PLAN: Methods of Engagement

If you’ve ever had a conversation with someone and it’s clear they don’t really understand what you’re trying to say… try using a different method to communicate and see if the results change.

Any communication or engagement program requires consideration of how an audience (individual or group) will best receive the information to be provided. This can include the choice of words used, the platforms utilized, venues chosen, and /or a reliance on visuals or language or both to relay messages, and more.

As operators are developing their engagement programs, this step to determine effective methods should be completed after efforts to identify, understand, and confirm stakeholder interests and communication preferences. Also, note that methods of engagement will need to be reviewed and potentially revised periodically as / if stakeholder interests change throughout the pipeline life cycle.

Common methods can be applied to multiple stakeholders with common interests and may foster opportunities for different stakeholders to interact in such a way that they learn about each other’s engagement needs and concerns… which may, in turn, help the operator communicate more effectively. An operator’s willingness to encourage those with common interests to learn from each other will also help build trust with their stakeholders.

Essential to determining methods of engagement is considering those stakeholder groups or communities that often face barriers in connecting, thus preventing their fair representation, inclusion, and equitable involvement in the engagement process. This can include vulnerable populations or communities, lower-income communities experiencing a digital divide, communities with current or historical experience with environmental justice concerns, and others. Operators should make an effort to meet with these stakeholders to learn about their perspectives and challenges to learn the engagement methods that are most likely to be effective and give them an opportunity to participate in the engagement process.

Annex C in RP 1185 provides an extensive list of potential engagement methods, along with the benefits and potential challenges of each, which includes:

  • Gatherings such as public hearings, town hall or other public meeting formats, public workshops, open house events, multi-stakeholder or community advisory groups, locally established meetings or events, or focus groups
  • Direct communication such as a single point of contact within operating areas, a single email or phone call, or a clear and limited set of contacts for different needs and questions
  • Site visits
  • One-on-one meetings with individual stakeholders
  • Facilitated meetings or mediation
  • Public docket comments