A Higher Impact Stakeholder Engagement Strategy in a Reforming Tertiary Sector
The Challenge
Our client, a domestic student recruitment provider, operates in a higher education sector undergoing significant change. This is driven by government reform and a shift to a more planned and regulated sector, including a new sector commission and, managed growth and tertiary harmonisation.
As universities respond to these reforms, they are also managing financial pressures, the impacts of emerging technologies (AI, LMS’s, CRMs) and seeking to better connect with student and communities. Student enrolments were returning to pre-Covid levels, but emerging modes of learning were driving new behaviours and priorities, particularly for non-traditional learner segments.
The client needed a strategic approach to better connect, engage and collaborate with relevant government and private sector organisations to respond to the changing sector and continue delivering on its purpose. The engagement needed to build a deeper understanding across the leadership group of the landscape of relevant organisations, their purpose, priorities and key stakeholders, and align the client’s areas of strategic focus with the right stakeholders and engagement strategies.
The Solution
Developed a contemporary overview of the tertiary education stakeholder landscape, summarising each stakeholder group’s role, challenges, priorities, and relevance to the client’s purpose and strategic focus areas.
Built an engagement strategy overview, mapping the client’s strategic focus areas against the roles different stakeholders could play with priority stakeholders and engagement strategies defined for each cluster.
Produced one-page engagement plans for priority stakeholders, covering their purpose, priorities, opportunities for the client to add value, key contacts, and suggested engagement approach, messaging and supporting artefacts.
Developed a pragmatic, clear plan, outlining high impact stakeholders for priority engagement in the first 6 months and further initiatives for the following 12 months.
Facilitated executive workshops throughout to review findings, align on strategic focus areas, and confirm priority stakeholders for engagement.
The Impact
ConceptSix helped the client solidify its strategic focus across its executive team and define a clear pathway to engage with key stakeholders across the sector.
The leadership group now has a shared understanding of the sector landscape and pragmatic, actionable plan for strategic stakeholder engagement.
The engagement strategy positions the client to play a more active role in a reforming sector, which they are now actively using to drive successful engagement with key government and university stakeholders, supporting them to deliver their goals while advancing our client’s mission.
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