Stakeholder Engagement Plan

Step-by-step template

This template has been designed to help plan your

engagement and provide step-by-step chronological
guidance to tailor your specific engagement process to
your outcome objectives

Contact APS Engage

If you require assistance, have questions or need clarification
on the processes outlined in the template, reach out to our
friendly team

Phone: xxx
Email: apsengage@industry.gov.au
 Before you fill out this template ask yourself

It is important to understand the value of engaging and not to engage

1
for the sake of engaging:
Why do you want
• What is your end goal/objective?
to engage and what are • What issues impact your project?

you trying to achieve? • What is in and out of scope for your engagement?

The APS Framework to Engagement and Participation can help you better
Have you read the understand and tailor your engagement, it:
‘APS Framework to • includes principles that guide good engagement
• lists the four different ways that the APS engages
Engagement and

2
• outlines behaviours that improve engagement
Participation’ and
It will help you engage citizens, business and the community in ways that
‘Guide to the Right will assist in managing complexity, build trust and deliver better outcomes.

Engagement’? To access the Framework, the Guide and all supporting tools visit: www.industry.gov.au/apsengage
 Before you fill out this template ask yourself

Before commencing an engagement you should reflect on what expertise you

require for the problem at hand and what way of engaging will best obtain it
in your circumstances.
Have you considered the
four ways the APS engages The four key ways the APS engages are:

and what level and type of • Share

When government needs to tell the public about a problem or a solution
engagement may work for
• Consult
you and your project? When government needs to gather feedback from the public about a
problem or solution

• Deliberate
When government needs help from the public because a problem involves
competing values, and requires trade-offs and compromise

3
• Collaborate
When government needs help from the public to find and implement a
solution

Note: No one kind of engagement is better than another, the type of engagement you
choose depends on the nature of the issues you are dealing with. In fact, many initiatives
will utilise multiple kinds of engagement.

• You can find out more on the four ways of engaging in the APS Framework for Engagement and Participation. The Framework and its supporting tools, including a Guide to the Right Engagement can be found at:
www.industry.gov.au/apsengage.
• You can also find more information on deliberative engagement in the Open dialogue roadmap. The roadmap is a series of papers on deliberation and how it can potentially transform how government works.
It helps you make a case for more deliberate engagement, and explains how to conduct engagements using a deliberative methodology called Informed Participation.
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
<Insert Project title here>
 Context and background
• What is the purpose of the project?
• The purpose could be that the problem you are trying to solve is complex and you need to engage
with people to find solutions.
• Where did it come from? Include background of project.

[Insert your project context and background]

 Objectives
• The project objective/s is an authoritative reference point for what the process is supposed to • The objectives must be clear and understandable to avoid disagreement or uncertainty over what
achieve. For example, what outcomes are you after by conducting this engagement? they imply and what the process must do to achieve them. Further, the objectives must be
• Start at the end achievable.
It can be very helpful to start by asking what your preferred result will be. When considering the best • You may also want to separately define the ‘outcome objectives’ and the ‘process objectives’ (please
kind of engagement to adopt, be clear on your objectives and it will assist you in determining the best refer to the below table for details).
way to engage that is fit-for-purpose.

Outcome objectives Process objectives

What is the outcome you are trying to achieve at the end of this project? What will be generated through the engagement process?

• For example, you might be engaging to get people’s opinions on something or you want to build
relationships with particular stakeholders?
[Insert your outcome objective/s]
[Insert your process objective/s]

[Insert your outcome objective/s] [Insert your outcome objective/s]

[Insert your outcome objective/s] [Insert your outcome objective/s]

[Insert your outcome objective/s] [Insert your outcome objective/s]

[Insert your outcome objective/s] [Insert your outcome objective/s]

[Insert your outcome objective/s] [Insert your outcome objective/s]

[Insert your outcome objective/s] [Insert your outcome objective/s]

 Key issues
• Identify any current and/or historical issues that may have an impact on this project, especially if (there’s another slide to complement this further down ‘Issues mapping against available expertise’.
there are any contentious issues. • Understanding the issues will help determine the type of engagement you need to undertake and will
• The issues to list here are not in relation to the engagement but to the policy problem you are trying also help to identify the stakeholders to engage.
to solve. • Developing an Issue Tree can help you to flesh out all the issues within the problem you are trying to
• Identifying all the issues involved in the problem you are trying to solve will assist you to identify solve. More information on Issue Trees is found here.
holders of expertise, rather than identifying stakeholders that are more typically the “usual suspects”

Key issue Description

[Insert key issue] [Insert description]

[Insert key issue] [Insert description]

[Insert key issue] [Insert description]

[Insert key issue] [Insert description]

 Engagement scope
• List what issues, topics, questions etc. may come up as part of your engagement and determine what
is in and out of scope by placing them in the table below. Nothing stays on the line. Please note –
these are not necessarily the issues listed on the previous slide.
• It is useful to determine what can be put on the table: what is negotiable and non-negotiable when
engaging with stakeholders.
• ‘Out of scope’ are the areas the participants/stakeholders have no influence over.
• A defined scope will allow you to clearly present up-front what areas you want your stakeholders to
focus on and where they can influence decisions in the discussions.
• Defining engagement scope will define the scope for the recommendations and/or feedback
you are asking for.
• As part of your engagement scope it is important to consider the authority you have to engage with
others.
• Your scope might also be limited by who the final decision maker is. That is, the relevant Minister or
Cabinet.
• When defining scope consider any other dependencies which may impact on the scope of the
project. For example, other related programs of work.
• In the case of a deliberative engagement, a good rule of thumb is to make sure that there is enough
scope for involvement that others will want to participate but not so much that the key decision
makers feel that participants are taking their job – bigger than a toaster and smaller than a fridge.

In scope Out of scope

[Insert] [Insert]

[Insert] [Insert]

[Insert] [Insert]

[Insert] [Insert]

[Insert] [Insert]

[Insert] [Insert]

Authorisation of this engagement

Now that you have determined what way of engaging you will undertake, consider who will sign off on this project
(Tick /Add below as appropriate)

Cabinet (Date of Cabinet Meeting/Cabinet Minute)

Minister

Steering Committee/Working Group

(Date of Meeting)

Other (please specify)

 Constraints and limitations
• List the things that will constrain your engagement process. meaningful forms of engagement do tend to be more time consuming. A good way to look at this is as
• Consider your available budget to conduct engagement activities, as well as the resources available to a return on investment. While more meaningful kinds of engagement such as deliberation and
you. This can impact the kind of techniques you may use. collaboration can take more time and resources, they are also more likely to deliver shared solutions
• Consider the timeline of key dates and project milestones for delivery of your project. that are owned by stakeholders and the public, and as such are more resilient.
• Time and resources can be critical constraints on the kind of engagement that you can deliver. More

Constraint Description

[Timeframe to complete engagement] [Engagement process to be completed within six weeks…]

[Staffing resources] [EL1 staff member on leave for one month. Consideration of external resources to assist needs to be consider]

[Budget for process] [Limited financial resources for engagement process]

[The Minister has already proposed a preferred solution] [Determine whether an engagement process should occur if there is nothing to discuss]
 Ways of engaging

Having considered your project objectives, issues <Insert way(s)

and scope you are now well-placed to determine
the way(s) of engaging of engagement here>

Remember the four key ways the APS engages are:

• Share • Deliberate
When government needs to tell the public about a problem or a When government needs help from the public because a
solution problem involves competing values, and requires trade-offs
and compromise
• Consult
When government needs to gather feedback from the public • Collaborate
about a problem or solution When government needs help from the public to find and
implement a solution

• You can find out more on the four ways of engaging in the APS Framework for Engagement and Participation. The Framework and its supporting tools, including a Guide to the Right
Engagement can be found at: www.industry.gov.au/apsengage.
• You can also find more information on deliberative engagement in the Open dialogue roadmap. The roadmap is a series of papers on deliberation and how it can potentially transform how
government works. It helps you make a case for more deliberate engagement, and explains how to conduct engagements using a deliberative methodology called Informed Participation.
 Previous stakeholder engagement
• In the table below list a summary of previous stakeholder engagement activities relevant to your • If there have been any previous stakeholder engagement activities relevant to this project or work
project. program provide the following details:
• It is important when undertaking an engagement process to try and remember what has gone before o Details of information disclosed to date
and not keep asking the same questions. o List the stakeholders who have previously been engaged (this can include internal
stakeholders and other government agencies)
o Details of previous engagement techniques used
o The locations and dates of meetings undertaken with stakeholders
o Issues discussed, concerns raised and the response

Date Stakeholder Engagement activity Relevant project

Techniques used, location, issues discussed etc.

[Stakeholder] [Activity] [Details]

[Stakeholder] [Activity] [Details]

[Stakeholder] [Activity] [Details]

[Stakeholder] [Activity] [Details]

 Issues mapping against available expertise
• Get your ‘Key issues’ slide – remind yourself of what problems you have to solve.
• Now, use that slide to populate this slide – that is, to identify the experts you will be engaging with
throughout your project.
• Experts are separate to stakeholders (although some may be both!).
• They are people to bring into the engagement to help solve your problems.
• They have expertise – either expertise in the classic sense of technical/scientific/business skill; and/or
‘user expertise’ – people are experts in their own lives and circumstances, and can give practical
know-how, express preferences, and provide the ground knowledge.
• When analysing who to engage, it is crucial to start with experts (rather than stakeholders, for which
the stakeholder analysis template is next). This is because engagement should be seen as a process to
involve people in the business of government because they can help solve practical problems – rather
than only a way to ‘manage stakeholders’, and reduce their opposition.

Participant Expertise (technical and/or values) – Which of your issues can they help solve? Specific participants to involve When to engage?

External
[Professional subject- [Individuals/organisations potentially from industry and the public sector, with - [Large company A]
matter experts] expertise such as: - [Large company B]
- e.g. to help set effective regulations - [Public sector agency A]
- Identify trends and threats - [Public sector agency B]
- Improve implementation - …
- Share lessons from previous similar reforms

[Citizens/users] [Values expertise, in particular to help: - [Demographic group A]

- Speak authoritatively for their private interests e.g. as members of their - [Demographic group B]
community AND for the public interest at large) - [Residents of area affected by
- Uncover values and priorities; offer lived experience; make tradeoffs the work]
- To build a narrative in their language, that explains issues from their - …
perspective, that is both factual and compelling]

[Advocacy and [Values expertise, in particular to help: - [NGO 1]

community - Make tradeoffs - [NGO 2]
organisations] - [Peak body 1]
- …

Internal
[Partners/enablers
and internal experts]
[Technical expertise, in particular: - [List]
- Web and comms team - ..
- Explain the technical process of coordinating/implementing the policy and
taking it to decision e.g. central agencies, budget teams etc.]

[Senior public [Both values and technical expertise, in particular - [List]

servants/ministers] - For politicians/minister: to help ensure work aligns with community - ..
expectations/the public interest]
- For public servants: to help ensure any work/ideas are coordinated and joined
up with existing initiatives
 Stakeholder analysis
• Identify the stakeholders you will be engaging with throughout your project. • This will help determine the level of stakeholder engagement and communication required and how
• Consider how they will be impacted by the decisions and who will influence the outcomes of the to influence and leverage these relationships.
engagement process. • Consider mapping your stakeholders on the Interest/Influence map and record your findings in the
• Determine the level of their interest vs their impact/influence (a map on the following slide is table below how to best engage with each of your stakeholder groups.
provided to assist you).

Stakeholder Role Influence (High/Low) Interest (High/Low) Needs / Expectations Level of engagement Sensitivities

Internal stakeholders

[Minister] [That he/she will [Regular ongoing

remain informed of engagement to inform
the engagement / improve
process as it relationships / etc.]
progresses and any
contentious feedback
as it arises]

[Government
Stakeholder]

[Key stakeholder]

[Community
stakeholder]

External stakeholders

[Key stakeholder]

[Community
stakeholder]
 Stakeholder mapping
• This mapping template helps you determine where each of your stakeholder groups sit and how to
best engage with them to influence or leverage these relationships.
• This map will also help determine the level of communication required and how you would like these
relationships to progress.

High influence

Keep satisfied Key players

Low interest High interest

Keep informed Involve as needed

Low influence
 Pre-engagement phase
• During the pre-engagement phase you need to concentrate on what needs to happen prior to o Consider timeframes required for each activity and give yourself enough time to plan and
engaging with stakeholders: execute them.
o List the stakeholders involved in this phase. o Consider any risks associated with the activities and how you will resolve them.
o List activities and preparatory work required before engaging: research, contacting o Assign a responsible officer/s to execute and deliver.
stakeholders, approvals and sign-offs, etc.

Stakeholders Activities / Tasks Timeframes Risks / Issues Mitigation Responsible officers

[xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx]

[xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx]

[xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx]

 Engagement phase: <insert way(s) of engaging here>
• During the engagement phase you need to deliver the engagement process you have picked.
o Describe the way(s) of engaging (Share / Consult / Deliberate / Collaborate).
o List activities and techniques being used in this phase (Email / Workshop / Roundtable /
Online survey, etc.).
o List the stakeholders involved in this phase.
o Consider timeframes required for each activity and give yourself enough time to plan and
execute them.
o Consider any risks associated with the activities and how you will resolve them.
o Assign a responsible officer/s to execute and deliver.

Stakeholders Activities / Techniques Timeframes Risks / Issues Mitigation Responsible officers

[xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx]

[xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx]

[xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx]

 Post-engagement phase
• During the post-engagement phase you need to ensure you ‘close the loop’ with your stakeholders. • Consider a number of post-engagement activities to help your team evaluate your engagement.
o List the stakeholders involved in this phase. o Run a retrospective session and/or evaluation activities.
o Inform your stakeholders on outcomes. o Consider timeframes required for each activity and give yourself enough time to execute
o Consider how the outcomes may affect your stakeholders and if an on-going relationship or them.
updates are required from here on. o Consider any risks associated with the activities and how you will resolve them.
o Assign a responsible officer/s to execute and deliver.

Stakeholders Activities / Techniques Timeframes Risks / Issues Mitigation Responsible officers

[xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx]

[xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx]

[xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx] [xxxx]

 Contact APS Engage

If you require assistance, have questions or need clarification on the

processes outlined in this template, reach out to our friendly team

Phone: xxx
Email: apsengage@industry.gov.au