Consultation and engagement should aim to seek a representative cross-section of views. Some sections of the community are harder to engage than others. Therefore, appropriate action should be taken to ensure that the views of these individuals and groups are not excluded or overlooked. It's important to consider how you reach 'The Hard to Reach'.
A ‘stakeholder’ is anyone who stands to lose or gain (directly or indirectly) from any change that may result from this exercise, including those individuals/ organisations that have an interest in the policy area (often around implementation/delivery). This, of course, therefore includes customers.
You need to work out who your stakeholders are and plan how to consult and engage with them.
Above all else, exercises need to ensure that the stakeholders’ views relate to a decision that is intended to be made and that their views can influence the outcome. Think about what range of views you want to hear. It is important to consider whether you can use Existing Groups and Networks creatively as this will be time and cost effective.
It is also important at this stage to consider how you will balance stakeholders’ views: considering whose views will be given most weight and why.
Devoting some time to who your stakeholders are will ensure you’re able to target your exercise on the correct audience. The audience may at times be small, where the topic is highly specialised. In other circumstances, a large target audience may be involved, for example the entire adult population of Shetland.
Consultation and Engagement will aim to seek informed public opinion and not just instant reaction. Existing mechanisms should be used alongside anything additional you chose to do to inform and stimulate public interest, particularly in relation to major strategic and island wide issues.