So many stakeholders ..... so little time..... - Few organisations have yet realised how much effort is needed to manage the ever-growing list of stakeholders

So many stakeholders ….. so little time….. – Few organisations have yet realised how much effort is needed to manage the ever-growing list of stakeholders

Published on December 20, 2003 by Rhion Jones

Comprehensive consultation means getting to grips with the full range of stakeholders.

And there are so many of them. Where have they all come from?

The truth is that the impact of many decisions has not always been fully appreciated. Public policy decisions in particular have to be taken in such complex environments with such interlocking relationships between agencies and their programmes that the law of unintended consequences often operates.

But civic society has become wise – and has gradually learned to organise. Aided hugely by new technology, and supported by capacity-building measures from umbrella bodies and national pressure groups, there are now thousands of community and voluntary organisations in every county. Add to this, the established trade associations, companies and professional associations. Then there are all the other statutory bodies…….

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About the Author

Rhion Jones is considered a leading authority on Public Engagement and Consultation. A founding Director of the Consultation Institute, he is co-author of “The Art of Consultation” (2009) and “The Politics of Consultation” (2018). He has delivered over 500 training courses and Masterclasses and is a prolific writer on the subject, having written over 350 different Topic papers and over 50 full Briefing Papers for the Institute. Since 2003 over 15,000 person-days of training based on courses he invented have been delivered. Rhion is in demand as an entertaining Keynote Speaker and Special Adviser, particularly on the Law of Consultation, and its implications for Government and other Public Bodies. In 2017, he was awarded the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’.