We no longer live in a world where people dutifully do what they are told, believe what the media reports, trust experts or those in positions of power, and let governments or companies decide the fate of communities.

The ‘public’, if indeed we can generalise about a range of audiences with differing needs and expectations, expects to be actively engaged in the decisions that affect it. This is where the concept of public participation comes in as a framework for or complement to traditional communication tools and tactics used with stakeholders at the grassroots.

Dealing with the public

The benefits of trenchless technology may seem blindingly obvious to those working in the industry. The less invasive nature of trenchless excavation has much to commend it in helping win community support for infrastructure projects. Yet it is not as simple as providing factual, technical information to the general public to allay concerns about proposed works in its backyard.

Some key lessons we have learned in devising and implementing public participation programs for infrastructure projects are that the public generally:

  • Does not like change: the ‘if it ain’t broke why fix it?’ mentality sometimes prevails, especially amongst older members of the community.
  • Is under urban consolidation pressure: they are many development pressures facing most urban communities year in year out, from the neighbour’s building development application to the ongoing maintenance and major upgrade work undertaken by councils and public utilities.
  • Does not worship technology: Technology alone, even if explained in terms of audience benefit, is rarely if ever regarded as a panacea.
  • Is overloaded with information: Living in the era of information overload, the organisations that succeed in cutting through the “clutter” respect their audience’s need for clear, concise and honest communications that address their particular needs, combined with easy access to further information (eg a project website).
  • Yearns for respect: Allowing everyone a voice, ensuring their cultural and other values are understood, and giving genuine feedback are key things that organisations can do to make people feel respected.
  • Is not motivated by compensation: However, compensation can become a driver if people are treated with less than the respect they feel is owed them.

What do we mean by public participation?

Public participation is a process that variously involves the public in information sharing, problem solving and/or decision-making. It uses public input to make better decisions. Public relations is just one of the tools; it can also include market research, consultation, negotiation and conflict resolution, media relations and organisational development.

Public participation may seem like an enormous ask when a project is being coordinated on a major scale, driven to tight timelines or budgets, or faces significant technical challenges. Yet in precisely such circumstances it’s a far riskier strategy to question “Can we afford to involve the community?” than to conclude “We cannot afford not to involve the community.”

The project risks for failing to engage publics can include:

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  • nadequate information for sound decision-making.
  • Stakeholder alienation, confrontation or conflict.
  • Lack of community co-operation,
  • Expensive solutions to public issues.
  • Reputational damage.
  • Lack of government support for the project.

The International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) talks about a spectrum or differing levels of participation being legitimate depending on the goals, time frames, resources and levels of concern about the decision to be made. Most importantly, the spectrum sets out the promise being made to the public at each participation level.

The benefits of public participation

The participation of community members is not to be feared or undertaken begrudgingly. Public participation is not some altruistic cause: there is a strong business case for working with your publics.

It should be welcomed because it can create better relationships with stakeholders, including customers, and broader ownership of the project. It can form an essential part of project scoping and research and may even impact on the functional design. It can oil the wheels of project delivery by identifying and dealing with risk factors early and appropriately before they become problems.

It can identify differing perspectives and priorities, alternative ideas, and previously unknown data. All these factors will facilitate council approval processes, minimise risk, delays and cost overruns, thereby making your job easier.

Ultimately, the relationships of respect and trust built with the public will benefit the organisation beyond the immediate project. This last point is especially pertinent for organisations that want to operate in a geographical area beyond the life of the project.

The role of consultation

The community is rightly sceptical of the government-speak and corporate jargon that sometimes substitutes for consultation. This tick-the-box “They just want to be able to say they have consulted the community” approach has given consultation a bad name.

It is not consultation if the feedback gained from stakeholders occurs at a time and in a way that it cannot or will not be factored into decision-making processes or have the potential to change the outcomes.

That said, there are pitfalls in promising to “consult” on all issues. As noted earlier, the spectrum of public participation is a useful way to determine and communicate to stakeholders the scope of consultation to be undertaken.

Moreover, consultation can be genuine, effective and non-tokenistic whilst conducted on a limited scale. For example, the PPP (Royal Women’s Health Partnership consortium and the Department of Human Services) that is redeveloping Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital recognised the hospital’s iconic status for generations of Victorian women, their families and the wider community.

It used focus groups with a range of women - patients, ex-patients and women in the wider community - to get input and feedback on the design, decor and furnishings for patient rooms. It was especially mindful of the cultural sensitivities of women from particular ethnic and religious backgrounds.

A yearning for respect

Being prepared to listen and be flexible in accommodating simple requests or the special circumstances of individuals can make an enormous difference to community goodwill about an infrastructure project.

Yarra Valley Water, one of Melbourne’s four retail water companies, has embraced the public participation model for its major sewer infrastructure projects, including the Northern Intercepting Sewer upgrade and the impending Epping-Craigieburn sewerage project.

It has taken a best practice approach to consulting at the micro level with impacted residents street by street. Where a strong case has existed for special support, the company has acted to address the issue. For example, it had a new front fence built for a mother fearing for her young children’s safety with heavy trucks regularly using her street. The home of a nightshift worker exposed to sustained daytime noise received double-glazing.

Effective communication

What we say and what we mean don’t always coalesce with public audiences inclined to be suspicious of what’s being planned when infrastructure projects are announced. The examples below illustrate the potential disconnect when we are imprecise in our language.

Various models exist for planning communications around public participation. They provide useful ways of prioritising audiences and assigning the right tools to achieve our objectives and satisfy their needs.

In essence, the more important the stakeholder to the project, the greater the need to engage with them in one-on-one or small group face-to-face communication. Indirect mass communication tools - such as media relations, websites and printed materials should be brought into play with audiences who simply need to know on an FYI basis or who are too numerous. They can also be useful supplements to the direct tools used with the most important audiences.

Companies that have embraced public participation find that they do not always need to invest significantly more time or money in communicating with their publics, rather a shift in focus occurs.

Indeed, the experience of Shell Australia after the 1999 Sydney Harbour oil spill has been a fundamental shift away from media relations as the key reputational management tool to direct community engagement. Dealing directly with the small number of families living along the Greenwich peninsula that is home to its Gore Bay terminal has, over time, seen those families effectively become Shell’s “eyes and ears” on the ground.

Anna Grutzner is an Account Director with Fenton Communications, a PR consultancy with offices in Melbourne and Sydney. Its environment and sustainability group assists clients in managing communications around major infrastructure projects. For more information: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or (02) 9290 3777.