Partnership for Sustainability

Building on the materials in Course 1, this course teaches students how to co-develop their sustainability strategies in partnership with stakeholders. Students learn how to map their stakeholders and evaluate their various levels of relevance and influence. They also survey the different options for how to solicit input from stakeholder groups with a particular focus on approaches that maximize diversity and avoid privileging some groups over others. Towards the middle of the course, students explore the options for engaging in civil society partnerships and examine the ‘dos’ and ‘do nots’ of partnership agreements. The course concludes with a lesson on how to select relevant third-party sustainability certifications to enhance the effectiveness and legitimacy of their sustainability strategies.