Bunea, A. (2020). Stakeholder Consultations. In: The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Interest Groups, Lobbying and Public Affairs . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-13895-0_59-1

Stakeholder consultations are a key mechanism used by bureaucratic and legislative decision-makers to actively engage citizens and interest groups in the design, formulation, and evaluation of public policies and legislation. Consultations allow policymakers to gather expertise and policy-relevant information about the feasibility of policy options, to hear stakeholders’ preferences regarding policy outcomes, and to evaluate the implementation and socio-economic impact of policy measures. Consultations are a key source of policy input and feedback. They constitute a trademark of better regulation measures and a key component of legitimate, accountable, and responsive democratic government. Their rise to prominence in policy practice has been matched by an increase in the levels of attention to consultations from the academic community.