Public engagement in infrastructureplanning & deliveryPresented by Anna Grutzner, Fenton Communications | Trenchless Australasia | 4 March 2008

Winning public confidence for infrastructure

1. Media relations: the double-edged sword

2. What is public participation?

3. Who is this stakeholder “the public” or “the community”?

4. How public participation can lead to public engagement and

support.

5. Your role at the frontline.

6. Models, tools and tips.

The power of the media

1. Shapes public opinion

2. Provides 3rd party endorsement

3. Can build + or - community views

4. Bad news sells papers & lifts ratings

5. A “miracle cure” occurs every day

6. Media loves the ‘battler’

7. The nature of their business makes some organisations sitting

ducks

What is public participation?

What it is

• A process that involves the public in problem solving or decisionmaking…and uses public input to make better decisions.

• May include disciplines such as public relations, conflict resolution &social research.

• A spectrum of levels of participation.

• A range of tools, including consultation.

What it’s not

• Corporate or government-speak for a consultative gesture

• An alternative term for engagement - may be the result.

Why should infrastructure projects plan forpublic participation?

1. Differing perspectives and priorities

2. Alternative ideas

3. Previously unknown data

4. Better relationships with stakeholders

5. Broader ownership of project

6. Facilitate council approval processes

7. Minimise risk

8. Minimise delays & cost overruns

9. Make your job easier!

Why is locking out the public risky business?

1. Inadequate information for sound decision-making

2. Stakeholder alienation, confrontation or conflict

3. Lack of community co-operation

4. Expensive solutions to public issues

5. Reputational damage

6. Lack of government support for project

Thinking about ‘the community’

Key questions:

1. Does ‘the community’ really exist?

2. What dangers are there in oversimplifying the concept?

3. Which are the community differentiators we need to consider in ourproject planning?

4. Are our customers community members?

5. How do we know what ‘the community’ thinks?

What ‘the community’ thinks: home truths

1. Does not like change

2. Under urban consolidation pressure

3. Does not worship technology

4. Overloaded with information

5. Yearning for respect

6. Not motivated by compensation.

Ways of inviting public participation

We’ll keep you informedKnowledge about adecision

INFORM

We’ll keep you informed andprovide feedback on theinfluence of your input

Being heard before adecision is made

LISTEN TO ANDADVISE

We’ll work with you to ensureyour concerns and issues arepublicly acknowledged andreflected in our planningalternatives

Having an influence on adecision

INTERACT

We’ll incorporate your adviceand recommendations into ourdecisions to the maximumextent possible

Jointly agreeing to adecision

COLLABORATE

PromiseInfluence ofcommunity ondecision-making

Degree ofinvolvement indecision-making

Tools facilitating public participation

INFORM

LISTEN TO AND ADVISE

INTERACT

COLLABORATE

Level of public participation

Website, newsletters, advertorials,media, letters

Community Information Sessions,doorknocks, information booths, focusgroups

Community Reference Groups,Community Forums, workshops

Working parties, consultativecommittees

Examples of tools

Prioritising stakeholders: Barclay model

Choosing the right participatory tools

Principles:

1. All project team members must share the same commitment to theparticipatory process

2. Are you trying to enhance stakeholder understanding, educate yourstakeholders, elicit useful feedback or encourage them to dosomething?

3. Participatory promises must be able to be kept

4. Tools must be adequately resourced

5. The greater the risk the more personal the participatory tool

6. Tools must be able to be evaluated (measurable)

7. Tools must allow for clear and public recognition of stakeholderinput.

Helpful hints for public participation

1. Anticipate issues – don’t let them fester

2. Know when and how to escalate or respond

3. Use clear, non-jargon, culturally-sensitive and demonstrably truestatements

4. Value the input of others

5. Accept responsibility/don’t hide behind consultants

6. Involve public affairs/communications branch sooner not later

7. Rely on a range of engagement tools

8. Don’t flick pass difficult or inconvenient issues.

Language pitfalls

• ‘We don’t expect there will be much disruption’ (So there will bedisruption will there?)

• ‘We are committed to excellent customer service’ (But do youdeliver it?)

• ‘Our technology is cutting edge’ (So it isn’t tested yet?)

• ‘The works will only take a few days’ (You will be held to theminimum interpretation of a ‘few days’)

• ‘We are consulting with the community’ (No-one’s spoken with me)

• ‘As you are aware…’ (Assumes the letter you sent has been read)

• ‘Noise will be kept to a minimum’ (Sorry I can’t hear you)

Key learning

People power is a fact of life. Community expectations havechanged and there is a widely held view that people havethe right to participate in the projects, issues and changesthat impact on them.

The participation of community members is not be feared orundertaken begrudgingly.

Rather, it is to be welcomed as one of the most importantways of ensuring we deliver better outcomes.