ITERATIVE: Recognizes of the interrelationships between the decisions and actions of organisations, stakeholders, communities and individuals

• COLLABORATIVE: Recognizes the rights and responsibilities and roles of organizations, stakeholders, communities and individuals.

Stakeholder Engagement – how can stakeholders

contributePlanning

oDeveloping social, political and scientific consensus on (1) sustainable development problem/situation analysis(2) national priorities and targets and (3) critical challenges

o Better understanding systemic issues, inter-relationships – balanced integration

o Ensuring that marginalized and impacted groups are part of the conversation

Delivery/action

o Activation - creating ownership and motivating action

o Public outreach and awareness ; outreach to specific stakeholders

oDeveloping a shared vision at the relevant level (national/local)

o Aligning interests of different stakeholders to promote partnerships

Follow up and review

o Social and scientific consensus on progress, priorities and gaps

o Partnerships to close data gaps

Why is stakeholder planning needed ?Integration requires the

meaningful dialogue and

understanding between

stakeholders;

The integrity of the analysis

of SDG interlinkages depends

on who is involved;

Meaningful engagement

requires a systematic,

planned approach

The Four Dimensions of Quality Engagement

Quality engagement is:

1. PURPOSEFUL: i.e.; well planned and resourced, and focused on a clear objective;

2. PROACTIVE: i.e.: good provision for communication, outreach and responsiveness;

3. INCLUSIVE: i.e.: includes diverse groups of people;

4.TRANSFORMATIVE: i.e.: it leads to meaningful and sustained outcomes.

Who are the stakeholders?

Who are the

stakeholders ?

Recognizing &

working with

specific

constituencies –

the global

“major groups”

Farmers

Fisherfolk

Indigenous

Peoples

LGBTIQ

Local

Authorities

Migrants

Older

Persons

NGOs

Persons with

Disabilities

People Affected

by Conflict

and Disasters

People Living

with/Affected

by HIV

Science and

Technology

Small and

Medium

Enterprises Trade Unions

and Workers

Urban Poor

Women

Children,

Youth and

Adolescents

Leading Partners

Directly affected

stakeholdersCommunities

Designing, planning, evaluating and

implementing engagement

• Step 1: Understand Context

• Step 2: Scope Project

• Step 3: Understand People (stakeholder analysis)

• Step 4: Set Purpose

• Step 5: Shape Influence

• Step 6: Secure Leadership Commitment

• Step 7: Engagement Sequence

• Step 8: Select Methods

• Step 9: Evaluating Engagement

• Step 10: Governance and implementation

Group learning – developing recommendations for

stakeholder engagement

Context:

You are a policymaker developing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan with the aim to

strengthen policy coherence to ensure that stateless people are not left behind.

Activities:

• Part I : Identify the stakeholders and use the mapping framework presented.

Choose one of the four groups that you want to develop recommendations for

engaging and share• Part II : Explore the context & engagement issues for the group that you will focus on,

agree on an engagement objective

• Part III : Develop recommendations/strategies for engaging with the group you have

chosen

Part I20 mins

On your table:

1) Identify the stakeholders from the case (use your results from

the integration exercise (on post-its)

2) Use the mapping framework to map your stakeholders

3) Take 2 mins to look at the other groups’ results …

Leading Partners

Directly affected

stakeholdersCommunities

Part II

25 mins

1) Explore the context for the group that you will focus on

(use flip chart)

2) Agree on an engagement objective

• Support the overall objective – integrated policy

Exploring context

• What is the past experience engaging with this group?

• What levels of trust (lead-group) and mutual

• Levels of cohesion

• Existing coordination/engagement structures and institutionalization

• Interest ? Influence ? Awareness?

• Access to ICT

• Barriers to engaging ?

Identifying objectives for

engagement • What is your objective when engaging with this group?

• Relate your objective to the objective and context: You are a

policymaker developing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan with the aim

to strengthen policy coherence to ensure that stateless people are not

left behind.

• Define the right level of engagement (IAP2 spectrum)

(on the flip chart)

Shape Influence

SOURCE: IAP2 Foundations for Public Participation

Part III

30 mins.

1)Develop 3 key recommendations for meaningful engagement

• In station rounds (8 mins per station – move on when

signalled)

• To respond to each dimension of quality engagement

• Complement the previous group’s ideas

Purposeful Engagement

Inclusive Engagement

Transformative Engagement

Proactive Engagement

Thoughts ?

• How useful was the exercise ?

• Any insights that you would like to share?

Stakeholder Analysis Tool – Alternative

IMPACT

Barriers to Effective Engagement

Systemic

Practice

o Aspects of the enabling environment – such as civic education,

organizational infrastructure, facilitation capacity etc.

o Trust between governments and civil society and the public

o Support for CSO roles as part of the facilitation

capacity/infrastructure (CSOs can help bring the “left behind”

into the picture)

o Others ?

o Alignment with the 2030 Agenda commitments – requires

more innovation, knowledge and specific tools adapted for

2030 Agenda requirements

o Lack of shared understanding of what quality engagement

looks like.

o Others?

Institutionalizing

engagement

Institutionalized engagement at the organizational level requires:

• Organizational leadership, support and commitment throughout the layers of

the organization.

• Specific mechanisms and channels for communication with stakeholders.

• Institutional responsibility and resources to be allocated.

• A common understanding of the organizational purpose for engaging

stakeholders and how it links with the organizational mandate

• A common understanding of the expected standard/quality of engagement

• A common understanding of what kinds of decisions require stakeholder

input, and who are the organization’s stakeholders.

• There are responsibilities, capacities and resources allocated for engagement