Consulting the Community Gives Positive Results
Best Practice Public Participation Delivers Many Benefits
May 21, 2009
Miscommunication and misunderstandings can lead to significant delays on projects and sometimes the end of a proposed development. There are legal requirements for consultation and involving the community in decision-making on a project which can change between countries, but there are also best practices and tools which, if applied properly, can lead to positive outcomes and a successful project for all involved.
The fundamental purpose of public participation must be that it involves the public in problem-solving or decision-making and uses the input to make better decisions which reflect both the community's and the project proponents wishes.
IAP2 Has Developed Principles and Core Values for Public Particpation
The International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) is an international leader in public participation and has developed the "IAP2 Core Values for Public Participation" for use in the development and implementation of public participation processes. These core values were developed over a two year period with broad international input to identify those aspects of public participation which cross national, cultural, and religious boundaries. The purpose of these core values is to help make better decisions which reflect the interests and concerns of potentially affected people and entities.
The following guiding principles should be kept at the forefront of the project in order to achieve positive outcomes for all involved:
- That those people who are affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process;
- That the contribution by the community will influence the decision;
- That all participants' interests will be recognised;
- That those people directly affected by the decision will be involved; and
- The participants understand how their input will affect the decision-making process.
Useful Tools for Achieving Effective Consultation and Stakeholder Engagement
There are a range of tools that can be used to assist with achieving these principles and result in successful community engagement. Following is a summary of these which can be applied to a wide range of projects across many industry sectors.
- Undertake early communication to avoid any resentment or suspicion of hiding information.
- Make sure the right person is spoken with first.
- Understand how the participants wish to be consulted with.
- Provide information in a meaningful way. If possible translate all information (both verbal and written) into the local dialect to make sure the community fully understands the issues arising from a project.
- Provide visual representations (maps, diagrams, etc) to avoid any misunderstandings.
- Translate technical information into something that can be easily understood and absorbed by the local community.
- Provide ongoing feedback as to how ideas and outcomes of consultation have been incorporated into the project.
Consultation is not about just going and talking to the community – it is about listening and incorporating their local knowledge into the project for the benefit of everyone.
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