PROSPECTS OF STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT IN PUBLIC POLICY: A CASE OF INDIA

 

Aditi Tyagi

Dr. Assistant Professor, Department of Good Governance & Public Policy, Sri Sri University, Cuttack, INDIA, aditi.moments@gmail.com

 

Abstract

The shift from government to governance necessitated the role of multiple stakeholders in policy process and called for an approach that could optimally facilitate the process. Resulting adoption of the stakeholder engagement approach in public policy from the domain of corporate governance has come as a mainstay as one of the most sought after diagnostic technique for the achievement of good governance in the realm of public delivery. Although the concept of stakeholder engagement possesses an imported character, it is being widely practiced across all kinds of public and private organizations whereby the various stakeholders enjoy the opportunity to influence decision-making in a desired manner. Public policy process has also acknowledged and made use of this concept as a tool, both formal and informal, for policy development, monitoring and evaluation realizing and admiring the intertwined interests of the two domains, as also the stakeholders getting increasingly involved into the process of public policy thereby enabling better alignment of the public policy with their needs and aspirations than ever before. Public policy and governance are closely interwoven and interdependent for their efficiency and efficacy. It is due to the shift experienced in both these spheres as a clear impact of the global changes of neo-liberalism and globalization that enhanced role has been assigned to informed, aware and proactive stakeholders. Stakeholders hold a substantial position in terms of institutional framework as well as achievement of the established goals. Stakeholder engagement, an effort towards collaborative partnerships and proactive involvement towards the exchange of information, ideas and resources critically important for a contextual policy perspective, therefore, forms an integral part of present times policy process and is a significant determining factor in policy development right from identifying priorities to drafting a blueprint, from formulation to implementation, for decision-making and monitoring at all levels. The present paper attempts to understand the prospects, significance and challenges of stakeholder engagement in public policy sphere of India. It intends to draw inference on the basis of document analysis as regards some of the current Indian government’s development initiatives, like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Namami Gange Programme, Smart City Mission and assess the status of stakeholder engagement therein. The prerequisites of stakeholder engagement are many and complex calling for a continuum across the multiple stakeholders associated with a project in varying capacities and differing levels of engagement as per the authority or power they wield to influence decisions. Although the concept of stakeholder engagement is gaining increased acceptance and significance across various domains, there are yet no established normative frameworks and practices of the stakeholder engagement method courtesy the varying social, economic and political conditions across settings. Besides, being a direct human dimension, engagement of stakeholders is difficult to be quantitatively measured. Public policy demands a long-term, persistent and non-manipulative commitment on the part of the policy-makers and stakeholders to optimally reap the benefits of stakeholder engagement. Nonetheless, appropriate and effective stakeholder engagement in itself is not a guarantee to the success of a project or policy.

Keywords: Stakeholder engagement, Public policy, India, Issues and challenges, Development initiatives