Assessing the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement is a continuous process. Corrective action may address the concerns of one group, while creating new ones among others. This emphasises the importance of ongoing tracking and analysis of stakeholder perceptions and attitudes – towards the site but also in relation to one another. Some ways to encourage and record feedback include:
- Documenting informal and formal dialogue: documenting and reviewing feedback received during discussions and conversations in the consultation log and analysing themes; reporting feedback and results of analysis to other functions and the (see Task 9: Reporting); updating stakeholder register and engagement schedule as needed.
- Through local accountability mechanisms: local accountability mechanism discussions should provide valuable insights into how different stakeholder groups are feeling at any given time. An effective local accountability mechanism, with legitimacy among stakeholders, can be both an early-warning mechanism for emerging frustrations and a pressure valve to air concerns in a constructive way.
- Media monitoring: Record and track issues raised by stakeholders in the media and on social media channels.
- Incident and grievances: documenting, analysing and reporting on recurring incidents and grievances, including key themes and key stakeholder/stakeholder groups affected (see Section 3B).
- Commitments: Documenting and reporting stakeholder satisfaction with progress and close-out of commitments.