Stakeholders – be they the public, local communities, or other third parties – increasingly have the power to influence the public policy debate around your business’ objectives. Obtaining the social license of stakeholders to pursue an organization’s goals is a challenge which must be approached respectfully and strategically. Alternatively, mobilizing stakeholders, those individuals and groups who influence the influencers can be a compelling element of a public affairs strategy.

Our stakeholder engagement team understands the complex stakeholder landscape. We have the expertise, the capability and the network to work with third party organizations to support your business objectives.

Outreach Strategy and Engagement Planning

Thoughtful planning is an important first step prior to implementing a stakeholder engagement strategy. We will work with your organization to fully assess your needs and desired outcomes. As part of our job, we will review project assumptions and provide a critical objective outside view of where your organization is positioned with stakeholder groups in advance of the active engagement phase.

Stakeholder Mapping and Tracking

Information management and coordination are key to effective outreach. We will map stakeholders, document every interaction with them and provide up to date information so you can be confident you know at all times how your outreach strategy is progressing. We will also highlight any areas that require more attention and keep you apprised of project successes and outcomes.

Stakeholder Relations Training

Third party stakeholders can often be your organization’s best advocates. We provide training to advocates to empower them to speak confidently to decision-makers. Our training sessions assist spokespeople with messaging and strategies to ensure they are making the greatest impact towards achieving positive outcomes for themselves and the organization.

Reputation Audit and Stakeholder Analysis

Our team will research all relevant stakeholders, leaving no stone unturned to ensure your organization’s objectives are met. We will provide an in-depth analysis and audit highlighting opportunities to leverage project champions, spokespeople or build coalitions. We will also identify potential areas of difficulty or trouble and provide strategies on how to manage risk related to your project.

Coordination and Engagement

Dialogue and open, transparent communication are key to effectively working with stakeholders. Our team is experienced in seeking out opportunities for dialogue with impacted parties. Depending on the unique nature of a project, we will organize open houses, small round table sessions or proactively seek out strategic partnerships for your organization. Our experts are willing able to engage with stakeholders on your behalf or act as conveners to build effective partnerships.

Coalition Building and Advocacy Campaigns

Through our extensive stakeholder mapping and engagement, we will identify opportunities to build coalitions of interested, motivated and impacted stakeholders to ensure all efforts are being maximized effectively. We will work to deliver messages that resonate to decision-makers and coordinate advocacy campaigns. We will also determine which tactics will be most effective in ensuring project success, including media outreach, social media strategies, lobby days, one-on-one meetings.