Creating dialogue that can inform choices
Engaging stakeholders is not simply about presenting a project or collecting opinions. It means clarifying which questions are open, who can contribute and how contributions will inform the organisation’s decisions and communication.
We design structured listening, dialogue and engagement programmes, connecting them with company objectives and relevant sustainability topics. We define participants, methods and feedback stages so that the scope of participation is clear.
The aim is not to secure automatic agreement, but to understand different perspectives and create a better-informed relationship between the organisation and the people affected by its activities.
Understanding whom to involve and what to ask
We start with the issue to address and existing relationships. We identify relevant groups, contacts and perspectives, distinguishing those who may be affected, those with useful knowledge and those who may struggle to be heard.
Stakeholder mapping guides choices, but is not treated as a definitive list. With company contacts, we assess participation criteria, potential gaps and conditions that may limit involvement.
We define questions proportionate to the programme: we do not invite contributions on decisions already closed without making this clear. Explaining what can change and what remains constrained helps establish realistic expectations from the outset.
Listening to differences and sharing what emerges
Interviews, questionnaires, meetings and workshops serve different needs. We choose tools, language and timing around the participants and the information to gather, agreeing discussion rules and how contributions will be used.
In our analysis, we distinguish agreement, disagreement and individual observations, retaining the context of responses. A group of participants does not automatically represent every stakeholder: we make selection criteria and collection limitations explicit.
Feedback is part of the programme. We help the organisation explain what emerged, which points will be investigated and how they may influence activities, without promising to accommodate every request.
When to begin an engagement programme
The programme can support a project, a period of change or a review of sustainability priorities. It is useful when an organisation wants to understand needs and expectations before deciding how to act, or needs to structure an existing dialogue more clearly. We can support teams in the following situations.
- Understand the expectations and questions of employees, customers, communities or other relevant stakeholders.
- Bring external and internal perspectives into discussions about sustainability priorities.
- Design interviews, meetings or workshops around clearly defined questions.
- Bring continuity to relationships currently based on isolated opportunities for dialogue.
- Organise transparent feedback on contributions and next steps.
How we design the programme
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01
Clarify the scope
We define objectives, questions and decisions the dialogue can inform. We identify stakeholders and internal contacts, making constraints, responsibilities and participation conditions explicit before invitations are sent.
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02
Design the engagement
We choose tools, language and collection methods suited to participants. We prepare materials and discussion guides, agreeing confidentiality, the use of contributions and criteria for analysing them.
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03
Listen and interpret
We support the agreed activities and organise what emerges. We distinguish common positions and differences, check interpretations with the relevant contacts and flag significant gaps or information limitations.
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04
Share and connect
We prepare a clear summary and feedback materials. We connect findings with internal discussion, clarifying which actions to consider, who is responsible and how to continue the relationship.
From listening to a basis for decisions
The work may include stakeholder mapping, an engagement plan, interview guides, questionnaires, meeting facilitation, contribution analysis and feedback reports. Formats and depth are agreed around the project and the people involved.
The input gathered provides a basis for discussion, not a delegation of decisions or automatic proof of project approval. The organisation remains responsible for its choices and for explaining the next steps.
When the programme continues over time, we define how to update participants and questions, keeping the connection between listening, internal assessment and communication of results clear.
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