Evaluation and reporting Baseline review Target setting Political commitment Implementation and Monitoring Integrated management system Organisational setup Involvement and communication
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1. Introduction to Involvement and Communication

There is no sustainable implementation without acceptance, understanding, will, interest, awareness and recognition of benefits and responsibilities among various actors. To achieve this, an effective communication and involvement strategy is needed. The relevant stakeholders are defined in terms of whether they

  • are affected by the issue or affect the issue
  • possess information, resources and expertise needed
  • control implementation instruments and tools

On the basis of this knowledge, the city can get a clear overall picture of what each player’s role is in the game and at what stage. This information is used to set rules on how to engage the relevant stakeholders in all steps of the integrated management system. By making the rules public, stakeholders are kept informed about when they are expected to be involved and how they can be part of shaping a sustainable city.

Once the stakeholders are involved, it needs to be clear how the communication both within the system and from the system outwards is handled. Communication and involvement are baseline steps that initiate and give the power to the implementation of the integrated management system, and are closely related to the organisational setup. The degree and therefore the success of exchange of ideas and approaches through cross-departmental working groups, including cooperation in cross-policy areas, is a result of involvement and communication.