The Smart Engagement Blog

Confronting the risk of turning trust on its head

Confronting the risk of turning trust on its head

I have had a lecture in trust recently. From a group of near neighbours to an energy project. They knew I believed in both the project and the need to earn a Social Licence to Operate. The project needed to be designed as a win-win for both the developer and the local community. We had built a decent level of trust together. But after a period away, the term ‘trust’ was being used in a very different context. Download this article that shows that strong governance and stakeholder engagement standards and competences are crucial to build a Social Licence to Operate.
The Loop Head Peninsula Regional Development Strategy

The Loop Head Peninsula Regional Development Strategy: an emerging draft

Community development is often seen as a ‘soft term’. On the Loop Head peninsula it is not. It is part of the core business to ensure a great place to be today; and a wonderful place to be also for the next generation. In 2020, with the news being dominated by Covid, many in the Loop Head communities asked a simple question: ‘when all agenda’s are put to one side, and we identify the one key issue that we all feel needs to be addressed urgently today – what is it? The answer, and the strategy to address it are captured in the Loop Head Peninsula’s Regional Development Strategy (LRDS).
Think Win-Win: a transformative mindset to advance successful projects

Think Win-Win: a transformative mindset to advance successful projects

Project development is somewhat like an iceberg. The information we don’t have at the outset is very much the bit under the water. And the bit in sight can often be unstable. A foundation, which includes a Social Licence, needs to be built. Project developers tend to rely on finding the information required to build this by contracting the right professionals. Yet, nowadays, when multiple stakeholders are potentially impacted, this is no longer sufficient. This article outlines the need (and a path to the how) for a win-win mindset at the top levels.