Author: Dan Barr, 24 September 2025

How Stakeholder Engagement Impacts Project Timelines

Effective stakeholder engagement is critical to the success of local government services and infrastructure projects. Done well, it builds legitimacy, reduces risk, and aligns stakeholders around a shared outcome. But while engagement delivers long-term value, it often extends project timelines, reduces immediate productivity, and puts pressure on delivery schedules.

Author: Dan Barr, 10 September 2025

Why Good Engagement Matters

Trust in government is one of the cornerstones of democracy. Strong relationships between governments, citizens, and organisations are built on transparency, inclusion, and effective engagement. Yet in Australia, trust levels remain lower than comparable democracies such as New Zealand and Canada.

Globally, trust in democratic institutions is under pressure from technological disruption, rising inequality, political polarisation, and declining civility in public debate. Australia is no exception—these challenges affect every level of government, shaping decisions, slowing delivery, and impacting productivity.