Engage stakeholders

Individuals may find it difficult to change if their environment does not support the change. Durable change requires a larger change in the social and technical organisation of everyday life. Small projects cannot change their end-users' entire environment, but they can engage the relevant stakeholders and ‘gatekeepers', such as service providers, facility managers or retailers.

What you need to do: 
  • Design your project so that the relevant stakeholders (including your target group) all benefit.
  • Create win-win situations so that the relevant stakeholders want to participate in your project.
  • Keep stakeholders up to date on what is going on in your project.
  • Invite them to contribute and allow them to get some of the credit for success.
  • Build local networks among the relevant stakeholders to keep change going after your project ends.
When does it work?: 
This tool is important when you want behavioural change to become embedded in everyday practices. It is likely to be particularly relevant when
  • your target group is dependent on other stakeholders
  • there is common agreement among the stakeholders on the importance of the issue
  • there is a really a win-win situation to achieve: for example, when there are clear financial benefits for all, and when there are no powerful opposing interests
What do you need to look out for: 

► Engaging stakeholders may require compromise – you need to stay alert and make sure you don’t have to compromise too much

You need to find and engage stakeholders that are trusted by your target group

Negotiating with stakeholders requires time and resources

Quality: 
4
Importance: 
5