The Health Canada Policy Toolkit for Public Involvement in Decision
Making
Level 2 Technique:
Bilateral Meetings with Stakeholders
What Is It?
Bilateral meetings generally comprise one-on-one meetings between
two groups that may represent organizations, sectors, regions or
nations. They can be government-to-government, organization-to-organization
or any combination of public/private bodies organized primarily
to listen and gather information. Bilateral meetings with stakeholders
involve groups with an interest in the proceedings, which may include
multiple bilateral meetings with various groups. Consulting stakeholders
aid the process of identifying and defining the relevant issues
and increasing the knowledge base of the process by involving a
number of key people and groups with multiple skills, broad experience
and expertise.
One player, usually the government, assumes the responsibility
for initiating bilateral meetings with other stakeholders to solicit
their views and input. This, however, means that this player has
the primary responsibility to act, devise policy or implement,
and therefore make the final decision.
How It Works
Conduct briefings for stakeholders on relevant information well
in advance. Bilateral meetings proceed by setting an agenda in
order to inform all participants of their roles and responsibilities.
While policy decisions may still be open for discussion, there
may not be a commitment to follow through with the views collected.
Therefore, the scope and parameters of the meetings should be defined
beforehand in order to manage expectations.
When Is It Most Useful?
Bilateral meetings allow the main decision-making body to ensure
that views are represented and understood. Bilateral or multilateral
meetings are useful as a formal process to determine the nature
of a problem, identify common ground among the parties involved,
and discuss strategies for achieving objectives. They can serve
to provide opinions, interests, values and objectives as the precursor
to the policy development process or the implementation phase.
Consultations resulting from bilateral meetings are often used
for the establishment and organization of an advisory committee,
or steering committee and working groups to represent various interests
(e.g. consulting on how best to implement a government department's
decision or a policy design process). Bilateral meetings with stakeholders
could also be used to fulfil objectives, such as:
- Identifying all the relevant stakeholder groups
- Seeking advice on issues
- Obtaining feedback on public involvement programs, gathering
local and community information, and advice on options.
Logistics and Limits
- Control of outcome rests with organizing player
- Limited to one-way interchange of two partners
Bilateral meetings must be distinguished from the more participatory
method of multi-stakeholder consultations which usually include
a wider range of interests and debate on issues. Multi-stakeholder
consultations would represent a higher form of public involvement
on the continuum and allow for more interaction between stakeholders.
Cost Implications
There could potentially be considerable travel costs associated
with bilateral meetings, depending on where the meetings are situated.
The location and venue should reflect the number and type of participants
involved and generally would not require operational costs such
as staff and equipment for the preparation of documents.
Expectation for Feedback or Follow-up
Bilateral meetings with stakeholders may be conducted at various
times, such as:
- Problem definition
- Policy phase
- Implementation
- Monitoring phase
There may be a need for further follow-up sessions. Furthermore,
the government or stakeholders may require feedback on the effectiveness
of the meetings, follow-up materials, and periodic written reports
on the status of the meetings.
Timelines
Bilateral meetings may be used for a distinct phase of a process
or as an ongoing reference base, and therefore may occur annually
or semi-annually as a formal consultative process. The actual meeting
typically takes place over a short time frame, depending upon the
number of sessions scheduled. A meeting may be held anywhere from
a few hours to a couple of days or week depending upon the number
and complexity of issues on the agenda.
Potential Pitfalls
The possibility exists that the process would not be inclusive
enough, and fail to adequately address the concerns of various
stakeholders. The process may be seen as predetermined and used
to achieve political "buy-in" and support rather than to share
ideas and information.
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