Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder engagement systematically identifies and engages stakeholders in decisions that affect them, supporting inclusive participation and mutual trust (Vanclay et al., 2015; IFC, 2012).

This may include, among others, stakeholder mapping and prioritization, community advisory groups or forums, engagement aligned with International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) principles, consultation during planning of new developments, employee and port user engagement processes, inclusion of Indigenous and vulnerable communities, and mobile or in person meetings for remote fishing communities.

For DMC ports, stakeholder engagement can reduce conflict and project delays, improve decision quality through local knowledge, build long term trust and cooperation, enhance legitimacy of port activities, and support equitable development (Moeremans and Dooms, 2021).

Stakeholders may include, among others, local communities, fisheries and coastal livelihoods, Indigenous peoples, employees and contractors, port tenants and users, regulatory authorities, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and media. The IFC Performance Standards establish engagement requirements across categories of stakeholders, with Performance Standard 7 providing specific requirements for engagement with Indigenous peoples, including Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) where applicable (IFC, 2012; EMRIP, 2018).

Effective engagement typically encompasses stakeholder identification and analysis, development of engagement plans tailored to different stakeholder groups, early and meaningful engagement during planning phases, two way communication supporting information sharing and genuine dialogue, documentation of engagement activities and outcomes, and feedback to stakeholders on how their input influenced decisions. The IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum provides a framework distinguishing levels of engagement from inform, consult, involve, collaborate, to empower (IAP2, 2018).

Engagement with fisheries communities is particularly important in coastal DMC contexts. Port developments can affect fishing grounds, navigation routes, and shore based infrastructure used by fishers.

Indigenous and traditional coastal communities may have specific rights, including customary tenure and resource use rights, that require particular attention. The IFC Performance Standard 7 requires clients to respect and preserve the culture, knowledge, and practices of Indigenous peoples, with FPIC required for specific impacts including project impacts on lands and resources subject to traditional ownership, relocation from traditional lands, and impacts on critical cultural heritage (IFC, 2012; EMRIP, 2018).

Digital engagement platforms can support structured engagement at scale including stakeholder mapping, engagement tracking, and analysis. In DMC contexts, digital platforms complement but do not replace in person engagement, particularly with communities that may have limited digital access.