5.3.5 Phase Two: Changing Systems

It becomes crucial to mobilize relevant parties from across the community and encourage their creative involvement in the identified activities as community members develop their strategic thinking and organizing abilities. Stakeholders are individuals who can influence the project in some way or who will be impacted by it, according to the majority of community-based projects. According to this viewpoint, the aim of stakeholder engagement is to address and reduce stakeholder concerns, perhaps by negotiating specific community benefits. This transactional strategy rarely tries to create long-lasting, reciprocal connections and is based on a transfer of perceived value. Stakeholder participation in regenerative development is relational and developmental by design. Interested parties are founder and co-investors who are interested in the increased potential a project brings to their neighborhood and location. The project is also planned and carried out as a chance for everyone involved to develop their critical thinking skills.

It’s important to note that Phase Two continues to foster the strategic thinking skills that were the subject of Phase One. As each new ring of stakeholders enters the process, they are encouraged to develop their own capacities in so that they can fully participate. As initiatives and activities improve their ability to align their own objectives with the group’s direction, this eventually has an impact on the entire community. A community develops distributed generation, shared leadership, and shared ownership of its economic growth through constant, shared learning.