Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement is considered a crucial factor in the success and improvement of an institution. Engaging the broader community of the university can improve communication and public understanding, and allow for the incorporation of the perspectives, experiences, and expertise of participating community members in reforming proposals, strategies, or processes. This involvement of stakeholders can help to foster collaboration, build trust, and promote a shared sense of ownership and investment in the school's success.

Learning Objectives

Who is a Stakeholder?

A stakeholder is defined as an individual or group of individuals who have a vested interest in the welfare and success of an institution and its students. This includes, but is not limited to— administrators, teachers, staff, students, parents, community members, city councilors, and state representatives. Stakeholders may also include collective entities such as organizations, initiatives, committees, media outlets, and cultural institutions. The stakeholders' personal, professional, civic, financial interest or concern in the school is what gives them a stake in its success.

How does Stakeholder Engagement Benefit the Institution?

Engaging the stakeholders can result in multiple benefits for the institution. This includes the following:

Ensuring alignment with the community
Universities have a significant impact on the local community, and it's essential to engage with stakeholders to understand their concerns and priorities. Engaging stakeholders can help universities align their goals with those of the community and address any issues that may arise.

Enhancing decision-making
Engaging stakeholders can provide valuable input and perspectives that can enhance the quality of university decision-making. By engaging with stakeholders, universities can make more informed and effective decisions that reflect the needs and interests of their stakeholders.

Building trust and credibility
Engaging stakeholders can help build trust and credibility with the community, which is critical for maintaining a positive reputation and attracting students, faculty, and staff. By engaging with stakeholders, universities can demonstrate their commitment to transparency and accountability.

Generating support and buy-in
Engaging stakeholders can help generate support and buy-in for university initiatives and projects. When stakeholders feel that their input has been considered, they are more likely to support university efforts and advocate for their success.

Fostering innovation and collaboration
Engaging stakeholders can foster innovation and collaboration by bringing together diverse perspectives and ideas. By engaging with stakeholders, universities can identify opportunities for collaboration and innovation that can benefit the university and the community.

Stakeholder Mapping

A stakeholder map is a visual representation of the stakeholders of an organization, project, or initiative. It is a tool used to categorize stakeholders based on their level of interest and influence on the organization, project, or initiative.

Higher education institutions must not only identify their stakeholders but also classify them to establish connections between the stakeholders and strategic management. Collaborating with important partners and customers is essential for the institution's mission and future success. Therefore, stakeholders must be described using the framework used in the institution's strategic planning. 

Example of a stakeholder map, adopted from Hanif, A., & Tariq, S. (2014)

The Balanced Scorecard approach, developed by Kaplan and Norton, is used to convert the institution's vision into concrete objectives and measures that can be effectively communicated to stakeholders. An effective stakeholder map must include a balanced mix of stakeholders who can aid the university in implementing its strategic plan.

The Balanced Scorecard approach comprises of four distinct perspectives:

It is important to note that these perspectives may differ slightly in other universities and organizations, depending on their missions and strategies. However, in general, these perspectives have been found to be necessary and sufficient for a wide range of organizations.

Crucial Considerations for Stakeholder Mapping

Stakeholder mapping can be an incredibly powerful tool for institutional improvement— but not all stakeholders have the same influence. Consider the following questions before and during the mapping exercise.

Who are the stakeholders?
To ensure the success of your project, it is important to identify all the individuals or groups who have a stake in the outcome, whether their stake is direct or indirect. Stakeholders who can influence the project's success or failure can include anyone who may be affected by it or who has strong opinions or beliefs related to the project. Even if a stakeholder's concerns seem unreasonable, they may still be convinced that their beliefs are true and can potentially influence the project's outcome.

How much power do they hold?
Quantifying power can be challenging as there is no objective unit of measurement and perceptions can vary between individuals. Instead, it is useful to consider power in relative terms, such as comparing the power of one stakeholder to another and examining who follows whose leadership. The aim is to evaluate the resources an individual or organization possesses that can impact the success or failure of a project.

Are the stakeholder cooperative, or opposing?
It is simpler to rank stakeholders in terms of their level of support or opposition, which can be indicated by their words and actions, such as pledging support and giving time indicating cooperation, and condemning and protesting signifying conflict.

Will the stakeholder sway under peer pressure?
While some stakeholders may remain firm in their opposition despite being urged by family, friends, or allies, others may be influenced by the perspectives of their peers.

What are the stakeholders passionate about?
To increase overall cooperation, it is important to understand what stakeholders value and what matters less to them, so that issues can be bundled together in a way that addresses their concerns, such as addressing pollution for those who value environmental protection, while addressing healthcare for others.

How strongly are the stakeholders connected with each other?
Stakeholders operate within networks where they share information and resources and work together to achieve common goals. Understanding the structure of these networks can help identify key relationships and influencers, including the strength of the relationship, types of connections, joint activities, and means of communication between stakeholders.

Are relationships cooperative or conflictual? Do they afford each other a social license?
Using the same concepts noted above, it is possible to capture a stakeholder’s attitude towards their peers.

Stakeholder Engagement

Universities can engage stakeholders by involving them in decision-making processes, actively seeking their feedback, and providing opportunities for dialogue and collaboration. This can include hosting public forums, partnering with community organizations, and soliciting input from alumni, donors, faculty, staff, and students. Universities can also keep stakeholders informed about their activities through regular communication channels, such as newsletters, social media, and events. 

Some traditional ways of involving the stakeholders include:

Informational websites.
State-led advisory committees including stakeholders as members.
Press releases, and, to a lesser extent, news and  social media.
Online surveys.
Online guidance, training materials and FAQ documents.
Regional forums.
Webinars or in-person presentations to local education agencies, professional associations, teachers’ unions and more.
Online videos or e-newsletters.
Focus groups.

For a more customized approach, consider creating a stakeholder engagement plan. Creating a stakeholder engagement plan includes the following steps:

Identify stakeholders: Identify all stakeholders who may have an interest in the university, including alumni, donors, students, faculty, staff, local community organizations, and government entities.

Analyze stakeholders: Analyze each stakeholder's level of interest, power, and influence to determine their potential impact on the university. Use this information to prioritize stakeholders and develop a tailored engagement plan for each group. you can use the following matrix to decide which stakeholders to prioritize.

Develop engagement strategies: Develop engagement strategies for each stakeholder group based on their unique characteristics, preferences, and communication preferences. This could include meetings, forums, surveys, focus groups, and other engagement activities.

Implement the plan: Implement the engagement plan, including communication strategies and engagement activities, and ensure that the university community is aware of the plan and the objectives.

Monitor and evaluate: Continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the engagement plan, including stakeholder feedback, engagement metrics, and any changes in stakeholder behavior. Use this feedback to refine and improve the plan over time.

Continually update and improve: Continually update and improve the engagement plan based on stakeholder feedback and changing circumstances to ensure that the university is effectively engaging with its stakeholders and meeting their needs.