INTERNATIONAL WATERS
EXPERIENCE NOTES

http://www.iwlearn.net/experience








2007-011

Stakeholder Participation and
Engagement: Fostering a Community of
Interest



Abstract: DLIST-Benguela is an information sharing programme, comprising an online platform, distance
learning courses, and a social networking programme in southwestern Africa. This is a region in a rapid
state of transition, with changes in land ownership, socio-economic challenges resulting from dwindling
mining, and environmental pressures, in a context of a fragile environment and debilitating poverty. The
overall aim of DLIST-Benguela is to increase access of local communities to information that is critical to
environmental management and sustainable livelihood creation. One of the main challenges faced by
DLIST (and by participatory development in the broader sense) is to reach and engage a representative
group of stakeholders. The first lesson we learnt was that stakeholder engagement benefits from an
integrated approach. This interactive (online) communication approach required active facilitation. While
there are individual lessons to be shared from the project, the key learning from DLIST relates to what
was earlier called "social capital", or trust. The objective, rather than simply disseminating information to
an "audience", is to build an enduring "community of interest". This approach is specifically designed for
multi-stakeholder engagement (in different sectors of society, different countries) and hence can be
applied in other LMEs or transboundary regions.

Rean van der Merwe
rean@ecoafrica.co.za
DLIST Benguela
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Stakeholder Participation and Engagement: Fostering a Community of
Interest

Experience of the GEF sponsored

"Distance Learning and Information Sharing Tool (DLIST-Benguela)"
(UNDP/GEF Project)
GEFID: 3153

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
period of three years. The main outcomes of the

project defined at project inception were:
DLIST-Benguela is an information sharing
1. To put in place an innovative and user
programme, comprising an online platform,
friendly ICT platform for coastal
distance learning courses, and a social
stakeholders
networking programme. It focuses on the coastal
2. To offer coastal stakeholders distance
areas flanked by the Benguela Current Large
learning courses on sustainable
Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) along the west side
development in coastal areas
of South Africa, Namibia and Angola. This is a
3. To offer DLIST users free access to
region in a rapid state of transition, with changes
information and promote the flow of
in land ownership, socio-economic challenges
information between them
resulting from dwindling mining, and
4. To make DLIST accessible to coastal
environmental pressures, in a context of a fragile
communities for their empowerment and
environment and debilitating poverty.
uplifting


The overall aim of DLIST-Benguela is to
THE EXPERIENCE
increase access of local communities to

information that is critical to environmental
Issue
management and sustainable livelihood

creation, founded on the Benguela Current's
One of the main challenges faced by DLIST
coastal and marine resources. DLIST promotes
(and by participatory development in the broader
the sharing of ideas between coastal interest
sense) is to reach and engage a representative
groups, different tiers of government and
group of stakeholders. Subsequently, to ensure
between a wide array of players that include
equal access to information, and define
local communities and the private sector. DLIST
processes so that stakeholders have a real
was explicitly designed to complement the
chance to be part of them ­ for them to become
GEF/UNDP BCLME project
development partners. In the context of

transboundary resource management, these
DLIST-Benguela aims to:
challenges are additionally complicated by the

diversity of stakeholders, and that they are
S bridge the information divide through an
frequently geographically dispersed over a large
accessible ICT application and user support
area.
programme;

S promote the flow of information and improve
Addressing the Issue
networking between coastal role players;

S create a common pool of knowledge; and
The DLIST-Benguela project was designed
S facilitate dissemination of the scientific
somewhat as a pilot for an approach. Could
outputs of the BCLME and BENEFIT
stakeholders in the BCLME region be
programmes, as well as other projects, to all
successfully engaged and subsequently
civil stakeholders along the BCLME.
empowered making use of an online platform,

distance learning courses, and a supporting
A concept that was born in 1999, the current
social networking programme?
phase of DLIST is under implementation as a

GEF MSP project since October 2005 for a
Project development progressed as a series of
smaller, iterative "pilots". Each element of the
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approach would first be tested, and based on
sense of co-ownership of the
feedback from the growing user community, be
platform.
adapted and more completely rolled out. This
d. One promising function was a
allowed our team to tailor the communications
simple "911 HELP" button. Users
approach to the reality and information needs of
were encouraged, by clicking on a
stakeholders.
prominent button on the home page,

to send any topically relevant
The first lesson we learnt was that stakeholder
question to the DLIST website
engagement benefits from an integrated
admin team. The questions were
approach. No one "channel" was ideal for all
then routed to experts in the DLIST
segments of the audience, nor for all situations.
user community for answer, with the
The DLIST "mix" evolved to include web
admin team keeping track of
platform, online discussions, newsletter, a
progress. This provided an
distributed film festival, printed material, radio
opportunity to interact with users ­
and face to face workshops. Even the distance
based on their needs ­ and acted as
learning course played a key role in engaging
a form of social networking when
specific sectors of the audience in a focussed
users were put in touch with subject
manner.
experts within the online community.

e. The project ultimately aims not only
To expand on a few elements of the approach:
to answer questions, but to build a

"common pool of knowledge". This
1. Web platform/knowledge management:
pool of knowledge is fed by ongoing
Our website is really an engine that
information needs analysis and is
generates content, discussion, leads - that
driven by users. While the e-library
are then developed in many ways.
helps the community of practice to

store and reuse assets, the DLIST
a. The web platform was organised
team collects information from
around audience information needs
different sources to generate
(rather than project architecture)
"information parcels" that aim to
and evolved as new information
make subject information accessible
demands arose. Our team worked
to anyone. Each of these parcels is
hard to think of content from a
really a lens on topic, for example
users' perspective ­ "why would it
coastal property development,
matter to me", "what can I do" etc.
which surfaces as a "burning issue"
b. Engagement did not result from
through the discussion forums. In
"clever technology" in the
general, a mix of online/ print and
conventional sense. We worked to
other channels is used.
make technology as simple to use

as possible ­ with only those
2. Courses/distance learning
features which users absolutely
For the DLIST project, courses are a way of
needed. For example, while we
engaging key role players in a meaningful
tested allowing users to contribute
way, while building capacity and networks
content directly, we realised that (for

our specific audience) it was far
a. A semester course on Sustainable
simpler to ask users to simply email
Development in Coastal Areas has
word or PDF documents to a
been on offer since project
website manager than to train them
inception, and serves as broad
in the complications of contributing
introduction to the topic in the
web content.
context of the BCLME. Distance
c. We encouraged users to create their
learning students are typically
own page on the platform (again,
industry or government decision
allowing submission in any format,
makers who feel the need to
attached to email.) These are called
improve their knowledge of
"partner kiosks" and provide a
sustainable development. Further
networking opportunity, as well as
courses are under development,
giving members of the community a
with a module on Integrated Coastal
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Zone Management about to be
who had access via satellite line, cellphone,
launched in March 2008.
internet café or even the nearest library.
b. By collaborating with a tertiary

institution, the sustainability of the
For users who did have internet access, the
courses (beyond project lifetime)
interactive online mode of communication
was ensured. Teaching staff at the
offered clear benefits. One way to extend the
institution manage all course related
conversation beyond the web platform was to
student interaction.
encourage these users to become "information
c. Demand for the semester courses is
intermediaries". To do this, we aimed to package
very high. Users have also
information in a format that was as easy to share
expressed the need for shorted,
as possible ­ for example as PDF files that
skills based courses. A module in
could be freely printed or shared on memory
Stakeholder Participation is now
stick.
being launched as a pilot.


To further improve access to web content, we
3. Social networking
piloted the concept of regional "nodes" ­ offices
Through outreach activities such as training
where users could come and access the web
events, workshops, film festivals, awareness
based platform for free, download learning
campaigns and road shows, community
materials and receive the support of a trained
radio, a community of interest is built where
"node moderator". Initially, where these nodes
users are actively involved. These activities
were totally independent initiatives, they had
create awareness for our target issues and,
limited success. It was hard to maintain a
at the same time, keep the DLIST
network of small regional information centres,
community in touch with each other, building
and users seemed reluctant to engage node
networks.
moderators. We subsequently learnt to integrate

the local presence with an existing information
RESULTS AND LEARNING
hub ­ a library, resource centre or museum. In

this way the project supported a local initiative,
This interactive (online) communication
built valuable partnerships and we greatly
approach required active facilitation. DLIST
simplified the management of the nodes.
worked with key information sharing partners in

each region ("champions") from as early as
As already mentioned, the project design made
possible, making continuous efforts to nurture
strong provision for communication channels
relationships. We engaged in active moderation
other than web ­ for example community radio,
of online discussions, and would occasionally
where the team developed phone-in
directly invite key people in on relevant
programming linked to discussions on the
discussions. We further made use of "push
website. The integrated communications
media" in the form of an electronic newsletter.
approach afforded multiple points of contact
The newsletter followed up on topics of interest
between stakeholders (including project staff)
from the discussions and significantly consisted
over a period of several years. This built an
of partner-generated content. In this way,
enduring "community of interest", a group of
DLIST's reach was extended beyond registered
people who share some level of trust and who
discussion participants.
effectively become project partners, sharing

project goals. The "social capital" thus built
During the project design phase, access to the
allowed the DLIST team to distribute the
internet was considered a potential obstacle ­
communications process to members of the
specifically for an approach that relied
stakeholder community and so extend our
substantially on email and web based
reach. As an example, a travelling film festival
interaction. In practice, we found that the barrier
was organised in over 20 locations by local
to communication was not technological in the
partners, with the DLIST project mainly providing
many instances ­ there are now over 44 million
access to the films and marketing materials, and
internet users in Africa, many of them the very
co-ordinating high level arrangements.
decision makers that DLIST hoped to connect.

DLIST users included people in the remote
Our team are presently working to answer a new
regions of Angola, South Africa and Namibia,
set of questions which we feel relate very closely
to what we have learnt:
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This approach is specifically designed for multi-
S How can one enable richer communication
stakeholder engagement (in different sectors of
between project proponent and
society, different countries) and hence can be
stakeholders? The typical meeting report ­ a
applied in other LMEs or transboundary regions.
bullet list of requirements or concerns ­ is
The DList experience is significant because it is
deeply unsatisfactory?
the first attempt in the GEF IW community to
S How to better maintain a community of
introduce such a multi-layered approach to a
practice between formal participatory
region characterized by wide socioeconomic
sessions?
differences, linguistic groups and internet
S How to really "distribute" the participatory
accessibility levels. In complex management
process?
situations there are typically multiple role

players, initiatives, programmes and needs to
REPLICATION
consider, and there is thus often need for a

"centralised" point of contact. This central point
While there are individual lessons to be shared
of contact or network can facilitate a multi
from the project, the key learning from DLIST
directional communication (and engagement)
relates to what was earlier called "social capital",
process, the development of a community of
or trust. The objective, rather than simply
practice, allowing for the participation of
disseminating information to an "audience", is to
community members and other players that
build an enduring "community of interest" ­ a
would normally not take part directly in that
group of people who effectively become project
management.
partners. While this could be achieved in any

number of ways (we have highlighted what
REFERENCES
worked in the DLIST context), in our experience,

it requires sufficient time and resources to grow
Please visit DLIST's website at www.dlist-
and maintain such a network.
benguela.org and write to the DLIST Team at

admin@dlist-benguela.org. You may also
Social capital grows when a group of people
contact the Project CTA, Francois Odendaal, at
have multiple points of contact over a significant
francois@ecoafrica.co.za or the Project
period of time (in terms of project lifetimes), and
Coordinator at rean@ecoafrica.co.za.
where all parties gain something they perceive

valuable from the interactions. The approach
KEYWORDS
requires an open-ness to the perspective of

stakeholders ­ to engage people on their terms,
S Information sharing
based on their needs. This may prove
S Information and communication tools
challenging for a project with limited scope, pre-
(ICT)
defined goals and especially limited contact time
S Community of Practice
(whether online or offline) with stakeholders.


The Global Environment Facility (GEF)
DLIST significantly leveraged the benefits of
International Waters Experience Notes series
web based communication to build and maintain
helps the transboundary water management
a community. In some regions, and more
(TWM) community share its practical
specifically with particular stakeholder
experiences to promote better TWM.
audiences, this may not be most appropriate.
Experiences include successful practices,
Above all, it is important to be attentive and
approaches, strategies, lessons, methodologies,
listen to the information needs in the target
etc., that emerge in the context of TWM.
community and to select the most appropriate

means of distributed engagement.
To obtain current IW Experience Notes or to

contribute your own, please visit
SIGNIFICANCE
http://www.iwlearn.net/experience or email

info@iwlearn.net.

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