In the early stages of an integrated impact assessment, stakeholders play a crucial, and often leading, role in helping to frame the issue and shape the assessment (e.g. by helping to define relevant sacenarios and identify key indicators).  The execution stage, by contrast, tends to be a more technical phase, and is therefore dominated by the scientists involved.  Stakeholders, however, should not be left on the sidelines at this stage, for they have an important part to play:

1. in overseeing the assessment and ensuring that it stays faithful to the original intention and principles;
2. in agreeing changes to the study protocol where these become necessary or expedient;
3. in contributing directly to the science, where their experience is relevant - e.g. in selecting weights for indicators of social preference.

Continued liaison with stakeholders thus needs to be maintained during the execution phase.  This implies arrangements not only for regular meetings or remote (e.g. on-line) consultations stakeholders, but also the preparation and production of relevant summary reports on the work to date and the interim results.  Achieving this with a large body of stakeholders can, of course, be difficult and time-consuming, and may delay the analysis.  In many cases, therefore, it is more effective to establish a smaller group of representatives, with the time and expertise necessary, to act on behalf of the wider body of stakeholders during the execution phase - for example, in the form of an oversight group or stakeholder partnership. 

Information on these, and other methods, for engaging stakeholders are available via the link below.