Lesson 4: Communicating Risk: Who, How, When, Where and How Often
Topic 2: Stakeholders and Risk Communication
In this topic we will define the term “stakeholder” and identify the stakeholders in the area of plant protection. We will discuss the importance of effective communication with stakeholders. We will also give examples of methods you can use to engage stakeholders and to maximize their understanding of and communication about risk.
Objectives:
- Define the term “stakeholder”
- Identify the important stakeholders in plant protection
- Discuss best practices on how/when to engage stakeholders
- Discuss how to optimize/manage stakeholder participation in RC
Who is a stakeholder? One can easily identify a stakeholder by asking the following questions.
- Who is affected by the problem or issue?
- Who might be affected by the decision or outcome?
- Who has helpful information or expertise?
- Who has expressed interest in being involved?
- Who will be angered if not included?
A stakeholder is defined as an individual, group, or organization that has interest in, or a particular concern about another organization’s objectives, actions, or policies. Examples from everyday life include parents as stakeholders in their children’s school, citizens as stakeholders in their local government, and employees as stakeholders in their company or organization.
A more classic definition of stakeholder, which comes from the financial/banking industry, is “any group or individual that can affect or is affected by the achievement of the organizations’ objectives”. If we take this definition at its broadest, then organizations themselves need to be redefined as groups of stakeholders, and the purpose of the organization should be to manage their interests, needs, and viewpoints.
Many plant protection stakeholders meet the definitions given above. Depending on the plant health issue, stakeholders may include a few individuals or groups, or may include entire national and international governments and agricultural sectors. A list of stakeholders in plant protection include: members of the plant protection organization, other related (government or non-government) organizations with overlapping goals and mandates (e.g., state, provincial, municipal, or local organizations, as well as international organizations or governments), scientists, growers and/or producers, consumers, other citizens, and the media.
Some international plant protection organizations involved in PRA make a distinction between civil-society stakeholders and institutional stakeholders. Civil-society stakeholders refer to the general public, consumer groups, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), farmers, food manufacturers, distributors or processors, science professionals, and the media. Institutional stakeholders are those with whom the plant protection service has some legally binding working relationship. These are some examples: an international treaty, a cooperative agreement, or a memorandum of understanding.
It is important to identify the stakeholders for an issue (plant health or otherwise). Identifying the stakeholders will help you find ways to engage and communicate with them, and to appropriately respond to their input, concerns, or questions. Sources of stakeholder anger include:
- Fear
- Threat to self
- Threat to family
- Frustration
- Feeling powerless
- Feeling disrespected
- Feeling ignored
In order to avoid stakeholder anger, governments and organizations must make serious commitments toward openness, transparency, and dialogue (two-way communication) with their stakeholders. Communication can be achieved using various tools and approaches. However, groups need to realize that each tool/approach might not be equally suited to all messages. Plant protection organizations can engage stakeholders in the following ways.
There are many stakeholders in plant protection. Depending on the particular plant health issue, stakeholders can include a few individuals, groups or entire national and international governments and agricultural sectors. In order to avoid stakeholder anger, governments and organizations must make serious commitments toward openness, transparency, and dialogue with their stakeholders.
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