How do you budget for airport stakeholder engagement?

1 Identify your stakeholders

The first step is to identify who your stakeholders are, and what are their needs, expectations, and concerns regarding the airport. Stakeholders can include internal and external groups, such as airport staff, airlines, passengers, regulators, local communities, media, and environmental organizations. You can use various tools and methods to map out your stakeholders, such as stakeholder analysis, surveys, interviews, and focus groups. By identifying your stakeholders, you can prioritize them according to their level of interest and influence, and determine the appropriate level and frequency of engagement for each group.

2 Define your objectives

The next step is to define what you want to achieve with your stakeholder engagement, and how it aligns with your airport's vision, mission, and values. Your objectives can be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART), and can relate to various aspects of your airport's operations, such as improving customer satisfaction, enhancing safety and security, increasing operational efficiency, reducing environmental impact, or fostering innovation and growth. By defining your objectives, you can clarify the purpose and scope of your stakeholder engagement, and set clear and realistic expectations for both yourself and your stakeholders.

3 Plan your activities

The third step is to plan what activities you will conduct to engage your stakeholders, and how they will contribute to your objectives. Your activities can include various forms of communication, consultation, collaboration, and empowerment, depending on the level of involvement and feedback you want from your stakeholders. For example, you can use newsletters, websites, social media, or press releases to inform your stakeholders about your airport's plans, projects, or achievements. You can use surveys, polls, workshops, or public hearings to consult your stakeholders about their opinions, preferences, or concerns. You can use committees, forums, or partnerships to collaborate with your stakeholders on designing, implementing, or evaluating solutions. You can use grants, awards, or co-creation to empower your stakeholders to take action or initiate change. By planning your activities, you can select the most suitable and effective methods and tools to engage your stakeholders, and ensure their participation and input.

4 Estimate your resources

The fourth step is to estimate what resources you will need to carry out your activities, and how they will affect your budget. Your resources can include human, material, and financial resources, such as staff time, expertise, equipment, materials, venues, travel, catering, or incentives. You can use various techniques and tools to estimate your resources, such as historical data, benchmarks, unit costs, or contingency plans. By estimating your resources, you can allocate them efficiently and effectively, and avoid overspending or underdelivering.

5 Monitor and evaluate your outcomes

The final step is to monitor and evaluate the outcomes of your stakeholder engagement, and how they compare to your objectives. Your outcomes can include quantitative and qualitative indicators, such as satisfaction ratings, feedback comments, behavior changes, or impact assessments. You can use various methods and tools to monitor and evaluate your outcomes, such as performance dashboards, reports, audits, or reviews. By monitoring and evaluating your outcomes, you can measure the success and value of your stakeholder engagement, and identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for improvement.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?