The BiodivERsA Stakeholder Engagement Handbook is a non-academic practical guide for researchers planning and carrying out research projects. It is designed to assist research teams identify relevant stakeholders to engage with in order to enhance the impact of their work. The Handbook draws upon exiting literature and presents case studies that provide clear, simple guidance, which considers ‘why’, ‘who’, ‘when’ and ‘how’ to engage.
To ensure a balanced representation of society is effectively engaged with research activities, the Handbook considers a three step stakeholder identification process: identification of relevant stakeholders; assessing and prioritisation; and developing understanding. This process ascertains opportunities and risks of engagement and ensures barriers to engagement are recognised and overcome, thus making engagement processes more inclusive and enhancing the legitimacy and societal relevance of scientific research.
The development of this toolkit has been led by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), one of the UK partners in BiodivERsA and an established authority in the field of stakeholder engagement practices.
We hope this non-academic practical guide will further pave the way to knowledge provision and illuminate solutions for tackling biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation at the European level!
For hardcopies, please contact the BiodivERsA Secretariat – Frederic.lemaitre@fondationbiodiversite.fr or claire.blery@fondationbiodiversite.fr
