TY - JOUR
T1 - Effective stakeholder engagement for decision-relevant research on food-energy-water systems
AU - Trammell, E. J.
AU - Jones-Crank, J. L.
AU - Williams, P.
AU - Babbar-Sebens, M.
AU - Dale, V. H.
AU - Marshall, A. M.
AU - Kliskey, A. D.
N1 - This study defines key components of engagement as part of a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded research coordination network RCN called ENGAGE INFEWS. One hundred twenty-two participants were invited to assemble lightning talks that highlighted important lessons and challenges in working to engage with stakeholders in their FEWS projects (see Supp A for links to these talks). From those presentations, one of the working groups involved in our RCN distilled and then debated the important theoretical and methodological approaches relating to engagement in FEW systems; we reviewed each of the lightning talks and noted common themes regarding best practices for stakeholder engagement in FEWS research. Once consensus was reached about key themes, we then reviewed stakeholder engagement literature to ground the observations in theory. This process identified six gears of engagement: diversity, listening, value, trust, accountability, and flexibility/adaptability and defined a framework in which they can be incorporated into FEWS projects. This framework is exploratory in nature and provides an initial approach that can be tested through future analysis. This Perspective discusses the gears, strategies for implementing them, and reviews illustrative examples from case studies in Arizona, Idaho, and the agricultural landscapes of Mexico and Guatemala to consider the obstacles and benefits of using the six gears for effective stakeholder engagement in FEWS projects. Reflecting on this framework through the case studies helped us identify several challenges, practical considerations, recommendations, and a discussion of next steps for effective engagement of stakeholders. This perspective also suggests some next steps for testing the applicability of the six gears in practice.
PY - 2025/2
Y1 - 2025/2
N2 - Given the integrated nature of food-energy-water systems (FEWS), stakeholder engagement is central to developing solution-oriented projects. However, effective engagement requires substantial time and resources, by both the organization conducting the project and the stakeholders themselves, making effective engagement challenging for many projects. To help teams prioritize, prepare, and sustain stakeholder-engaged environmental projects, we propose a methodological foundation for effective engagement based on six gears: diversity, listening, value, trust, accountability, and flexibility/adaptability. The application of these gears is demonstrated using a set of case studies in Arizona, Idaho, Mexico, and Guatemala. In practice, incorporating all the gears during stakeholder engagement can be challenging. This framework can help teams implement and foster more sustained, comprehensive, robust, actionable, equitable, inclusive, and timely engagement, processes, and outcomes.
AB - Given the integrated nature of food-energy-water systems (FEWS), stakeholder engagement is central to developing solution-oriented projects. However, effective engagement requires substantial time and resources, by both the organization conducting the project and the stakeholders themselves, making effective engagement challenging for many projects. To help teams prioritize, prepare, and sustain stakeholder-engaged environmental projects, we propose a methodological foundation for effective engagement based on six gears: diversity, listening, value, trust, accountability, and flexibility/adaptability. The application of these gears is demonstrated using a set of case studies in Arizona, Idaho, Mexico, and Guatemala. In practice, incorporating all the gears during stakeholder engagement can be challenging. This framework can help teams implement and foster more sustained, comprehensive, robust, actionable, equitable, inclusive, and timely engagement, processes, and outcomes.
KW - Accountability
KW - Diversity
KW - Flexibility
KW - Theory
KW - Trust
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85214695089&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85214695089&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.103988
DO - 10.1016/j.envsci.2025.103988
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85214695089
SN - 1462-9011
VL - 164
JO - Environmental Science and Policy
JF - Environmental Science and Policy
M1 - 103988
ER -