| Abstract [eng] |
The relevance of stakeholder engagement methods and measures in the strategic management process, examined in this final master’s project, is justified by the fact that issues related to this topic are already embedded in the documents of international organizations, such as the OECD and the European Commission guidelines, and are gradually being implemented in various countries as a modern principle of operation for both national and local government institutions. Lithuanian national strategic documents also emphasize the need to strengthen the implementation of innovative governance measures in public institutions; however, at the level of local government institutions, the practical implementation of this process has not yet been consistently examined. Therefore, the analysis of this topic in the master’s final project not only contributes to scientific discourse but also has practical value, as the research results may be used in developing more effective municipal strategies, improving the quality of public services, and increasing citizens’ trust in local government. Although scientific research highlights the need for stakeholder engagement in strategic management processes within the public sector, in practice there is still a lack of systematic measures ensuring the consistent integration of stakeholder engagement. Therefore, the research problem formulated in this master’s final project is: what methods and measures of stakeholder engagement in the strategic management process are applied in local government institutions? The object of the project is the methods and measures of stakeholder engagement in the strategic management process within local government institutions. The aim of the project is to identify the methods and measures of stakeholder engagement in the strategic management process in the administration of Raseiniai District Municipality. The objectives of the project are: 1) to develop a theoretical model of stakeholder engagement methods and measures in the strategic management process within local government institutions; 2) to examine the international and national legal regulation of stakeholder engagement in the strategic management process within local government institutions; 3) to investigate the methods and measures of stakeholder engagement in the strategic management process in the administration of Raseiniai District Municipality. The following research methods were applied in the final project: analysis of scientific literature, strategic documents and legal acts, review of international good practices, and qualitative research – semi-structured interviews with representatives of the administration of Raseiniai District Municipality and other stakeholders. Qualitative content analysis was applied for the analysis of research data. The first chapter of the thesis analyzes the concept of strategic management, the concept of stakeholders, their types, their role in public governance, and the methods and measures of stakeholder engagement in the strategic management process, on the basis of which a theoretical model is developed. The second chapter examines the legal regulation of stakeholder engagement in the strategic management process in international, national, and municipal-level documents. The third chapter presents the methodology of the empirical research, analyzes the research results, and evaluates the stakeholder engagement methods and measures applied in Raseiniai District Municipality at different stages of the strategic management process. The results of the research revealed that the most active stakeholder engagement occurs during the planning and strategic decision-making stages, while engagement in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation stages remains less consistent. Based on the research findings, conclusions and recommendations are provided for the Director of the Administration of Raseiniai District Municipality, the Strategic Planning and Project Management Division, and future researchers in this field. The project concludes with lists of literature and information sources and appendices. |
