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Key Stakeholder Interviews

Description:

Interviews with key stakeholders with expertise relevant to a particular community issue are lengthy, one to

one interviews that may last an hour or two, and require specialist skill to use the time effectively, and to elicit

relevant and specific information.

The interviewer should be able to gain insights from a ‘casual’ conversation so the person being interviewed

does not get too narrow in addressing a single point (unless you want a lot of information about a specific

issue). This interviewing technique is like the technique in focus groups, because you can keep asking

questions until you get a satisfactory response. These are expensive and hard to do well, but they are very

good sources of information and are especially useful when it is important to understand the views of certain

people (because of their position or their expertise).

Objectives:

Stakeholder interviews aim to elicit detailed information and opinions on an issue through wide-ranging

discussion rather than specific questioning.

Outcomes:

Stakeholder interviews provide a broad overview of the interviewees’ opinions about a specific topic that may

reveal hidden concerns or ideas that would not be expressed in response to a set number of specific

questions.

Uses/strengths:

Useful for targeting key stakeholders who have specific knowledge about an issue.

Provides opportunity to get understanding of concerns and issues of key stakeholders.

Can be used to determine how best to communicate with the public.

Can be used to determine the best members of consultative committees.

Special considerations/weaknesses:

Can be expensive.

Can be time consuming.

Interviewers must engender trust or risk negative response to the format.

Requires skilled interviewers.

Resources required:

Trained interviewers

Recording methods (may be audio, hand-written or computer aided records, but should be unobtrusive,

so the focus is on the content and conversation)May need a professional typist to transcribe tapes and hand-written notes, as this is time consuming

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Can be used for:

Engage community

Discover community issues

Communicate an issue

Build alliances, consensus

Number of people required to help organise:

Medium (2-12 people)

Audience size:

Medium (10-30)

Small (<10)

Time required:

Medium (6 weeks - 6 months)

Skill level/support required:

High (Specialist skills)

Cost:

Medium (AUD$1,000 - AUD$10,000)

Participation level:

High (Stakeholders participate in decision)

Innovation level:

Medium (Some new elements)

Method:

Select interviewees according to designated criteria (areas of expertise, representation of groups,

complementary of skills for committees).

1.

Arrange times and places for interviewing. Better quality information will be forthcoming if the

interviewee is in a familiar setting, so it may be easier for the interviewer to go to them.

2.

Ensure uninterrupted time for at least one hour.3.

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Check all equipment and take spare tapes, batteries, pens, etc. to avoid any interruptions during the

interview.

4.

Try to transcribe interview notes as soon as possible after the interview, while nuances, body language

and asides are still in the interviewer’s memory.

5.

Prepare a report, including the verbatim interviews, and offer copies to the interviewees.6.

References:

Department of Transportation (1997) Public involvement and techniques for transportation decision-

making, US Department of Transportation, Washington. Available online: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov

/reports/pittd/cover.htm

Environmental Protection Agency (2002) ‘Chapter 5: public participation activities and how to do them’,

RCRA public participation manual, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Available

online: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/permit/pubpart/manual.htm

© The State of Victoria, 2008

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