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Networking and Stakeholder Cooperation

Answers on a (not yet) asked question!

December 2006, Skopje

Luk Zelderloo

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Concepts

• Merging - Network

• Network of organisations

• Network & Organisations

• Client focused network

• Project work – Network

• Stakeholder cooperation

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Stakeholder’s concept

A stakeholder approach is about creating tools and instruments to organise the communication

between all parties involved

Stakeholder Shareholder

Involved in the service Owner

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Motives for networking

• Knowledge, Money, HRM

• Process: tailor made services…

• Output: holistic approach

Part 1

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Motives for stakeholder cooperation

• We live and work in a complex society:

– Different actors– Different interests– Different parties– Different opinions– …

• Effective and successful implementation of policies is needed → win-win situation

Part 2

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Part 1Dimensions of Networking

• Conceptual dimension

• Structural dimension

• Operational dimension

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Dimensions of Networking

Structural dimension

Conceptualdimension

Operationaldimension

1

6

3

8

57

2

4

9

100

100

0

Profiling

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No one way when networking

3 Demons

• The carnivore plant• The hedgehog • The cane

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Structural dimension of Networking

• Be there

• Secure consensus

• Keep rhythm and direction

• Need is the mother of invention

• Starting separately…

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Conceptual dimension of Networking

• Be absent

• Make difference explicit

• Hop Skip Jump: exploring, elaborating, concluding

• “United in Diversity”

• Adopting the culture

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Operational dimension of Networking

• Mandate!• Let figures talk• Words motivate, examples activate• Recognise and ignore territories• Follow the procedure

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Networking = the art of managing the paradox

• Loosing time = winning time• Lots of efforts = few results• The more formal … the more dependent

on individuals• Build identity• Celebrate success

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Part 2

Actions for Stakeholder Cooperation

From theory to practice

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Actions when developing a stakeholder approach

1. Identify all stakeholders: who are the persons / bodies / authorities / networks / services / structures involved?

Example related to the disability sector:a. people in need, service usersb. staffc. authorities at all levelsd. researcherse. service providersf. community, local actors (church, sports club,

neighbourhood) g. parents, family members

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2. Identify different roles and responsibilities during the different phases of policy development:

• Advocacy

• Service provision

• Research

• General interest

• …

Actions when developing a stakeholder approach

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Actions when developing a stakeholder approach

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Policy development

Involvement

OrientationIdentify needs Decision taking Implementation Evaluation & feedback

Social Service Providers

Advocacy Groups

Authorities

SSP

SSP

AGAG

A

A

A

3. Stakeholder roles & responsibilities during different phases

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Actions when developing a stakeholder approach

4. Stakeholder management: bring into balance the different perspectives of the different stakeholders

a. map the expectations of the various stakeholders (aims & objectives)

b. select a dialogue technique (letters, telephone contact, hearing, structural contact, …)

c. organise feedback: do people agree with what you identified as needs and the dialogue method (a+b) ?

d. Implementation of outcomes (of the dialogue and feedback, b+c)Weight of the input, value of the opinion / advice / decision / co-decision of a stakeholder

e. Develop indicators to measure in what way the outcomes were implemented (d)

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