Ten Lessons on How to Plan and Manage for Public Approval

November 20, 2013David R. Hardy, MCIP, RPP

• Led public consultation and communications to approve $30 billion+ in Ont. infrastructure projects in past 25 years

• Learned public consultation as important as engineering and accounting to ensure project completed on time and budget

What have been the key lessons to help energy and other projects succeed?

How was public trust and confidence retained?

Lessons Learned “in the Trenches”

Lessons Learned “in the Trenches”How have some proponents built excellent relationships with their communities…

…while others have not fared as well?

Atikokan Generating Station

Portlands Energy Centre, $750 million

1. Build Trust and Credibility

• Set stage for engagement

• Gain community’s confidence

• Earn social licence first

How do we achieve this?

Governments give permits but people give permission

Rohm and Haas, Scarborough

2. Do the Upfront Research about the Community Impacted

• Conduct social impact assessment or stakeholder sensitivity analysis

• Integrate social science with communications and consultation

• Don’t wait until public meeting tolearn about community

2. Do the Upfront Research about the Community Impacted

Lakeview Wastewater Project, $600 million

3. Take a Long-Term View & Be Persistent

• Focus on 10 year milestone, with full-functioning facility

• Demonstrate value through community engagement programs

Cameco Blind River

Portlands EnergyCentre (PEC)

4. Ensure Common Sense TrumpsLegislation and Financial Timelines

• Avoid rigid adherence to an EA schedule or a financial institution’s timing requirements

• Public support needs to occur at the pace of the public (within reason)

5. Develop a Strategy to Address People For Whom the “Bar of Consensus”is Unreachable

• “Triage” issues and activists

• Consensus is ideal but rarely achievable

• For some critics, there is no closure in public debate

6. Delegate Public Engagement tothose Equipped to Succeed

• Give public consultation professional, lead engineer and accountant equal responsibility and authority

• When success depends on public support – have engineers and accountants report to public consultation/ social science professionals

Port Hope Area Initiative

7. Practise Horizontal Consultationand Engagement

• Conservation authorities, regulators and approval bodies are a ‘second public’

• Focused on data but sensitive to legitimate issues impacting communities West Vaughan

Servicing Strategy, $200 million

8. Look at Yourself and the Project Through the Eyes of the Community

• Ideally project develops positive personality that public understands

• Ensure project staff/consultants are in community ahead of tough decisions

• People need to trust: 1) spokesperson’s values2) technical competence (ideally both)

9. Understand and Respond to the Deep Public Policy Questions

• Moral and ethical issues underpin all public policy matters

• Energy policy taxes modern moral philosophy

• Need to explain “why” actions are right in moral and ethical terms –or counter comparable arguments

9. Understand and Respond to the Deep Public Policy Questions

• Prepare to address moral claims and ethical issues: harm, injustice, risk, obligations, rights.

• Must thoroughly assess why you are on sound moral ground, articulate and prepare to defend position

10. Establish a Brutally Fair Process and Stick to it

• Decision making process must be fair and balanced

• Consultation should be open, transparent and traceable

• Public must see and hear decision-maker

First, Set the Stage:1. Build Trust &

Credibility

2. Research Community Upfront

3. Take a Long-term View

Next, Seek Public Support:

4. Ensure Timelines Follow Common Sense

5. Develop Strategy for Those Whose Consensus Bar is Unreachable

6. Delegate Public Engagement to those Equipped to Succeed

7. Practise Horizontal Consultation and Engagement

Stay the Course:8. Look at Yourself and the

Project through the Community’s Eyes

9. Understand and Respond to Deep Public Policy Questions

10. Establish a Brutally Fair Process – and Stick to it

Questions

davehardy@hardystevenson.com1-877-267-7794, ext. 222Twitter: @hardystevensonwww.hardystevenson.com