Engagement Frameworks: Why they are worth the investment

In recent times we have noticed that there has been strong support from organisations that are investing in their engagement processes to develop engagement frameworks.

As practitioners who adhere to IAP2’s core values we think that this is a significantly positive step for engagement.

Good Engagement Frameworks set out the principles that guides an organisation’s public engagement with stakeholders affected by its activities. It commits organisations to communicate in a timely and clear way, and to be accessible and inclusive, transparent and measurable in their engagement activities.

A Framework is generally a public document that articulates the principles that guide an organisations’ engagement approach. It recognises that different levels of engagement are appropriate, depending on the issue, and clearly establishes what stakeholders can expect when they engage.

The drive, particularly from government organisations, to establish and publicly display strong frameworks and an expectation of organisational behaviour can only help to build and maintain trust with stakeholders.