Stakeholder Engagement Methods and Process

Methods

Stakeholder engagement methods are the means by which stakeholders are involved in decision-making and stakeholder views and opinions are sought. There is no single method to involve stakeholders in any given decision, and in many cases, a number of alternative methods will be employed, sequentially or in combination, to ensure an effective flow of information.

Stakeholder engagement methods can include surveys, webcasts, face-to-face meetings (individual or group) and working groups.

Process

The electricity industry is constantly changing and the IESO needs to make changes to continue to operate reliably and efficiently. The IESO stakeholder engagement process is one of several mechanisms used to manage these changes.

A change or initiative is brought to the attention of, or identified by, the IESO’s Stakeholder Engagement Unit. The responsible IESO business unit develops a draft stakeholder engagement plan in consultation with the Stakeholder Engagement Unit. The plan is posted for comment and then, after any changes are incorporated, it is carried out. 

Once a decision is made, the decision and its rationale are communicated to participants and those affected by it. In addition, there may be a need for continued involvement in planning, implementation, monitoring and assessment of the change effected. An evaluation of the plan is completed by stakeholders at the end of the process.  For more information on the stakeholdering process please refer to the Stakeholder Engagement Process document.

This spectrum shows how the appropriate stakeholder engagement methods and tools are used depending on the initiative. This indicates that stakeholder engagement initiatives can fall under various activities.