Using Stakeholder Processes in
Environmental DecisionmakingAn Evaluation of Lessons Learned, Key Issues, and Future Challenges
IX. Appendices
APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Personal Experience
Definitions and Criteria
1. How do you define the term "stakeholder?"
2. Within a particular environmental decisionmaking process, are there any limits that need to be placed on who is a stakeholder, or is everybody a stakeholder?
3. As a stakeholder, what constituency or interest did you believe you represented? How do you define "participation?"
4. Are stakeholder processes being frequently used? If not, why not?
To the extent they are used, why do you believe this has occurred? Please rank the following factors from 1 to 5, with 1 representing the lowest ranked factor and 5 the highest.
- expanded societal interest in transparency of decisionmaking processes
- means to enhance trust in traditional environmental institutions (public and private) and avoid litigation
- greater impact of environmental decisions upon personal interests and lifestyles
- changes in the U.S. political process
- increased access to information and deeper public awareness of environmental issues
- effort to gain access to decisionmaking by individuals or groups that
- have traditionally not participated
- other
What was the principal goal(s) of the stakeholder process(es) that you participated in? Did you achieve the goal(s)? Did the goal(s) change during the course of the stakeholder process? What defines success in the stakeholder process(es) you were involved in? What defines failure? Please provide examples of success or failure.
5. Did you establish key measures or criteria to evaluate success or failure? If yes, what were they?Process Design and Management
6. Name three or four of the most important tools or rules that need to be used in a stakeholder-based decisionmaking process. What new tools or rules need to be developed to improve stakeholder processes?
7. How can stakeholders’ own accountability be ensured? How can a stakeholder process reach closure even when noteworthy disagreement remains?
8. What do you believe are the principal obstacles in environmental stakeholder processes? Please rank the following factors from 1 to 5, with 1 representing the lowest ranked factor and 5 the highest.
- information and resource limitations
- design and management of the stakeholder process
- conflicting goals and values
- credibility and trust problems among the participants
- lack of societal acceptance of the outcome of the stakeholder process
- other
9. What do you believe are the principal reasons for success in environmental stakeholder decisionmaking processes? Please rank the following factors from 1 to 5, with 1 representing the lowest ranked factor and 5 the highest.
- adequate information and resources
- design and management of the stakeholder process
- relative agreement on goals and values
- deadlines or adverse consequences if the process didn’t succeed
- credibility and trust among participants
- societal acceptance of the outcome of the stakeholder process
- other
10. How did you choose the particular stakeholder process you followed? What were its principal characteristics? What alternatives were considered and not used?
11. Under what circumstances does a stakeholder provide input to a decision compared with a stakeholder(s) being involved in actually making a decision? Is there an optimal role for a stakeholder(s)?
12. What is the most effective role for scientists in a stakeholder process? Please rank the following factors from 1 to 5, with 1 representing the lowest ranked factor and 5 the highest.
- explore and recommend policy options to stakeholders
- provide social and political risk information
- provide science-based risk information
- choose policy options
- elicit and validate values
- other
13. What is the most effective role for citizens in a stakeholder process? Please rank the following factors from 1 to 5, with 1 representing the lowest ranked factor and 5 the highest.
- recommend policy options to stakeholders
- provide social and political risk information
- provide science-based risk information
- choose policy options
- elicit and validate values
- other
14. What is the most effective role for government policymakers in a stakeholder process? Please rank the following factors from 1 to 5, with 1 representing the lowest ranked factor and 5 the highest.
- recommend policy options to stakeholders
- provide social and political risk information
- provide science-based risk information
- choose policy options
- elicit and validate values
- other
15. Are there specific environmental issues or problems for which stakeholder processes are generally not desirable or effective?
Outcomes, Lessons Learned, and Future Issues
16. Do you believe that the stakeholder process produced substantively better or worse decisions than would have otherwise occurred? Please explain.
17. Did the stakeholder process increase your trust in the organization ultimately responsible for carrying out the decisions made? In particular, do you believe the process was legitimate and the responsible organization had the competence to implement the decisions? Did the process increase cooperation or reduce conflict among the stakeholders? If cooperation and trust were fostered, will this last?
18. What major lessons have been learned as a result of experimenting with and using stakeholder processes during the past decade? If starting all over again what would you do differently?
19. Are there certain kinds of issues where stakeholder processes are most useful? Less useful?
20. How are stakeholder processes likely to change in the future? What are some emerging issues?
21. Are there specific case studies or other documents you could make available for this study?
Go to:
Copyright © 1998 by Tec-Com Inc.