4.2 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties
Relevant Definitions:
Procedure: | specified way to carry out an activity or a process |
Interested Party: | stakeholder person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive themselves to be affected by a decision or activity |
Sustainable Development: | development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs |
See expanded notes on these definitions in the standard.
There will be many people, entities, and organizations which will be either interested in or have an impact on, the sustainability performance of the organisation and its event activities.
Stakeholders could include:
- supply chain
- audience, attendees, spectators, delegates
- participants, talent, competitors, speakers, special guests
- regulatory authorities, local government, police
- clients, sponsors, funding bodies
- media, industry associations
- local community, business and householders, community groups
- staff, crew, temporary workforce, contractor and caterer's workforce
- contractors, service and infrastructure providers
- Relevant NGOs and organisations connected to the event's subject
These interested parties are integral to the identification of event sustainability issues. The reason for the identification and engagement of stakeholders is to help to uncover issues for management.
The issues identified through the engagement process with them - their needs and expectations - will inform aspects of your objective setting, policy, actions and operational control.
If an interested party believes something is a big issue, then it is! This will then lead you to the evaluation or prioritising of issues, which is dealt with in Clause 6.1.2.
Communicating with Stakeholders
Commitment to sustainable development principles, the policy, sustainability initiatives for the event and how stakeholders may be involved should be communicated.
These stakeholders or ‘interested parties’ would need to have access to:
- the sustainability policy;
- information on their contribution to the effectiveness of the event sustainability management system, sustainability performance and its benefits; and
- the implications of not engaging with sustainability practices.
Note: cross over with Clause 7.4 Communication.
Requirements of this Clause:
To meet the requirements of Clause 4.2 the organisation must have a procedure for identifying and engaging those who have an interest in your event sustainability management system and to include their needs and expectations into planning and delivery of your event. This procedure will details the steps taken in firstly identifying and secondly engaging with interested parties. A requirement of this clause is also that you document the outcomes of the consultation with stakeholders. Examples could be minutes from meetings, newsletters, survey results and action plans.
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- Procedure to identify and engage interested parties and identify their needs and expectations
- Evidence of engagement and engagement outcomes
- Evidence of needs and expectations being included in issues management
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Suggested Steps:
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- Establish a procedure which instructs event staff on how to identify and engage potential interested parties. An example of a procedure is in the SEMS Tool.
- Create checklist or other such document or form (electronic or paper) which can be checked off to identify the potential stakeholders. An example of such a checklist form is available in the SEMS Tool.
- Create a list of stakeholders, with contact details and a log of communications, and include the area of sustainability issue/impact/opportunity that they are related to. Include delegation of who is the primary contact within your team, so the stakeholder doesn’t get too many multiple contact experiences! This can be as simple as a shared spreadsheet, or as complex as a formal contact register using a software program. As many stakeholders will have more than just the ‘sustainability’ communications, you may need to integrate the subject of sustainability into your broader stakeholder contact formalities.
- Log the way that a particular stakeholder is communicated with. This could be through the list suggested above. You may wish to use a form similar to the one created by the SEMS Tool. Note that is form would be also meeting the requirements of Clause 7.4 Communication.
- Log the outcomes of your communications and engagement with stakeholders. This can be the results of the engagement or proof that the engagement at least occurred.
- Ensure there is evidence that the stakeholder’s ‘needs and expectations’ that have been uncovered, were considerations in issues identification and management (Clause 6.1.2).
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