an introduction to public engagement concepts
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
An Introduction to Public Engagement Jessica Morton
CCS Week, South Africa
Friday 28 October 2011
GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
OVERVIEW OF PRESENTATION
Introduction
Resources
Research
Factors affecting Public Engagement
Achieving Success
Final Thoughts
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
INTRODUCTION
• Genuine and effective management of public
engagement is essential in delivering CCS demonstration
projects on time and budget.
• Each CCS project and community is unique and requires
an engagement process tailored to suit site-specific
needs.
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
INTRODUCTION
• Consistent themes are emerging from case studies and
research – lessons learned are an invaluable tool:
• Establishing effective levels of trust with local communities
• Communicating the case for CCS with balanced information
through multiple credible sources in an ongoing dialogue with
local stakeholders
• Ensuring that outreach activities reflect a partnership approach
involving joint decision making for greater collaboration
• Understanding the local context and identifying an effective social
value proposition for local communities
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
RESOURCES
A snapshot of Public Engagement tools and reports supported by the Institute:
• Communications & Engagement Toolkit for CCS Projects
• A practical guide to help project proponents more effectively plan their
engagement activities. It provides a range of methods and activities to
guide public engagement approaches for addressing social considerations
for successful CCS project deployment.
• Public Engagement Self Assessment Tool
• To help effectively plan and deliver quality stakeholder engagement
strategies, the Institute developed a tool which enables projects to self
assess their public engagement approach, through identifying the
recommended outputs at each phase of the project development cycle.
• Communication, project planning and management for CCS projects: An
international comparison report
• This report provides an overview of the findings that have emerged from
an international study comparing public communication and outreach
practices associated with large scale CCS projects.
GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
What does research tell us? Reviewing current global research on CCS
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES ARE IN
PLACE
75% of projects either have a public engagement
strategy in place or under development.
– Public opposition has been identified as a major risk (top 5) by
project developers
There has been an increase in the sophistication and
quality of tools and resources to assist CCS
stakeholders. For example the:
– Public Engagement Self Assessment Tool
– Social Site Characterisation Report
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
FACTORS AFFECTING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Lack of trust in key CCS stakeholders by wide range of
groups and organisations
Low awareness and public understanding
Project proponents may consider public engagement a
lower priority than technical risks and not resourcing /
skilling up appropriately
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“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you
realize that what you heard is not what I meant.”
Robert McCloskey
GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
FACTORS AFFECTING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
Unique set of social factors affecting each local
community which need to be understood
Difficulty in defining benefits for local communities in
accepting a CCS project
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Source:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/17221206
@N00/5859773147/in/photostream/
GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
FACTORS FOR SUCCESS
Engaging with project partners to conceive, research and deliver
the community engagement strategy
Gaining a good understanding of the local community culture and
how it perceives CCS
Early engagement and establishing trust
Working with media and communications stakeholders to engage
key influencers (media, lobbyist, NGOs) to disseminate the
messages
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“To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well”
John Marshall
GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
FACTORS FOR SUCCESS
Listening to concerns and opinions
Providing easy access to information
Reporting and sharing results to stakeholders
Appointing a Project Liaison Officer/Team
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“To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well”
John Marshall
GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
TALKING TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE…
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
HOW CAN WE COMMUNICATE?
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News / Latest Updates
Toolkits & Frameworks
Endorsement Response to Key Issues
CCS Communication
Examples
CCS Fact Sheets
Public
Outreach
Strategy
GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
MEASURING SUCCESS
Support from local community and other key
stakeholders
Positive response from the CCS community
Lift in public awareness and acceptance of CCS (initial
benchmarks, ongoing rolling research)
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
THOUGHTS FOR CONSIDERATION
Communities may have difficulty engaging with the
technical detail surrounding a project and deserve to
have it explained
The perceived trustworthiness of the project players will
have a large influence upon public perceptions.
People generally respond more positively to issues
when they deem that they have been treated fairly.
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
THOUGHTS FOR CONSIDERATION
Responsive project planning
Explain climate change rationale for CCS
Identify benefit of the CCS project to a community
The local community is a stakeholder equal to any other
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GLOBAL CCS INSTITUTE
TAKE – AWAY MESSAGES
A clear and practical Public Engagement Strategy is
essential
Public Engagement is not a Public Relations Exercise
Public Engagement is about community empowerment
and ownership
A Public Engagement Strategy must be an integral part
of project development and not an afterthought
Communities are unique but lessons can be learnt from
both successful and cancelled projects
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