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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Helen Kendall, Marian Raley
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2024 The AuthorsOutcomes in participatory environmental processes are strongly affected by choices about who is engaged. Inclusive engagement diversifies the range of interests and perspectives represented, including those from vulnerable and marginalized groups, ultimately contributing to more socially and environmentally sustainable and equitable outcomes. However, existing “stakeholder analysis” methods often bias participant identification away from disenfranchised groups with limited pre-existing interest or influence, instead favoring the most easily accessed and influential stakeholders. This paper draws on research impact theory and practice to propose a new, more inclusive approach, adding impact to the existing interest and influence criteria (which each begin with the letter “i", hence the 3i framework) that are typically used to identify, categorize and prioritize those who are relevant to be included or excluded from engagement processes. As part of this proposed 3i analysis approach, we articulate a new typology of relevant parties to engage in environmental decision-making processes, including: uninterested; uninterested and impacted; uninterested influencers; disinterested, influential and impacted; only interested; interested and impacted; interested influencers; and interested, influential and impacted. Except for the first group, all types of relevant parties should be considered for engagement wherever possible, with participation strategies tailored to their specific 3i profile. The approach was developed and refined through a series of workshops before developing it into a survey instrument that was piloted to gather 3i data efficiently across several national contexts. Survey findings are presented for a case study identifying those relevant to wetland and peatland restoration in a Scottish catchment. If widely adopted, the 3i framework would be the most consequential change in stakeholder analysis methods since the introduction of interest-influence matrices in the 1980s.
Author(s): Reed MS, Jensen EA, Noles S, Conneely D, Kendall H, Raley M, Tarrant A, Oakley N, Hinson C, Hoare V, Marshall K, Pugliese L
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Journal of Environmental Management
Year: 2025
Volume: 373
Print publication date: 01/01/2025
Online publication date: 05/12/2024
Acceptance date: 21/11/2024
Date deposited: 16/12/2024
ISSN (print): 0301-4797
ISSN (electronic): 1095-8630
Publisher: Academic Press
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123437
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123437
Data Access Statement: Data will be made available on request.
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