At Insight Into Impact, we use stakeholder engagement to compile an overarching database on the impacts associated with development. The outputs we derive provide insight into what affiliated stakeholder groups and/or community members are experiencing and perceiving.
This enables decision makers to understand what the most important aspects of the initiative are to those who are directly impacted. Acquiring data like this is essential for community approval and the appropriate disbursal of resources. Additionally, having data that is specific to each affected stakeholder group promotes greater communication and aids conflict management.
It’s important to eliminate assumptions about what opposing stakeholder groups perceive to be conflict and enable other stakeholder group to fully understand how the opposing stakeholder group interpreted the sequence of events that lead to the resulting positive or negative outcome.
Many development projects have failed because support or funding was withdrawn too quickly due to the organisational bodies/ funding agents not having a complete understanding of the conflict management process, which needs to be well managed and takes time.
Engaging with stakeholders will assist you to recognise the specific sequence of conflict-related events that result in either positive or negative outcomes. This knowledge supports improved management of current or future projects.