Framework for Stakeholder Engagement in the Public Sector Service Delivery Strategy

This article examines stakeholder engagement in the strategic management procedure for government service delivery. Prompted by persistent concerns over service delivery, this research paper critically analyses key factors that lead to poor performance by government departments. It is argued that the existing strategy in place for service delivery is inconsistent with both internal and external stakeholders’ expectations. Through Actor-Network Theory (ANT), this study examines how strategy formulation, execution, and stakeholder engagement interrelate. These four moments of translation: problematisation, obligatory passage point, interessement and enrolment of ANT provide a way of analysing how actors with different interests interact and ways of aligning these divergent interests to form stable networks which will enhance good service delivery. The research demonstrates that involving stakeholders from the onset of development through implementation reduces poor service delivery through process ownership. The framework aims to integrate divergent interests and align them with government goals to improve service provision. A critical aspect of this approach is sustained engagement, planning activities, and progress monitoring and evaluation methods that public organisations can apply to improve their strategic management processes. However, it does not fully resolve such issues, but it may be an effective means of embedding stakeholder participation within agencies so that they can deliver on the expectations of citizens