Stakeholder Engagement Framework
Engagement is at the heart of everything we do. By building stronger relationships and listening to our stakeholders, we create trust and deliver better outcomes for our customers.
Our Stakeholder Engagement Framework (SEF) guides our business approach, integrating engagement into our operations and projects and ensuring we consider the impact of the decisions we make and uphold our responsibilities within the communities we serve.
Insights help ensure our services, priorities and investments are relevant and valued by customers.
The SEF is regularly refreshed to incorporate insights from consultation and research, adapt to evolving stakeholder and project dynamics, and reflect emerging trends and innovations in engagement practice.
Essential Energy builds and maintains the electricity network infrastructure across regional, rural, and remote NSW, and parts of southern Queensland. Our industry is rapidly evolving, driven by emerging technologies and changing customer expectations.
We are committed to building a shared energy future with our customers, empowering communities to share and use energy for a better tomorrow while ensuring our operations are environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.
Our SEF is informed by the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), an Association that promotes public participation and engagement in decision-making.
IAP2 SPECTRUM OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION | |||||
| INFORM | CONSULT | INVOLVE | COLLABORATE | EMPOWER |
Goal | To provide the public with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problem, alternatives, opportunities and/or solutions. | To obtain public feedback on analysis, alternatives and/or decisions. | To work directly with the public throughout the process to ensure that public concerns and aspirations are consistently understood and considered. | To partner with the public in each aspect of the decision including the development of alternatives and the identification of the preferred solution. | To place final decision making in the hands of the public. |
Promise | “We will keep you informed.” | “We will keep you informed, listen and acknowledge concerns and aspirations, and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision.” | “We will work with you to ensure that your concerns and aspirations are directly reflected in the alternatives developed and provide feedback on how public input influenced the decision.” | “We will look to you for advice and innovation in formulating solutions and incorporate your advice and recommendations into the decisions to the maximum extent possible.” | “We will implement what you decide.” |
Engagement techniques | Examples: factsheets, newsletters, website Consider: Accessible communication | Examples: surveys, meetings Required: Pre-reading material e.g. Discussion paper or video | Examples: workshops, advisory groups, deep dives Required: Executive and decision-maker participation. Translate complex docs into plain and easy language or animations | Examples: Deliberative forum, co-design workshop or People’s Panel, Digital Democracy Required: Skilled facilitator | Examples: Citizen’s juries, independently governed reference groups Required: Extensive resource commitment for internal and external stakeholders |
