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Development and Implementation of Stakeholder Engagement Management Project.

Received Golden Case recognition at the CAF Users Event 2025 in Warsaw

CAF Best Practice
Date of publication: September 2025

Summary

The analysis of the CAF matrix in terms of the external environment revealed gaps in the perception results in stakeholder relations. The goal of the project is to improve this area by identifying entities and their needs. During its implementation, the organization focuses on multifaceted collaboration with stakeholders and collecting feedback. Stakeholder engagement management supports the implementation of strategic projects for the Institution and clients, making initiatives more effective and organized.

About the Organization

The Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) is one of the largest and most important public institutions in Poland. ZUS operates based on statutes and other generally applicable legal acts. Its activities impact millions of Polish citizens. The key responsibilities of ZUS include granting and paying pensions, disability benefits, and allowances, collecting social security contributions and other public funds, and directing individuals to medical rehabilitation as part of disability prevention programs. Additionally, it implements a range of social programs, such as the support benefit (świadczenie wspierające), Mama 4+, Active Parent (Aktywny Rodzic) and Family 800+ (Rodzina 800+).

As part of its current strategy, one of the institution’s goals is modern communication and education by striving to build and maintain harmonious relationships with clients and local communities while respecting environmental sustainability. Effective organizational management is achieved through the use of modern governance methods, such as the balanced scorecard (Zrównoważona Karta Wyników), internal control, process management, and project management.

ZUS has over 300 field units cooperating with approximately 500 institutions and organizations. The institution serves 3 million payers, 17 million insured individuals, and 8.4 million beneficiaries. The ZUS Branch in Bydgoszcz is one of 43 branches in Poland, employing a total of 1100 staff and carrying out tasks across 11 locations.

Aspects of Quality Improvement

The reason for implementing the improvement project was to define the issue of lack of stakeholder analysis and their real needs and expectations. Before the project’s implementation, the organization focused on current tasks without systematically collecting feedback on how stakeholders perceive its activities.

The branch undertook initiatives and engaged with stakeholders based on assumed benefits without directly confronting their expectations.

The goals defined in the project card are:

  • Active management of stakeholder engagement based on dialogue and collecting feedback;
  • Improving relationships, ensuring their high quality, providing appropriate value to stakeholders, and meeting their expectations;
  • Recognizing stakeholders;
  • Systematically gathering and analyzing information about stakeholders, their needs, expectations, and satisfaction levels;
  • Transforming mission and vision into strategic objectives and actions;
  • Assessing the need for improvement in strategy and planning methods with stakeholder involvement;
  • Entering into partnership agreements and managing them with consideration for social responsibility aspects;
  • Ensuring a proactive information policy;
  • Encouraging clients/citizens and their representatives to engage in the consultation process and actively participate in decision-making processes in the organization;
  • Defining the framework for actively searching for ideas, suggestions and complaints from clients/citizens, as well as collecting and analyzing them using appropriate mechanisms;
  • Raising public awareness about the institution’s impact on the quality of citizens’ and clients’ lives.

The expected result is to build lasting relationships and flexible/modern forms of cooperation with our partners. Effectiveness is measured by the quality and quantity of feedback, continuously monitoring cooperation in accordance with the PDCA cycle. 

Stakeholders and Communication

The project was initiated by the Branch Director as one of the solutions to improve branch management and operations. The project manager is Anna Świekatowska, an employee of the ZUS branch in Bydgoszcz and a member of the team conducting the self-assessment of management control using the CAF method. From the beginning, Director not only managed the project but was also responsible for its concept and development.

During the project implementation, the organization’s emplyees were regularly informed about its subsequent stages. Additionally, updates on the actions implemented as part of improvement projects were systematically communicated. A special email address “Bydgoszcz-CAF,” common communication tools used in the Branch, information shared during meetings, and promotional posters were used for this purpose.

Currently, employees continuously participate in the project through their ongoing tasks and engagement in academic and educational activities. The Press Spokesperson collaborates with media and institutions, while the social communication and education coordinator, together with the heads of local units, ensures relationships in the educational field: including primary, secondary, vocational, and higher education institutions. At the managerial level, the Branch Directorate meets with stakeholders both when initiating new initiatives and during ongoing project implementation and execution of routine tasks.

The opinions of citizens/clients were taken into account during the project by collecting feedback. Stakeholders were eager to define their expectations and identify areas for improvement. The obtained information pointed to directions for further development. No external consultants were engaged in the implementation of the improvement project. All undertaken activities were executed using the organization’s internal resources.

Citizens’ and clients’ opinions were incorporated into the project through feedback collection. Stakeholders actively defined their expectations and needs and assisted in identifying areas for improvement. The obtained information provided direction for further development.

Implementation Process/Approach

The first stage of the improvement action was the development and implementation of a stakeholder engagement management program.

The detailed action plan included:

  • Identifying stakeholders and field organizational As a result of this process, a stakeholder database was created. Detailed information about them, including contact details, expectations, needs, preferred forms of cooperation, as well as ongoing projects and initiatives, was uploaded to the database and monitored;
  • Developing a “Stakeholder Engagement Handbook” outlining a nine-step approach to continuous stakeholder engagement;
  • Conducting stakeholder meetings, maintaining relationships, sharinginformation, participating in joint events (trainings, conferences, anniversaries, etc.), and gathering feedback;
  • Searching for new stakeholders;
  • Verifying and improving ongoing

The stakeholder management tool was developed by a ZUS Bydgoszcz Branch employee using available IT resources and existing knowledge. No financial investments were required for external expert support or employee training. The tool for stakeholder engagement was designed in Excel and functioned as a database for partners and stakeholders with whom the Branch most frequently collaborated at no additional cost.

Currently, the ZUS Headquarters is working on enhancing the tool’s functionalities, an initiative executed solely with internal organizational resources. The tool for managing stakeholders was developed by an employee of the ZUS Branch in Bydgoszcz at no cost. Currently, work is ongoing (led by the Central ZUS Office) to improve the tool and expand its functionality. This initiative is also being carried out at no cost.

The main successes of the project include stakeholder reactions:

“(…) we carefully and kindly support the actions of the ZUS Branch in Bydgoszcz. The last few months have brought a new quality to our mutual relationships here in Bydgoszcz.

We greatly value this. We maintain regular contact. The information we receive from you is coherent and understandable, as confirmed by our members…” “Thank you for the first-hand information. I am forwarding it,” “Great material. I am sending it to our companies. Thank you very much.”

ZUS is implementing further projects: support for entrepreneurs during the pandemic, family benefits, and implementing regulations supporting entrepreneurs (contribution holidays) or helping seniors (widow’s pension, supplementary benefits).

Stakeholder engagement management supports the implementation of further projects and the introduction of new regulations. The verification of the project’s usefulness took place during the pandemic, when stakeholders regularly received up-to-date information about the government assistance program for entrepreneurs and citizens, and distributed it according to needs. The institution kept interested parties informed about available support for entrepreneurs and insured individuals, with detailed terms. This form of cooperation proved beneficial for both sides. The program also included informing stakeholders about the most common errors in documents, enabling payers to submit correct applications. As a result, the institution could serve clients more efficiently and process benefit payments more quickly. ZUS in Bydgoszcz conducts targeted training, all thanks to staying in contact with stakeholders, which makes the actions taken not one-sided.

In the first phase of the project, the project author and the branch director personally engaged with stakeholders. During face-to-face meetings, they built relationships and then jointly agreed on the future directions of cooperation and the expectations of each party. The pandemic led to changes in the cooperation and communication principles. During this time, the institution focused on improving and developing cooperation and engagement in a way that would support stakeholders in their business activities.

The implemented practice follows a standard “how-to” tool approach. It provides guidance on how to conduct the stakeholder engagement process, including in the form of dialogue. It offers numerous practical tips that facilitate planning and executing stakeholder dialogue.

Success Measurement. Main Results in Relation to the Focus Area

The success measurement of the stakeholder engagement management project yielded both measurable and immeasurable results:

Maintaining good relationships with key partners:

The project allowed for the identification of new key partners and the enhancement of previously established contacts by building relationships that are helpful for long-term cooperation and fostering trust in the institution. Currently, the organization regularly builds long-lasting collaboration and trust. The institution consistently provides social partners with important information, and they regularly communicate their needs. Since January 2020, dozens of contacts have been established with each key stakeholder, excluding phone contacts and intermediary meetings in public spaces. The institution also took care to engage niche associations and organizations. In return, ZUS can count on the support and involvement of stakeholders. In situations where management (director or leadership) changes occur, contact is immediately established to maintain the relationships that have been developed.

One example of joint initiatives is the involvement of many communities, including the Bydgoszcz branch of ZUS, in gathering materials and preparing a Guide for Foreigners. This initiative is a response to the expectations of foreigners who, for various reasons, plan to relocate their lives to Poland. Currently, discussions are underway regarding its publication.

Effective communication:

The stakeholder engagement management tool ensures control and helps manage the information and messages passed to our partners. The tool supports the organization in informing stakeholders about changes in regulations. It facilitates monitoring and coordinating communication. Through systematic and comprehensive cataloging of activities, the organization eliminates the duplication of information sharing and minimizes the risk of sending unnecessary messages to stakeholders who are not interested in them. The tool is used in all key projects. Measurable outcomes include the number of stakeholders, events, information shared, initiatives, and feedback.

Optimization of project outcomes:

Maintaining a steady relationship with stakeholders enabled the successful completion of key projects for the Social Insurance Institution, such as the Anti-Crisis Shield and the Polish Deal. We used our connections with Social Partners to reach potential beneficiaries of the projects. This is particularly important when accessing a service involves meeting additional conditions. Comprehensive information about requirements eliminates the need for repeated contact with the institution, reduces the need to supplement documentation, and shortens the decision-making process. The benefit for the organization is the complete submission of documentation by the client and a faster resolution of the case.

Better identification of risks and opportunities, as well as reduced conflicts:

During the implementation of one of the projects, a stakeholder asked the Institute to prepare a presentation on the mistakes made by entrepreneurs submitting applications for ZUS support. The branch fulfilled the partner’s request, and the materials prepared for them were used to educate other clients of the Institute. The benefits were significant, as communicating information to payers about mistakes to avoid in documents resulted in a decrease in the number of incorrect applications. Additionally, the information sent about the possibility of creating electronic profiles (PUE) led to an increase in the number of new profiles and helped with subsequent projects in which applications could only be submitted electronically.

Increased transparency:

Regular communication with stakeholders ensured that they knew what to expect in the subsequent stages of the projects. For example, during the subsequent anti-crisis shields, stakeholders were continuously informed about which sectors would be covered, who could submit an application, etc. Early communication about changes or upcoming projects allows stakeholders to prepare for those changes.

Better understanding of stakeholder needs:

ZUS collects feedback and adapts its actions to specific stakeholders by using targeted training. This approach was applied during the implementation of the competition for funding to improve workplace safety and hygiene for entrepreneurs.

Better resource allocation:

Regular feedback from stakeholders helps better plan and allocate resources. ZUS knows who is interested in a specific training and who already has the necessary knowledge in that area. Social partners communicate the information they need, which topics are important to them, and what challenges they face.

Increased project acceptance:

Involving stakeholders in the decision-making process increases their engagement and acceptance. During the implementation of the program supporting entrepreneurs (Polish Deal), the need for joint training with tax offices was identified. Information and messages are communicated by stakeholders to ZUS clients, beneficiaries, and insured individuals via their organization’s social media. Stakeholders contact ZUS when they need specific information, which allows the project to be considered a success. The stakeholder management project enhances the image of the ZUS Branch in Bydgoszcz and the entire Social Insurance Institution.

The Essence of Innovation and the Possibilities for Transferring Implemented Solutions

The organization’s relationship with the local community and business influences the outcomes of its work as well as its response time to changes, as demonstrated above. The stakeholder engagement management project supports the organization in communication and task execution, regardless of the area or field in which the organization conducts its core activities. The example of the Bydgoszcz branch of ZUS shows that the project can be implemented by any institution or company without additional financial burdens. A very important task was to outline a precise communication plan. Information about the project was communicated to all interested parties, as mutual communication is the core of any change management initiatives. As part of the dissemination of project information, we reached all key stakeholders to provide details on the project’s implementation and present the action plan.

Collecting key information about stakeholders in one place, such as contact details, events, initiatives, or documents, including agreements, also ensures project succession. The operation of any institution or company is dynamic, but regardless of the changes occurring at the managerial or operational levels, the project can continue in a continuous mode.

For example, the Bydgoszcz branch of ZUS, by providing information to the local accounting association, ensures that information reaches the association’s members and the communities they operate in. Stakeholders use social media and have dedicated websites, which provides us—project owners—with wide reach, saves time, and minimizes costs.

Stakeholders play a key role in project management processes carried out by a given company/institution. The engagement and cooperation of stakeholders directly affect the outcome and success of the project, while the lack of management may lead to project failure. Managing relationships with stakeholders in a project-based manner facilitates communication and monitoring of activities within the organization.

The institution recognizes that cooperation with stakeholders requires work, regularity, consistency, and predictability in communication. Stakeholders must be certain that they will receive necessary information at the right time, allowing them to familiarize themselves with changes in the project or regulations, and later, seamlessly adapt.

Managing relationships in this way strengthens trust in the institution and enhances its credibility in the eyes of stakeholders.

For the full success of the project, it is also necessary to encourage stakeholders to share feedback, based on which actions can be adjusted. The institution can use the stakeholder management project to communicate and implement new regulations, launch new projects, or encourage the use of applications it has introduced. A business, in turn, can carry out its tasks using effective communication with stakeholders.

A training company offering managerial training, by establishing contacts with employer associations and public institutions, ensures free advertising. When introducing regulations affecting several institutions, public offices do not seek contacts when the immediate need arises but use the collaboration developed during the project and organize joint events for citizens. Customers appreciate them because they can find all the information in one place and attend a single training, during which representatives of several institutions speak.

Thanks to close cooperation with stakeholders, the Bydgoszcz branch of ZUS collected and developed materials that serve as the starting point for writing a guide for foreigners about possible support and tasks performed by public institutions in the context of foreigners’ operations in Poland.

At this point, it is worth emphasizing another important aspect of project implementation for the organization. During stakeholder identification, many employees of the organization were involved, who defined their expectations and engagement areas for the organization in detail. This was valuable experience because it allowed for a multifaceted view of the external environment and stakeholders. This comprehensive analysis showed that even with stakeholders with whom we have maintained relationships for many years, there are new areas for further development and improvement.

Conclusions

To support the implementation of the stakeholder engagement management project, a Stakeholder Management Guide was developed in nine simple steps, describing the actions that the institution should implement to make its operations effective and strengthen long-term relationships with stakeholders. The actions described in the guide can be divided into the following stages:

Step 1: Identify stakeholders:

Base your efforts on the experiences of people within your organization. Collect data about stakeholders who influence the activities of the organization and those with whom your team collaborates. Look for stakeholder data online, especially if you have not yet established cooperation with them. It could be a new employers’ association, a business cluster, or perhaps your company has not yet connected with them, even though they have existed on the market for years.

Step 2: Conduct a stakeholder analysis:

Define the relationships between stakeholders and your organization. The strength of influence and the level of interest in ZUS’s activities should align with the type of activity you are planning. A stakeholder map can be used. Create a map that will be most useful for your organization.

Step 3: Create your own stakeholder database:

You do not need a special program. A simple Excel spreadsheet will suffice. Each sheet can be dedicated to one stakeholder. Record their contact information and any initiatives related to them. Save the database on a shared drive so that it is accessible to all interested parties.

Step 4: Develop a relationship management strategy:

Plan your actions based on the analysis from Step 2. Assign responsibilities for conducting activities, handling specific communication forms, overseeing the entire project, and determining contact channels. Indicate the tools that will be used during the collaboration.

Step 5: Build and manage relationships:

Where possible, meet stakeholders in person. Emphasize that you aim to establish a long-term, open, and active dialogue and that you want to understand their actual expectations and needs. Execute your strategy and document activities in your database, performing regular reviews. 

Step 6: Collect feedback:

The most important task is to regularly ask stakeholders for their expectations, needs, collaboration directions, or opinions. This allows you to incorporate stakeholders’ expectations into decision-making processes and translate those needs into products and processes. Feedback helps verify the actions of your company: we do not act for ourselves, but for our clients, and we want our products to meet their expectations.

Step 7: Respond to stakeholder expectations:

Always respond to your stakeholders. Present your capabilities to meet their expectations and satisfy their needs. Look for a compromise. Never ignore feedback, as doing so can erode trust and damage positive relationships.

Step 8: Incorporate stakeholder expectations into processes, tasks, strategies, and decisions:

Enhance your strategy by considering stakeholders’ expectations and apply the feedback to products and processes. By doing so, you will create value for all stakeholders and build positive relationships. This might even become a catalyst for innovation.

Step 9: Conduct a verification of your actions:

Evaluate how stakeholder management is being implemented. Assess whether all elements are yielding the expected outcomes and adjust your strategy if necessary.

 

And finally, three lessons:

Lesson 1: Every institution operates in its environment, interacts, provides or receives services, and should manage relationships instead of simply following the course of daily activities.

Lesson 2: Relationships must be nurtured consistently. Management, points of contact, and personnel change over time, but the institution continues to function. Therefore, the project should be designed in a way that allows new individuals to easily carry it forward.

Lesson 3: Introduce a habit of systematic planning, action, verification, and solidifying changes at every organizational level. The simplest structure for such systematic action is proposed by the American statistician William Edwards Deming, known as the PDCA cycle, which consists of the following sequence:

P – plan
D – do
C – check
A – act

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complete study

About the author(s)

Anna Świekatowska
Social Insurance Institution, Branch in Bydgoszcz
Poland

Other best practices

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Poland
Written by: Anna Świekatowska
of Social Insurance Institution, Branch in Bydgoszcz

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Received Golden Case recognition at the CAF Users Event 2025 in Warsaw
September 2025 -
The Human Resources Management Service (Government of the Republic of Serbia)
, Serbia