It should be noted from the outset that stakeholder participation is important for tasks and methods at all stages of the adaptation learning cycle. This is particularly the case for collective adaptation situations as the presence of multiple actors and their potentially competing preferences can often be best addressed through participation. The role of stakeholders participation differs at the different stages. In assessing vulnerabilities and impacts, stakeholders may play more of a role in providing knowledge while in deciding on an adaptation option stakeholder participation is important for making preferences explicit and achieving consensus through dialogue or negotiation, or for providing input into valuation techniques. Stakeholder participation may also be important in evaluating and learning following the implementation of adaptation options. Thus, many of the tasks identified in the Pathfinder can and often should be addressed through methods that involve stakeholder participation. Description of participatory methods for addressing a given task, and thus an appropriate involvement of stakeholders for the given task, are found in the Toolbox.
