Stakeholder consultation toolkit: application for energy savings interventions

Abstract

The purpose of the stakeholder consultation varies depending on the time it is being carried out. Before implementing the solutions, the stakeholder consultation aims at exploring the users views of the planned intervention, to identify potential shortfalls and barriers that may jeopardize the success of the intervention. It also aims at identifying the type and form of support that different stakeholders need to provide to ensure the success of the intervention, as well as informing the necessary coordination strategies to align different stakeholders with the desired goals (European Union 2014). Users are not aware of how energy systems work; providing such information in advance may contribute to device solutions for potential problems (Natural Resources 2014). After implementation, the stakeholder consultation aims at evaluating the interventions so that to ensure replicability. This evaluation focuses on identifying the drivers and barriers for users engagement and on proposing new avenues of work that can improve consumer engagement, community participation and involvement of stakeholders in the European energy policy targets. More generally, stakeholder consultation facilitates decision making processes as those with a stake in the project have a say at the initial stages which helps to identify potential problems that could jeopardize the feasibility of the project as well as to foster innovation by obtaining the views of different parties involved. It also facilitates reaching agreements among stakeholders with different goals and preferences. As it creates a sense of ownership it contributes to enhanced involvement with the interventions. Stakeholder consultations should be understood as a continuous learning process that allow for better design and delivery of sustainable solutions, especially in those interventions or policies that demand active participation and acceptance of citizens. Bear in mind that the relationship with stakeholders may go from informing stakeholders to co-creation and co-implementation of solutions. Asking the views of stakeholders, commenting on decisions and collaboratively working on solutions lies between consultation and involvement of stakeholders (Community Places 2014; Natural Resources 2014). This document intends to provide a toolkit to facilitate the design and implementation of stakeholder consultation in Integrid project. The design of the consultation involves deciding who should be consulted; about what they should be consulted; how they should be involved; timing and budget consideration. To facilitate these decisions, this report will provide four tools, each covered in the respective section: (1) a stakeholders mapping and identification tool; (2) a suggestion of items for the consultation; (3) a proposal of methods for stakeholders involvement and (4) information about the budget and time involved. Templates have been created to assist partners to design and implement the consultation processes locally (following Natural Resources 2014). To prepare this toolkit different sources have been used. First, other guidelines for stakeholder consultation compiled by the European Union, the World Bank or regional authorities such as the Scottish government have been used for inspiration and advice; the websites of the International Association for Public Participation and VOICE have been invaluable. Second, past research reporting stakeholder consultations in energy projects (usually with consumers, DSOs and retailers) (Boork et al. 2014; Gangale et al. 2013; Geelen et al. 2013; Krishnamurti et al 2012; Paetz et al 2012; Park et al. 2014). Third, examples of stakeholder consultation of energy companies have been revised.

The purpose of the stakeholder consultation varies depending on the time it is being carried out. Before implementing the solutions, the stakeholder consultation aims at exploring the users views of the planned intervention, to identify potential shortfalls and barriers that may jeopardize the success of the intervention. It also aims at identifying the type and form of support that different stakeholders need to provide to ensure the success of the intervention, as well as informing the necessary coordination strategies to align different stakeholders with the desired goals (European Union 2014). Users are not aware of how energy systems work; providing such information in advance may contribute to device solutions for potential problems (Natural Resources 2014). After implementation, the stakeholder consultation aims at evaluating the interventions so that to ensure replicability. This evaluation focuses on identifying the drivers and barriers for users engagement and on proposing new avenues of work that can improve consumer engagement, community participation and involvement of stakeholders in the European energy policy targets. More generally, stakeholder consultation facilitates decision making processes as those with a stake in the project have a say at the initial stages which helps to identify potential problems that could jeopardize the feasibility of the project as well as to foster innovation by obtaining the views of different parties involved. It also facilitates reaching agreements among stakeholders with different goals and preferences. As it creates a sense of ownership it contributes to enhanced involvement with the interventions. Stakeholder consultations should be understood as a continuous learning process that allow for better design and delivery of sustainable solutions, especially in those interventions or policies that demand active participation and acceptance of citizens. Bear in mind that the relationship with stakeholders may go from informing stakeholders to co-creation and co-implementation of solutions. Asking the views of stakeholders, commenting on decisions and collaboratively working on solutions lies between consultation and involvement of stakeholders (Community Places 2014; Natural Resources 2014). This document intends to provide a toolkit to facilitate the design and implementation of stakeholder consultation in Integrid project. The design of the consultation involves deciding who should be consulted; about what they should be consulted; how they should be involved; timing and budget consideration. To facilitate these decisions, this report will provide four tools, each covered in the respective section: (1) a stakeholders mapping and identification tool; (2) a suggestion of items for the consultation; (3) a proposal of methods for stakeholders involvement and (4) information about the budget and time involved. Templates have been created to assist partners to design and implement the consultation processes locally (following Natural Resources 2014). To prepare this toolkit different sources have been used. First, other guidelines for stakeholder consultation compiled by the European Union, the World Bank or regional authorities such as the Scottish government have been used for inspiration and advice; the websites of the International Association for Public Participation and VOICE have been invaluable. Second, past research reporting stakeholder consultations in energy projects (usually with consumers, DSOs and retailers) (Boork et al. 2014; Gangale et al. 2013; Geelen et al. 2013; Krishnamurti et al 2012; Paetz et al 2012; Park et al. 2014). Third, examples of stakeholder consultation of energy companies have been revised.