IJASOS- International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences

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.