There are a variety of ways in which meaningful engagement has been defined by various standards and guidelines, but in each instance, meaningful engagement is underpinned by the following six core principles, which have been used to shape this guidance document.

LightbulbTip: An essential ingredient in the core principles of meaningful engagement is respect for human rights, as recognised in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs).

Additional detail as to the core principles is provided in Appendix B.

Core principles

  • Principle 1
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    Designed and undertaken with a mutually beneficial perspective (‘right mindset’).

    Stakeholder engagement is to be designed in a way that fosters trust between a company and its stakeholders and is carried out with a solutions-focused mindset.

  • Principle 2
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    Conducted with the context-specific stakeholders (‘right people’).

    Engagement should only be undertaken once there is, at a minimum, a preliminary understanding of the context and once all relevant stakeholders have been identified (including disadvantaged and vulnerable groups).

  • Principle 3
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    Occurs in a timely manner (‘right time’).

    Engagement should begin early in the project planning phase and be ongoing throughout the life of a project or activity; company and stakeholder expectations around frequency of engagement should be established at the outset.

  • Principle 4
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    Designed and undertaken via methods suitable for stakeholders and the desired outcome (‘right methods’).

    Engagement should be conducted in a manner that is fit-for-purpose using techniques/tools and communication methods that reflect the cultural context, the needs of the stakeholders involved, and the purpose of the engagement. Engagement methods should be refined as part of ongoing engagement.

  • Principle 5
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    Provides transparency in process and decision-making ​(‘right process’).

    The process employed for stakeholder engagement is appropriately explained to stakeholders, involves the disclosure of relevant information and the consideration of stakeholder perspectives, and allows stakeholders to make informed decisions.

  • Principle 6
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    Actively considers and responds to feedback (‘right responses’).

    Engagement actively solicits feedback from stakeholders, systematically integrates feedback into project/ activity design and implementation, and informs stakeholders about how their feedback has been used to inform decisions and key developments.

Enablement factors

To be effective and successful, these six core principles need to be supported by the necessary enablement factors, specifically the use of appropriate management systems to track engagement outcomes (‘right systems’) and sufficient allocation of resources – both financial and material (‘right resources’). Not only do these enablement factors support the implementation of the core principles, but they also facilitate the means to demonstrate that engagement as been conducted in accordance with the core principles.

LightbulbTip: There is an increasing focus within the international community on ensuring free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) is undertaken when engaging with Indigenous Peoples. This may be a separate process that occurs alongside of, but intersects with, the stakeholder engagement process. The core principles for meaningful engagement however, are closely aligned to the underlying principles of FPIC.

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