Beyond Roads: building better

communities for the future

Ben Johnson

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What does trust mean and what will it deliver?

Positioning around project outcomes

Other strategies – breaking the nexus of the

noisy voices

Recommendations for the industry

Presentation includes

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Wheel of engagement

Source: (Australian Government: Department of the

Environment and Heritage, 2005) 4

The problem

A major arterial road is severely congested

The desired outcome

A less congested road

A better functioning community

The project and community engagement question

What is the most sustainable way to reduce congestion

and lessen the impact for our motorists?

A simple example

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What outcomes should we

expect from first class

community engagement

Outcomes

Trust (internal and external)

Smaller expectations gaps

Project outcomes achieved

Brand positioning enhancement

Improved positioning on CSR and sustainability

Characteristics

Empathy

Leadership

Strategy

Dialogue

Share responsibility

Considered promise

Risks which are proactively managed 6

“Means that projects will operate in accordance with

specific standards with guaranteed reliable outcomes that

are of consistently high standard in terms of what

customers’ value”….Kenny 2006:330)

Delivering first class community

engagement for a better project

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Positioning around project

outcomes

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Consistent understanding of definitions of community

engagement

Research and assess community groups interests,

values and their preferred method for participating and

being engaged

Identification of risks, issues and benefits for

engagement early in the planning or initial stage of

projects

Provide multiple methods and opportunities for

participation

Strengthening project perception

weaknesses

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Policy

Measuring the investment in communities

Clearly scoped engagement process

Transparency

Integrated decision-making

Inclusive

Informative, timely and accurate information

Deliberation

Build relationship and trust

Feedback – customer satisfaction

Innovative community engagement technology and techniques

First class community

consultation and engagement

principles

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Critical review

Policy

Measure

Trust

• Tone

• Aspirations

• Objectives

• Consultation

• PEST

• Reporting tools

• Strategic partnerships

• GRIs and LBGs

• Standards

• People

• Opportunities

• Inputs connected to outputs

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Breaking the nexus of noisy

voices

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Understand how community and stakeholder engagement is

interconnected with other communication initiatives at a broad

level

Agree behaviour expectations

Agree corporate position on tools eg. Social media

Set expectations of project staff around identifying community risk

Provides tools that help to manage risk

Integrate project planning with community and communication

responsibilities, lead times for approvals, hold points etc.

Aligning the community relations

strategy with overall project

objectives

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Phases of community

engagement

1 • Participatory Planning

2 • Mobilisation

3 • Site Establishment

4 • Construction

5 • Operational

6 • Operational sustainability

7 • Evaluation/lessons Learnt

8 • Handover 14

Critical review

Phase Description

Participatory

Planning

Initial community engagement provides the project and

community a baseline of methods, channels and

approaches are proposed, gathers feedback and allows

the community to let us know how when they wish to

participate. E.g Meetings with Councils

Mobilisation Communication activities detailed including feedback

from the planning phase. It also includes the sequence of

communication activities, who is responsible and when.

E.g Community Involvement Plan

Evaluation

/Lessons

Learnt

Occurs within one month of practical completion that

includes a gap analysis within the communication and

community engagement activities

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Recommendations

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No perceived benefit for the public

Internal processes and controls

Community groups set the agenda

Sensational media coverage

Misinformation playing on emotions

Difficulty in providing accurate and timely information

Fragmented messages from road planners and

regulators

Learning from previous

experience

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Digital Engagement and Participation A community and engagement technique that

encourages children, young people and people with

limited literacy levels and disabilities to participate.

Emerging community

engagement practices

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Return on Investment / measuring the investment

in communities

A quality reporting tool to measure and report the

investment in communities by businesses and government

is the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the London

Benchmarking Group (LBG). It includes measuring

variables from community benefit through to business

benefits.

Emerging community

engagement practices

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CSR vs. CSV Source: (Porter and Kramer, 2011: 16)

Corporate Social

Responsibility

Creating Shared

Value - Value: doing good

- Citizenship, philanthropy,

sustainability

- Discretionary or in

response to external

pressure

- Separate from profit

maximisation

- Agenda is determined by

external reporting and

personal preferences

- Impact limited by corporate

footprint and CSR budget

- Value: economic and societal

benefits relative to cost

- Joint company and

community value creation

- Integral to competing

- Integral to profit maximisation

- Agenda is company specific

and internally generated

- Realigns the entire company

budget

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Sustainability, Ecology and Communities

For community engagement, organisations and

governments start to talk about sustainable outcomes and

objectives.

One of the key elements of a learning for community

sustainability is visioning a sustainable future in what they

want to achieve.

Emerging community

engagement practices

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Social media - who is using it

SP Ausnet Brunswick Terminal Upgrade

Royal Botanic Gardens Master Plan

UNSW South East Light Rail

Asset Link

Barangaroo

Blue Mountains bushfires

SHFA Circular Quay

Emerging community

engagement practices

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Pros: Providing multiple methods and opportunities for

stakeholders and communities elevates the level of

participation

Cons:

New and emerging technology comes with learning

new techniques and skills and their associated risks

Using emerging community

engagement practices

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Getting the basics right – up front

Undertake an analysis of stakeholders and community

directly or indirectly involved with the project

Plan key project and community messaging before

approaching stakeholders

Set up project key performance indicators, measures

and systems

Determine what community engagement tools,

technologies and techniques are aligned to the target

audience

Build in community engagement activities into project

programs

Recommendations

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Thank you

Ben Johnson

b.johnson@kjassoc.com.au

02 9955 5040

www.kjassoc.com.au

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Additional references

Catalyst. 2012. Full Disclosure: How Companies Invest in Communities. (www.catalyst.org.au)

Department of Transport. 2011. Community Engagement Manual. Dot: NSW.

Ife, Jim. 1995. Community Development: Creating community alternatives – vision, analysis and

practice. Longman: Frenchs Forest.

Kenny, Susan. 2006. Developing Communities For the Future. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning: South

Melbourne.

Ledwith, Margaret. 2011. Community Development. 2nd ed. The Policy Press: University of

Bristol.

Porter, Michael., Mark Kramer. 2011. Creating Shared value: Harvard Business Review, 89(1): 4-

17.

Queensland Transport. 1997. Policy, Standards and Guidelines: Public Consultation. QLD

Government: QLD.

Simon, William. 2005. The Community Economic Development Movement. Duke Printing Press:

USA.

Sydney Morning Herald. 2012. Council uses phone apps to give power to the people (accessed

29 November 2012 at http://www.smh.com.au/action/)

Twyfords. 2010. Improving Community Engagement. ACT.

Victorian Local Government. 2001. Community Consultation: Resource Guide.

(http://www.vla.org.au/)