june 3, 2015green issues communications1 tom curtin why consultation is here to stay

April 18, 2023 Green Issues Communications 1

Tom CurtinTom Curtin

Why consultation is here to stay


New Planning LawNew Planning Law

• Government has made major changes to planning• A new planning bill has Royal Assent

• Current system: 'slow, ponderous and uncertain… benefits those with large cash and

time resources and excludes those without'

• Pre-consultation ‘essential’ – New planning frameworks - including neighbourhood plans

• Other reforms in secondary legislation – Such as ironing out the local inconsistencies in Section 106


New Planning legislationNew Planning legislation

The Aim

‘to encourage local councils and developers to reach out to the community before seeking planning permission’

‘We will encourage developers to undertake such consultation on the basis that it will improve the quality of planning applications and may smooth the path to

planning permission’(Minister Tony McNulty MP,

16/1/03)


Putting the community at the heart of development


Consultation overloadConsultation overload

• Across sectors, interest is growing– Practice has become more innovative

• Yet as the Act recognises…– Industry needs to raise its game

• Many wrong processes are being employed– And without addressing the issues creates...

A Consultation Overload


Misunderstood ‘Community Voice’Misunderstood ‘Community Voice’

• Some developers have become concerned – They wish to improve their credentials

– On an environmental and ‘community’ level

• However, they group all local conflict together

• There is also a ‘second guessing’ of the democratic system

Result: Against this backdrop the costs of conflict rise significantly


Licence to OperateLicence to Operate

• In controversial projects, facts alone cannot win the argument– Regulatory approval does not guarantee success

• Airports must also win theirLICENCE TO OPERATE

Definition: A non-regulatory, society-based ‘permission’ to get on with your business

• Coming from broad-based acquiescence– Not necessarily total consensus

• From a community that is content with your operations


A questionA question

Why does traditional ‘PR’ or marketing fail miserably on

some projects?


Example: market researchExample: market research

• In sensitive - or personal - issues– People don’t necessarily tell the truth

• Pressure to give ‘right answer’• Protection of self-esteem• Nothing to lose by not being fully truthful• Questionnaires are ‘distress purchases’

– Dangers of Market Research• Timing• Funnelling

• The garbologists– 85% ‘don’t drink beer’; 75% of bins had beer bottles;


Public meetings & exhibitionsPublic meetings & exhibitions

• The problem with Public Meetings is…

• ..The Public– Or rather, not the public– Never a representative audience

• The modern equivalent of Christians and Lions or fox-hunting

• Often the effect is to strengthen the opposition

• Always more heat than light


How about the mediaHow about the media

• People do not believe the media– In UK, only 15% believe they pursue the truth

• Journalists are rated very lowly… • The same as estate agents and PR people

• ..so why not ignore them?• Their power is setting the agenda

The Press may not be successful much of the time in telling people what to think, but it is stunningly

successful in telling its readers what to think about


Information Vs EntertainmentInformation Vs Entertainment

• But information is intrinsically boring• So it has to be made ‘appetising’

– Editing and design builds in prejudice • There is a need to appeal to instincts:

– Sex, violence, horror, humour, etc. • The Information/entertainment line is blurred

Mantra for a Modern MediaEntertain them and you can tell them anything…bore them

and you can tell them nothing


Why mass communication failsWhy mass communication fails

• There are two types of products– Those which people want to buy

• Cars, perfume, TVs, houses, etc

– Those which people do NOT want to buy• Prisons, AIDS hostels, new roads, houses, etc

• Yet mass media are used for both...and fail– Brochures, the press, exhibitions, etc– The ‘Sin of Origin’

• They would say that,wouldn’t they?

• They treat key individuals as ‘just a number’


So how can the consultation

process be improved?


Arnstein’s Ladder of ParticipationArnstein’s Ladder of Participation

Arnstein identified different levels of consultation: 1. MANIPULATION 2. EDUCATION 3. INFORMATION 4. CONSULTATION 5. INVOLVEMENT 6. PARTNERSHIP 7. DELEGATED POWER 8. CITIZEN CONTROL

Consultation & Participation are not the same

And so ... the industry needs to be moved off the bottom rungs


Contentious IssuesContentious Issues

What has any chance of succeeding when all seem

to oppose?


Appropriate communicationAppropriate communication

• We have a deep mistrust of written corporate information

• Which we feel has been massaged: “They would say that, wouldn’t they?”

• Sometimes we never read it - there is too much paper already

• Many do not have the education

• Politicians - and everyone else! - prefer verbal communication


The difficulty of liaisonThe difficulty of liaison

• A ‘fear’ of face-to-face dialogue is

normal– The ‘siege mentality’ fuelled by:

• Vociferous opponents

• The media– Looking for the ‘entertainment angle’

• Most treat these with ‘a pinch of salt’


SociodynamicsSociodynamics

A methodology to try to understand why society behaves as it does and what mobilises people to oppose,

accept or ignore a project?


What is sociodynamics?What is sociodynamics?

• In any project, there is a small number of key individuals who can make or break it

• It is actions taken by them that leads either to success to failure– Their actions are not always rational

• Supporting players must be identified…– Opponents are (politely) ignored

• …but supporters are useless unless mobilised• On their projects which are parallel to yours


Our methodology - how we workOur methodology - how we work

1. Get to know the territory and its people• Locations are no longer just parcels of land - they

are a living part of a community

2. Find supporters• Recognising that they may not look like supporters

3. Uncover the win-win projects• Also the hidden agendas

4. Maintain the Momentum• Be ready for the unexpected


Finding supportersFinding supporters

In a controversial project, there will - by definition - always be opposition

• We naturally tend to focus on the opposition• Potential supporters are categorised as

opponents• We are very quick to stereotype individuals

– Using our own preconceptions of their group• There are people who can support the project -

but they want something in return– Often they are not approached and do nothing


Corporations & organisationsCorporations & organisations

• Companies tend to be very defensive and inward looking with difficult issues

• This is normal - the Caveman response

• Most Issues Management campaigns draw only on internal resources

• Fear, embarrassment, arrogance

• Large organisations are rightly cautious• Erroneous statements will come back to haunt you

• This is not very media or stakeholder friendly


They would say that, wouldn’t They would say that, wouldn’t they?they?

• The company solely by itself cannot sway the debate:

• the ‘source’ effect• perceptions of history• self-interest, financial gain

• Employees, trade groups, etc have problems:• the ‘zealot’ effect• lack of independence

• People do not trust or believe organisations– When they see they have something to gain


Finding Supporting StakeholdersFinding Supporting Stakeholders

• Stakeholders - a definition– Dependent stakeholders; employees, suppliers,

etc

– Impacted stakeholders; e.g. those living near a facility

– Unknown stakeholders; e.g. those not known or who have not made themselves known;

• These are the supporting stakeholders; sub-sets of the above three categories

• Vampire slayers; those intractably opposed

TPAs


Identifying Allies & Identifying Allies & SupportersSupporters

Negative

Positive

Zealots

Passives

Anarchists

OpponentsMoaners

Waverers

Best

Allies

Schismatics+4

+3

+2

+1

-1 -2 -3 -4


Mobilising the supportersMobilising the supporters

• One must personally know key players in order to be able to influence them– A Third Party is often best placed

• No direct financial interest• People can speak much more openly• Presented as wanting to consult fully and early

– Best done on a one-to-one basis and early• Groups have a different dynamic

• The individuals who influence the politicians (residents, etc) and their concerns (often minor) must also be known


Uncover win-win projectsUncover win-win projects

• Communities will not accept detriment– Without some compensating benefit

• However, this benefit cannot be imposed– It must be demanded by the community

• Therefore there must be ‘win-win’ projects– Which are championed by local individuals

• These projects are often not obvious – They are sometimes irrational

• They are parallel to your project– Often, your project facilitates the win-win


ConclusionConclusion

It is actions by key individuals that leads to success in difficult

or contentious projects


Case StudyCase Study

Green Issues Communications


Why consultation is vitalWhy consultation is vital

• Reputation management

• Impacts on sales, credibility, credit rating, etc.

• Could make recruitment more difficult - hits

internal morale

• Uncomfortable for management

• Expensively built brand image is tarnished

• Winning the ‘Licence to Operate’


Conclusion Conclusion

The more people knowThe more they will accept

Consultation is not a business costIt can be a real business benefit

june 3, 2015green issues communications1 tom curtin why consultation is here to stay

Documents

green issues communications8

green issues communications11

green issues communications4

consultation overload

light slide

planning permission

personal issues people

new planning bill