Common use of Stakeholder consultations Clause in Contracts

Stakeholder consultations. Stakeholder consultation is useful for gathering environmental data, understanding likely impacts, determining community and individual preferences, selecting Project alternatives and designing viable and sustainable mitigation and compensation plans. Stakeholder consultation in the EIA process is undertaken during the Project design, implementation and initial operation. The aim is to disseminate information to interested and affected parties (stakeholders), solicit their views and consult on sensitive issues. Inadequate public consultation can result in significant information gaps, which could mislead environmental planners undertaking an environmental assessment. Lack of attention to communication and consultation processes can generate individual, community, or regional opposition to a project. This can ultimately be a cause of substantial delays, increased costs, and unsatisfactory compromise solutions, which could have been avoided through earlier consultations. Participation is therefore a process through which different stakeholders influence and share their views regarding development initiatives and the decisions and resources that affect them.