Download the full Evaluation Guide as a pdf documentAnnex 4:
Principles of good practiceThe Environment Council
The Environment Council (TEC) has developed a model of stakeholder dialogue over the past decade, both through practice (of designing and running stakeholder dialogue processes for public, private and voluntary sector sponsors) and through the development of a successful facilitation training course. TEC’s training manual for stakeholder dialogue outlines 12 principles for of good practice for stakeholder dialogue as outlined below:
- Stakeholder Dialogue is an inclusive process, involving all interest groups that have a concern about the outcome. This includes the decision-makers, those directly affected by the decision and those who could support or obstruct its implementation. Dialogue will often include those who are usually excluded.
- Dialogue meetings are designed and facilitated by independent professional facilitators who have no vested interest in the final outcome. The facilitator will not take a position on the substantive issues. Their role is to ensure that the process is even handed and that meetings are as productive as possible – for example, avoiding domination by particular individuals or interest groups. The facilitator will also control the destructive behaviour that often undermines the value of typical ‘town hall’ meetings on difficult issues.
- Responsibility for the agenda and the process is shared among all stakeholders. Many processes fail from the outset because the agenda does not meet the needs of participants. In a dialogue process, the facilitator will help the participants to develop an agenda and work programme that addresses the issues of real concern.
- Dialogue delivers practical solutions to real problems – and solutions that often stick, since the process maximises stakeholder buy-in. It is particularly appropriate for high-conflict or complex issues.
- People attend as equals. Stakeholder dialogue aims to create a level playing field for participation.
- Dialogue is a two-way process. Traditional, pre-prepared presentations will be kept to an absolute minimum in the interest of allowing more time for two-way communication.
- The process allows for interests, values, feelings, needs and fears. Unlike some consultation processes, stakeholder dialogue values everything that is said without pre-judging what is ‘real’, or ‘important’, or ‘rational’.
- The process seeks to encourage new understanding and improved relationships. These ‘invisible products’ are often crucial in enabling participants to move forward together or to implement the outcome of the process.
- Stakeholder dialogue processes are recorded visibly and transparently, with stakeholders having control over the content and accuracy of the recording. Facilitators normally record meetings on large sheets of paper, and produce a record in the form of photographs or an exact transcription of what has been publicly recorded.
- Dialogue processes seek to identify and build on common ground. Traditional processes, by contrast, tend to focus on (and therefore magnify) disagreement, to the extent that participants frequently do not realise there are significant areas on which they may already agree.
- The process will seek to move the focus from the past to the future. This helps to avoid unproductive blaming and creates a shared responsibility for the way forward. (However, there will often be a need for an initial period in which past grievances, real or imagined, can be aired.)
- Dialogue processes are iterative in their approach. The same issues may need to be addressed more than once to allow for the development of shared solutions. Traditional methods, on the other hand, tend to rely on ‘snapshot’ consultations or set-piece events that do not encourage participants to move away from the initial negotiating positions.