ID: 1513
Presenting Author: Tom-George Walter
Session: 758 - Reframing Impact Assessment Narratives in Africa: Combating Misinformation, Power Asymmetries, and Distrust in Development
Status: pending
This paper explores how co-presentation between industry, regulators, and consultants builds trust in impact assessments
Impact assessments are critical for ensuring sustainable project development, considering socio-economic and environmental factors. However, their success depends not only on technical accuracy but also on the trust stakeholders place in the process and its findings. This paper explores the role of co-presentation in building trust among key stakeholders—industry representatives, regulators, and consultants. Co-presentation involves these groups presenting and discussing impact assessment findings together, fostering transparency and mutual understanding.
By engaging stakeholders in open dialogue, co-presentation addresses differing priorities, such as the industry's need for flexibility, regulators' focus on public health, and consultants' commitment to impartial evaluations. This approach strengthens the credibility of the assessment process, promotes accountability, and leads to more effective regulatory decisions.
Despite its benefits, the implementation of co-presentation faces challenges, including managing diverse interests and a lack of standardized practices across jurisdictions. As part of this research, a questionnaire was administered to sample stakeholder opinions on co-presentation in impact assessments. The responses provided valuable insights into its advantages and challenges.
This paper uses case studies and stakeholder feedback to demonstrate how co-presentation can enhance trust and collaboration in impact assessments. The findings suggest that co-presentation leads to more inclusive, transparent, and effective assessments.
Tom-George is an HSE Operations Manager at Aradel Energy, Nigeria, overseeing health, safety, and environmental operations to ensure compliance and operational efficiency.
Coauthor 1: Adegboyega Lawal
Coauthor 2: Edike Kaine