Stakeholder engagement in waste management: understanding the process and its impact on accountability

Abstract

This thesis examines the operationalisation of stakeholder engagement process in sustainable waste management setting. The study aims to establish role of stakeholder power in the prioritisation process and add to empirical understanding of the way engagement affect accountability, which evaluates both the `process', and the `outcome' of engagement. This research is based on a three mini cases of local government authorities, which involve in-depth interviews, observations and document analysis. A broader insights of the engagement process from several stakeholder groups, namely the residents, NGOs, councillors and private waste contractors, are considered and compared with managerial views, and several aspects of stakeholder engagement practices are analysed, including the mechanisms used as well as the challenges faced by the LGAs in engaging. In addition, the intentions behind engagement undertakings are analysed and evaluation of the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement practices are made. Drawing on stakeholder theory, the role of power is explored as a stakeholder attribute in determining salience and in the engagement process. Insights from the interviewees are analysed in relation to the extent of participation and perceived level of power held which are then used to map the extent of their involvement on the ladder of engagement. The findings indicate that power does play an important role in the engagement process. Managers also give greater consideration to those demonstrating certain extent of power i.e. the private waste contractor and councillors. It has also been proved that managers' perceptions of the levels of power held by stakeholders play a significant role in establishing their priorities and deciding between competing interests. The use of stakeholder engagement as a mechanism for accountability has led to the recognition of a deficiency underlying the many processes of engagement. The study also has identified an additional feature of accountability, namely the interactive nature of engagement, which is unrecognised in other established measures of accountability