How can companies collaborate with stakeholders to achieve SDGs?

You and your company can collaborate with communities to understand their unique needs, immediate priorities, and current challenges related to the SDGs. By engaging in a comprehensive stakeholder mapping with community members, you can develop initiatives that are tailored to address local sustainable development issues. Collaborating with stakeholders is then a strategic engagement that will allow you and your company to increase trust, foster innovation and enhance the impact of your project.

In a social impact intervention, collaborating with stakeholders is essential for the success of the outcomes. Involving users, beneficiaries, partners, and other strategic actors from the planning stage contributes to a better understanding of expectations, needs, potentials, and a shared vision for the future. By collaborating with stakeholders, identifying capabilities directed towards a common purpose, it is possible to leverage alignment with the United Nations' Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

If you don't collaborate with stakeholders, then your company will cease to exist very soon. Why? As a leader, you're to communicate the company's goals with the stakeholders to listen to their point of view. This will encourage them to support your initiatives or business goals because they will feel valued. When you fail to engage stakeholders, you can't align business goals with SDGs all by yourself. If it were possible SDG awareness wouldn't be anyone's responsibility. So with this, it's vital you collaborate with stakeholders in order to ensure your business goals are on track and you have their support.

Para identificar y priorizar a los grupos de interés, las empresas deben realizar un análisis exhaustivo de su entorno, considerando a clientes, empleados, proveedores y comunidades locales. La experiencia personal indica que la escucha activa y encuestas regulares son clave para comprender las expectativas y necesidades de cada grupo.

Identifying suitable stakeholders for maximum social impact involves understanding the project’s goals and the stakeholders’ interests and influence. Start by mapping stakeholders based on their power, legitimacy, and urgency related to the project. Prioritize those with high scores in all three aspects. Engage them early to understand their expectations and build trust. Regularly review this stakeholder matrix as relationships and project dynamics evolve. Remember, effective stakeholder engagement is key to achieving maximum social impact.

In our experience, we have observed some methodologies that facilitate the process of identifying stakeholders. For instance, we can mention the Participatory Rapid Diagnosis (PRD) and Systemic Design. In PRD, stakeholders, especially those directly affected by the social impact intervention, are encouraged to share their needs, knowledge, and visions for the future. Besides identifying stakeholders, this methodology allows for a deep understanding of the context, dynamics, and interconnections among different actors. Systemic Design focuses on problem-solving by considering the system as a whole, leading to an understanding of the complexity of interactions among different actors and their contributions to the impacts of the intervention.

Identifying and prioritizing stakeholders might be a little challenging. You need to understand your company's goals then assess the relevant skills or human resources required to complete it. This is the first step to identifying stakeholders. Prioritizing stakeholders depends on the stage of your company's goal or project because not all stakeholders are required at every stage.

Utilize storytelling from similar communities that have successfully undergone the desired social change. This can help demystify the process and showcase tangible benefits.

A great practice for companies hoping to accomplish social impact goals related to SDGs or otherwise is to host listening sessions. Inviting community leaders in, and asking them to identify other affected stakeholders and invite them in as well, can establish trust if earnest listening follows.

It is important to initially communicate how the organization's mission, values, and vision align with the United Nations' Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is also important to create a space for listening where stakeholders can indicate how their organization aligns with the SDGs. An example of how to carry out this process is the use of the Practice Check methodology, which allows engaging stakeholders for a better understanding of the reality and possible solutions to address the issues or challenges that are the focus of the social impact intervention.

Communicating with stakeholders is as good as communicating the company's mission, vision and current goals. Keep on engaging stakeholders in a discussion about the company's purpose then narrow it down to your SDG goals. When you do this, stakeholders will understand the company's main focus then finally nail it down to achieving the SDG goals.

A great way to collaborate with stakeholders is to employ a hybrid model of communication. While technology is advantageous for connecting people across borders, you may need to have boots on the ground to engage and co-create with stakeholders who will be direct beneficiaries of your project.

Para co-crear y co-entregar con las partes interesadas, es esencial fomentar la participación abierta y transparente. Mi experiencia destaca la importancia de talleres colaborativos y mesas redondas donde se discuten ideas y se toman decisiones conjuntas, generando un sentido de propiedad compartida.

Co-creation and co-delivery enable stakeholders to remain engaged from ideation through implementation and refinement of solutions. Through co-creation, stakeholders are involved in the creation process, ensuring their active participation. Through co-delivery, stakeholders participate in the execution, monitoring, and evaluation of these solutions.

Co-creating and co-delivering with stakeholders will demand a hybrid approach. It's best to meet in person to create tasks and assign each stakeholder to deliver a particular task in contribution to what you've created. It's important to create new rules for the purpose of ensuring successful co-creation and co-delivery.

Medir e informar sobre el impacto implica establecer indicadores clave de desempe?o alineados con los ODS. En mi experiencia, la implementación de informes de sostenibilidad, con datos cuantificables y narrativas claras, fortalece la comunicación y la rendición de cuentas hacia los grupos de interés.

Of what importance is it to work on a goal and not measure it? Measuring and reporting stakeholders impact will help to identify pitfalls and successful task completions. This data will give you upper hand in finding more strategies to achieve your company's goal.

Para mantener y ampliar la colaboración, es fundamental mantener una comunicación constante. Basándome en mi experiencia, el establecimiento de plataformas virtuales, eventos periódicos y programas de reconocimiento para socios colaboradores ha demostrado ser eficaz para fortalecer y expandir las relaciones a largo plazo.

Consider the role of digital platforms in enhancing community engagement and feedback. Utilize social media and mobile apps to maintain open lines of communication, gather input, and share progress, making the change process more transparent and inclusive.

Participatory methodologies, such as Participatory Rapid Diagnosis (PRD), allow direct involvement of stakeholders, ensuring a deep understanding of the context and needs. Agile methodologies, such as Ethnographic Design, Service Design, Systemic Design, and Design Thinking, provide tools and processes for the development of innovative solutions, with a focus on experimentation and continuous learning.