Engage with stakeholders

Stakeholders can broadly be defined as the representatives of society and the environment capable of affecting and being affected by an organisation’s activities, and whose interests are central to CR&S activities.  Stakeholder engagement is critical to determining what social and environmental issues matter most to an organisation’s customers, suppliers, employees and others with a stake in its work.

Competence in engaging with stakeholders, both inside and outside an organisation, relies upon proficiency in the other Core Competences, as well as the Guiding Principles.  Effective engagement with stakeholders is a continuous process.  

Due to its relevance at all stages of the development and implementation of specific projects or programmes and an organisation’s daily operations, as well as its general approach to corporate responsibility and sustainability, excellence in this competence enhances both CR&S performance and an organisation’s ability to deliver against its strategic objectives.

Identifying stakeholders depends on a broad knowledge of an organisation, its sector, and the trends and issues affecting its performance and strategy.  This knowledge must be applied to develop an understanding of the stakeholders themselves, their main concerns and their relationship with an organisation, in particular their ability to jeopardise or facilitate its success. 

While each organisation should identify its own stakeholders and determine their importance, the likelihood is that they will include at least some of the following: customers; clients; employees (and their representatives); suppliers; business partners; investors and financiers, central/local government; regulators; community organisations; and NGOs.

A thorough comprehension of all relevant legal requirements concerning impact assessments, and an ability to fulfil such requirements in accordance with best practice is core to this competence. Over and above this, the practitioner should develop stakeholder engagement plans that effectively safeguard and strengthen relationships.  Doing so depends on obtaining data and constructing stakeholder maps using the most appropriate skills and techniques.  

Engaging with stakeholders successfully requires empathy and an aptitude for appreciating and fairly representing views to others.  Open-mindedness and a personal commitment to equity are also key personal attributes. Stakeholder engagement should not be seen as an end in itself but rather as a vital tool that helps shape the CR&S strategy and its implementation.

How this competence might be demonstrated:

  • Clearly identifying key stakeholders relevant to an organisation’s operations and/or a specific project or programme – and the reasons for engaging with them.  Due to the potentially broad scope of stakeholders, the practitioner must be able to identify key individuals and groups. Likewise, objectives, context and constraints (including resource and time constraints) shape the profile of stakeholders identified.  Nonetheless, pragmatism should be balanced with a commitment to obtaining a balanced and proportionate representation to the best of the practitioner’s knowledge. An organisation’s stakeholders – and their relative importance – may evolve over time as a result of changes in an organisation’s scope of control and/or the products and services it provides, and in line with changing societal expectations.   
  • Ensuring that an organisation’s strategies and plans are made readily available to relevant stakeholders in a timely and open manner.  Practitioners should encourage the early and active involvement of stakeholders to ensure that stakeholders are satisfied with the engagement process.  Furthermore, prompt communication ensures that issues are identified as quickly as possible and generates support for an organisation.  All information should be communicated openly and fairly, including where that is likely to generate a negative reception. 
  • Ensuring that stakeholder feedback is properly acknowledged and considered by an organisation and that consultation is approached with an open mind and not conducted as a box-ticking exercise.
  • Developing and implementing viable and effective stakeholder engagement plans that maximise positive interactions. Resolve conflicting points of view wherever possible and aspire to mutually beneficial outcomes.  In particular, the practitioner should seek to minimise activities that may negatively affect vulnerable or disadvantaged groups.    
  • Feeding information received from stakeholders back into the business and seeking to ensure that the information is considered and acted upon, where necessary, and keeping participants updated as to the ways in which their contributions are being dealt with.   
  • Fostering productive, supportive relationships, which may entail formalising loose or ad hoc relations.  This in turn will depend on strong, comprehensive networks encompassing a wide range of contacts and communicating via suitable representatives where necessary.  The practitioner should appreciate which method of communication is appropriate for each group of stakeholders and adjust practice accordingly.
  • Inspiring stakeholders both within and outside an organisation to support the organisation’s CR&S activities and broader operations.

Application for ICRS Fellowship:

  • Manages and/or directs CRS work
  • Acts in a leadership capacity; is distinguished within an organization, sector and/or the broader CRS profession, in terms of influencing and persuading others on matters relating to the CRS agenda.