ID: 1674
Presenting Author: Ranay Guifarro
Session: 542 - Are We Living in the Post-Consultation Era?
Status: pending
Community engagement fatigue requires culturally informed strategies. Case studies show transportation, local facilitators, and tailored outreach improve participation in assessments.
Community engagement specialists are increasingly encountering fatigue and disengagement in the consultation process, particularly when there is almost continuous engagement on projects that are similar in nature and perceived as having impacts on only a small percentage of the population, such as multiple wind developments in a rural area. In identifying the criteria for what can be qualified as meaningful engagement, it is important to understand the cultural context and needs of the community to participate in an engagement campaign meaningfully. Project refinement is a necessary process in a stakeholder engagement plan, and this includes lessons learned at multiple points of a project (if it is a large project).
Project refinements that enhance engagement are explored in two case studies: an Offshore Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) in Guyana and a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) in Salt Lake City, USA. The refinements and adjustments include providing transportation to a local hub, utilizing trusted local facilitators to promote the engagements, and identifying the reasons behind disengagement. Additionally, the studies focus on strategies to encourage participation in the SIA, particularly for impact assessments that are not driven by regulatory requirements. These two cases examine how, despite being vastly different in location and impact, adjustments can be made in the consultation process to create a more meaningful consultation.
Ranay is a Senior Social Consultant with Acorn International based in Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is passionate about using her work and knowledge to help rural and underprivileged communities
Coauthor 1: Gracie Coates