Effective Stakeholder Engagement (MGTS7976)

Portfolio Components (5 entries) - each worth 5% and assesses Learning outcome 2

Portfolio entry 1-4 will align with one theoretical perspective and follows this structure:

1. Summary of Key Arguments (from foundational text)
2. Critique and Counterpoints (based on second reading)
3. Personal Reflection:

• What assumptions did this perspective challenge?
• How does this lens help or hinder your understanding of stakeholder behaviour?
• How might this perspective influence how you approach real-world engagement?

Portfolio entry 5 will be a final integrative reflection (approx. 800 words):

In this final section, you will reflect on how your understanding of stakeholder engagement has evolved through the process of engaging with different theoretical perspectives. Consider:

• How did these theoretical lenses challenge or reinforce your initial assumptions about stakeholders and engagement?
• Did any theory help you make better sense of real-world experiences you’ve had or observed (e.g. in your workplace, studies, or professional practice)?
• How might these insights shape how you approach stakeholder engagement in the future?

This is not a summary of previous reflections but a synthesis: draw connections across the four theory pairings and demonstrate how your thinking has developed.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task.

Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

The use of AI or MT must be referenced appropriately. Please see assessment guidelines in blackboard course site for specific instructions.

Submission and Feedback

• Submission: Submit your report through the designated platform by the due date.
• Marking criteria: see rubric on Blackboard
• Feedback: Grades and feedback will be available in the Grade Centre on Blackboard. You can request additional feedback by contacting the course coordinator.

Overview: At the end of the semester, you will undertake a Q&A session discussing your pre-recorded presentation to the class, showcasing the knowledge and insights you have gained from your learning project. This pre-recorded presentation with live Q&A will account for 30% of your overall grade for the course.

1) Pre-recorded Presentation Guidelines - due 13/10/2025 2:00pm:

• Duration: The recorded presentation should be exactly 10 minutes long.

• Format: You may use board displays, PowerPoint slides, or any other visual aids to enhance your presentation.

• Delivery: Engage the audience. Do not read from a fully written-out text. You may use notes to guide your presentation, but reliance on extensive reading will be penalized. You must be in view throughout the entire recorded presentation.

2) Q&A session - Stakeholder Engagement Learning Project - completed in scheduled class time of week 12 - week 13 (as required):

Overview:

After presenting your Stakeholder Engagement Plan, you will participate in a live Q&A session. This session allows you to demonstrate your grasp of the engagement planning process, justify your decisions, and reflect on practical implications and real-world challenges.

Purpose:

The Q&A tests your ability to:

• Defend and explain key design choices;
• Engage with critique and alternative perspectives;
• Reflect on the feasibility, inclusivity, and sustainability of your plan;
• Show awareness of risks, evaluation strategies, and long-term stakeholder relationships.

Expect Questions On:

1. Engagement Goals – How did you distinguish engagement goals from project goals? What relationship-building objectives did you identify?
2. Stakeholder Analysis – Who are the key stakeholders and how did you prioritise them? What issues did you anticipate?
3. Negotiables vs Non-Negotiables – How did you identify these, and how did they inform your engagement strategy?
4. Risk Assessment – What risks did you foresee, and how do your mitigation actions address probability and severity?
5. Levels of Engagement – How did you determine what level of engagement is appropriate for each stakeholder group?
6. Engagement Schedule – Is your timeline and allocation of responsibilities practical? What engagement methods did you choose?
7. Feedback Mechanisms – How will you ensure two-way communication and transparency throughout the engagement process?
8. Evaluation Plan – How will you measure the success of your engagement? What indicators will you use (e.g. stakeholder satisfaction, process quality, outcomes)? How will feedback inform continuous improvement?

Format & Timing:

• Each student has 10 minutes to respond to questions.
• Questions may be asked by the instructor and/or peers.

Assessment Criteria:

• Clarity, depth, and structure of responses
• Justification of engagement decisions using theory and context
• Reflection on stakeholder dynamics, power, and process risks
• Integration of evaluation and sustainability principles
• Professionalism and communication

Feedback and Results:

• Publication: Results will be published in Grade Centre.

• Feedback: Availability of marks and feedback will be announced on Blackboard. For additional feedback, you may contact the course coordinator.

Important Note: Practice your presentation to ensure you stay within the allotted time and are prepared to handle questions confidently.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task.

Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

To pass this assessment, students will be required to demonstrate detailed comprehension of their written/recorded submission independent of AI and MT tools. 

The use of AI or MT must be referenced appropriately. Please see assessment guidelines in blackboard course site for specific instructions.

Submission and Feedback:

• Submission: Submit your pre-recorded presentation through the designated platform by the due date. Live Q&A will be conducted in class.
• Marking criteria: See rubric on Blackboard
• Feedback: Grades and feedback will be available in the Grade Centre on Blackboard. You can request additional feedback by contacting the course coordinator.

Part 1: Learning Project Plan (formative 0% - assesses Learning Outcome 3 & 9)

Due: 29/08/2025 2:00pm

Objective:

The goal of this assignment is to enable you to practically apply concepts, methods, and approaches of stakeholder engagement in a real-world context. This involves creating a detailed plan for your learning project that outlines what you intend to focus on, how you will conduct it, your learning goals, and the logistics of your activities. This plan will help you select an engagement topic and specify the engagement problem you want to address with your learning project.

Your plan should be a maximum of 1500 words and should follow the guidelines provided below.

Plan Format:

Title:

The title should indicate that the document is a plan for the proposed learning project.

Author:

Student name and number

Introduction:

A detailed description of the situation and/or background to the issue you are addressing.

Clearly define the engagement problem you want to address with your learning project. Explain why this problem is important and relevant to the stakeholders involved.

Objectives:

The specific engagement objectives of your project (i.e., what you aim to achieve with your learning project, not the objectives of a project you might be part of).

Methodology:

A description of how you intend to conduct your learning project to meet your objectives. This should include:

• Methods of stakeholder engagement (e.g., review documents, personal interviews, observation of group activities).
• A schedule of activities.

Managing Challenges:

A brief description of any potential difficulties or risks involved and how you plan to manage these. For example, how you might select people to talk with, or issues involved in observing a community activity.

References:

References are essential if you use material from other sources. Please avoid using websites if possible. Use APA for referencing.

Length:

A maximum of 4 pages (1500 words, not including references), single spaced, including diagrams, maps, and references.

Topic Selection:

Choose a comprehensive case that involves direct interaction with stakeholders and meets the following criteria:

Real-world Interaction:

• The topic should involve direct interaction with stakeholders through methods such as interviews, focus groups, workshops, or participation in stakeholder meetings.

Active Participation:

• Ensure that you can actively participate in the stakeholder engagement process. Avoid topics that are purely observational or based solely on secondary data.

Contextual Relevance:

• Select a topic relevant to current issues in stakeholder engagement within your field of interest. This ensures that your learning is applicable and valuable.

Feasibility:

• Consider the feasibility of the project in terms of time, resources, and accessibility. Ensure you can realistically complete the project within the given timeframe and with the resources available to you.

Examples of Suitable Projects:

Review a Practical Engagement Process:

• This could be an engagement process in your workplace or any other practical context you are familiar with.

Review an Engagement Process You Have Been Involved In:

• Analyze an engagement process you have personally participated in, reflecting on your experience and the overall effectiveness of the engagement.

Apply an Engagement Approach and Review Its Application:

• Choose an engagement approach, implement it in a real-world context, and review its application and outcomes.

Observe and Analyze an Engagement Process:

• Observe an existing engagement process and conduct a thorough analysis of its components, stakeholders, and effectiveness.

Examples from Earlier Years:

• Community Engagement in Environmental Projects: Work with a local environmental group to engage the community in a conservation or sustainability project. Participate in planning meetings, conduct surveys, and facilitate community workshops.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives: Partner with a company to support their CSR efforts. Engage with employees, customers, and community members to understand their perspectives and contribute to CSR activities.
• Extension Programs: Join an extensionist or non-profit organization in developing and implementing extension programs. Engage with growers, graziers, and other stakeholders to gather feedback and improve program effectiveness.
• Urban Planning and Development: Work with a local government or urban planning agency to engage residents in planning and development projects. Participate in or conduct public meetings, gather input through surveys, and facilitate stakeholder workshops.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task.

Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

The use of AI or MT must be referenced appropriately. Please see assessment guidelines in blackboard course site for specific instructions.

Submission and Feedback

• Submission: Submit your report through the designated platform by the due date.
• Marking criteria: see rubric on Blackboard
• Feedback: Grades and feedback will be available in the Grade Centre on Blackboard. You can request additional feedback by contacting the course coordinator.

Part 2: Learning Project Report (weighted 45% - assesses Learning Outcomes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9)

Due: 10/11/2025 2:00pm

Overview

For this major assessment, you are required to develop a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan, including an evaluation strategy. This will build upon the project plan outlined in Assignment 1. Students will need to incorporate feedback from the project plan and presentation to make improvements to their project report.

Objectives

• Develop and articulate a stakeholder engagement strategy for a given scenario.
• Critically apply theoretical concepts from the course to analyze stakeholder dynamics and propose engagement strategies.
• Reflect critically on the engagement process and outcomes to provide insights and recommendations for future initiatives.

Requirements

• Word Count: The report should be 4,500 words in length, excluding references.
• Format: You must pass this learning project report to pass the course. The report should be written clearly and concisely in the first person, reflecting your personal insights and critical analysis.
• Referencing: please use the APA referencing style
• Feedback Incorporation: Integrate feedback from Assignment 1 where relevant to enhance the depth and quality of your analysis.

Preparation Guidelines for Designing a Stakeholder Engagement Plan

Before you begin designing your stakeholder engagement plan, consider the following key aspects that will influence your approach and effectiveness. Reflect on each point and how it applies to your case study.

Purpose/Goal of Stakeholder Engagement:

• Define what you aim to achieve through engaging stakeholders. Is the goal to inform, consult, involve, collaborate, or empower? Your objectives will shape the entire engagement strategy.

Scale:

• Consider the scale of the engagement process. Is this a local, regional, national, or international project? The scale will impact the number and diversity of stakeholders involved, as well as the methods of engagement.

Who Should be Involved?

• Identify key stakeholders who should be part of the engagement process. Consider including a broad range of participants such as local communities, government agencies, NGOs, industry experts, and funders. Think about why each stakeholder is important for the project's success.

At What Stage in a Project Should Stakeholders be Engaged?

• Determine the optimal timing for stakeholder involvement. Early engagement can help in shaping project directions and objectives, while later involvement might focus more on implementation and evaluation.

Institutional and Community Capacity:

• Assess the capacity of both institutional and community stakeholders to engage effectively. Consider resources, knowledge, skills, and the ability to participate. How might capacity gaps affect engagement, and how can these gaps be addressed?

Degree of Power to be Shared:

• Decide how much decision-making power will be shared with stakeholders. Will stakeholders have a consultative role, or will they be involved in making decisions? This decision will influence stakeholders’ expectations and the project’s governance structure.

Report Structure

Context

• Provide an analysis of the background and context of your learning project, emphasizing why it is significant in your work or study environment.
• Identify the engagement problem and specify how you are going to address this

Objectives

• Clearly state your objectives for your learning project.

Theory Used

• Outline 3-5 key concepts and theoretical approaches from the course material and additional readings that have informed your engagement strategy.

Method

• Describe the methods used to collect your data.

Results

• Report the development and execution of your stakeholder engagement plan in detail through the following eight steps:

Formulate Engagement Goals:

• Detail the specific objectives you aim to achieve through your stakeholder engagement. These should align with both your overall project goals and the needs of the stakeholders.

Stakeholder Analysis:

• Identify key stakeholders and analyze their interests, influence, and potential impact on the project. Explain how these insights shaped your engagement strategy.

Negotiables and Non-negotiables:

• Clearly delineate what aspects of the project or process are negotiable and what must remain fixed. Discuss how this clarity helped in managing stakeholder expectations.

Risk Analysis:

• Assess potential risks associated with stakeholder interactions and their impact on the project. Describe the strategies employed to mitigate these risks.

Levels of Engagement:

• Determine and justify the levels of engagement appropriate for different stakeholders based on their interest and influence. Provide examples of how differing engagement levels were implemented.

Schedule of Engagement Activities:

• Develop and present a detailed schedule of engagement activities tailored for each stakeholder group. Include timelines, modes of engagement, and responsible parties.

Feedback to Stakeholders:

• Outline the mechanisms put in place for providing feedback to stakeholders throughout the project. Describe how this feedback has been used to adjust the engagement strategy and improve stakeholder relations.
• Each of these steps should be described with enough detail to demonstrate your understanding and application of the stakeholder engagement process, showcasing your ability to integrate theoretical concepts with practical application.

Evaluation framework

• Evaluation Objectives: Define what you intend to achieve with the evaluation. Depending on your objectives, this might include assessing the degree of stakeholder satisfaction, the quality of interactions, the extent of stakeholder influence on decision-making, or the overall impact of engagement on project outcomes.
• Criteria and indicators: Identify specific indicators that will be used to measure the success of the engagement process.
• Data collection methods: Outline the methods for gathering data relevant to your KPIs. This could involve surveys, interviews, focus groups, observation, or document analysis. Consider the appropriateness of each method in relation to your stakeholder groups and the feasibility of data collection.

Discussion

• Reflect on the engagement process and results. Provide a critical analysis comparing your experiences with the theoretical principles discussed in class. Highlight what you learned and suggest improvements for future engagements.

References

• Cite all sources as indicated in the assessment guidelines on Blackboard. Referencing guides can be found on the UQ Library website.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task.

Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

The use of AI or MT must be referenced appropriately. Please see assessment guidelines in blackboard course site for specific instructions.

Submission and Feedback

• Submission: Submit your report through the designated platform by the due date.
• Marking criteria: see rubric on Blackboard
• Feedback: Grades and feedback will be available in the Grade Centre on Blackboard. You can request additional feedback by contacting the course coordinator.