Stakeholder Engagement and Facilitation
Three Generations of Stakeholder Engagement
AccountAbility works with companies to help them build effective approaches to stakeholder engagement.
We help companies shift out of a compliance and crisis driven approach to engagement to more systematic and integrated engagement which drive learning and innovation. We provide tailored support, for example:
- Developing stakeholder engagement strategy. We work with companies to develop an integrated strategy for stakeholder engagement that strengthens both their relationships with stakeholders and their internal decision making processes.
- Facilitation of Stakeholder Dialogues. Accountability often acts as an honest broker and facilitator for stakeholder meetings. We can provide support through the planning, design, capacity building, facilitation and follow-up stages of stakeholder engagement to create processes that create change.
- Capacity building for stakeholder engagement. Engaging with stakeholders requires new skills and ways of thinking. We can provide tailored in-house training in stakeholder engagement, as well as ongoing mentoring support for leadership teams.
Our stakeholder engagement work is based on a suite of tools we have developed to support organisations implementing effective and inclusive stakeholder engagement approaches:
- The AA1000 Stakeholder Engagement Standard is a generally applicable, open-source framework for improving the quality of the design, implementation, assessment, communication and assurance of stakeholder engagement.
- The Stakeholder Engagement Manual developed with UNEP and Stakeholder Research Associates provides step-by-step practical guidance at every stage of engagement.
- The Materiality Framework developed with BT and LRQA provides the framework for a rigorous, workable and transparent process for prioritising and responding to issues raised by stakeholders.
- Further research and best practise guidelines also look in more detail at stakeholder panels and responsible lobbying in engaging with governments.
Client examples
- Camelot
AccountAbility worked with Camelot to make their approach to stakeholder engagement more effective, AccountAbility moderated a debate entitled ‘Fair Game? Increasing sales to maximise returns to good causes’, which focused on Camelot’s ability to operate in a socially responsible way. - The Gap inc.
AccountAbility worked with the Global Partnerships team within Global Compliance at Gap to strengthen the support for professional development in the field of stakeholder engagement and develop and deliver training in Stakeholder Engagement for senior managers in Global Compliance. The course was tailored to ensure a good fits with the existing ‘tool-kit’ and continuous professional development package. - General Electric
AccountAbility designed, implemented and facilitated three global stakeholder convenings held in New York, Brussels and Hong Kong on General Electric’s strategy on Human Rights.
