What is Stakeholder Engagement?
According to BiodivERsA’s Stakeholder Engagement Handbook, a stakeholder is someone who influences or is influenced by research. This includes policymakers, individuals in the private sector, non-governmental organizations, local communities—anyone with a vested interest, involvement, or funding in a project.
The handbook outlines four levels of stakeholder engagement.
- Informing shares results with stakeholders.
- Consulting asks stakeholders for opinions.
- Involvement has stakeholders provide resources or data.
- Collaboration positions stakeholders as partners directly contributing to the team.
Engaging with stakeholders holds many benefits, but takes time, money, and effort, requiring careful thought and planning. Stakeholders can be involved at any point in the process. They can help define the vision, develop project plans, provide training or data, review works in progress, or promote finished products using their public connections. Each stakeholder will have a unique role, with some preferring more or less involvement.
Research Benefits
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