Question

describe the communication and stakeholder engagement methods we should use to build support for our health service or program among professionals? What methods should we use to support community engagement? What potential obstacles do you foresee in terms of implementation if communication and stakeholder engagement are absent?

Answer 1

Ans) Stakeholder consultation involves the development of constructive, productive relationships over the long term. It results in a relationship of mutual benefit; it enables us to identify trends and emerging challenges which are currently or will in the future impact on the business.

- Listening to stakeholder concerns and feedback is a valuable source of information that can be used to improve project design and outcomes, and help a corporation to identify and control external risks. It can also form the basis for future collaboration and partnerships.

- Consultation enables us to identify and monitor trends, challenges and perceptions over time with specific groups of stakeholders. It therefore helps us to:

Identify and track needs and expectations
Identify and track perceptions and attitudes
Provide feedback on specific planned developments
Evaluate implementations and actions
Establish the brand values and positioning of the corporation as seen by others
The internal and external stakeholder contribution can be vital to the effective allocation of resources, the success of individual developments, and the longer-term success and direction of the corporation.

Consultation usually takes on two forms:

Consultation on specific developments, projects, ventures
Ongoing consultation to track and monitor stakeholder perceptions within the broader operating environment
Specific project-based consultation is widely used for both commercial and social projects. In the public sector, it is often termed “public engagement” or “public consultation”, and is usually related to local service developments within specific communities, and policy development at all levels.

In the commercial sphere, it is commonly used for development of new products and services. A company may consult with its customers to establish future needs and ensure these are incorporated into the development of new products and services. Customers are also likely to present relative perceptions i.e. in the competitive market providing valuable input about competitor activity. In addition, this can be followed up by feedback on prototypes, blueprints, etc. before the final products are presented to market.

Ongoing consultation is adopted to ensure buy-in from stakeholders and to ensure the corporation is not moving away from the expectations and needs of those who have an interest in its affairs. It is often related to company or brand positioning, competitive positioning, company mission or direction. It can be a metric in the evaluation of the trajectory towards a particular goal, or the anticipation of reactions towards a change in a corporation’s direction or branding. As such, it is used widely in both the public and private sector. Political affiliations use it as a barometer of support. In all cases, it is a way of mitigating risk, especially if the corporation is dependent upon its stakeholders to provide funding. For example, a University with significant funding from its Alumni may engage in a regular programme of tracking stakeholder perceptions to ensure it does not jeopardise its position, and to anticipate communications required about any change in policy or position. This type of stakeholder consultation can also have a good PR spin-off as it affords the opportunity to present new positions or remind of existing positions.