Aims:

One of the key factors in the success of any project is managing stakeholders’ demands and expectations. Over the course of this module students will learn how to identify key stakeholders, define roles, establish commitment to the project, align and prioritise stakeholder requirements to organisational objectives, and gain ‘buy-in’. The module will also cover communication techniques, including dealing with organisational politics, resolving conflict and managing expectations.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this module the students will be able to:

identify and analyse key stakeholders;
	determine information to be disclosed;
	plan, design, implement and evaluate stakeholder consultation activities;
	Implement grievance management processes;
	design stakeholder involvement initiatives for project monitoring;
	adapt to different communication styles;
	apply key listening and questioning skills required to build sustainable relationships;
	embed best practice stakeholder engagement practice in planning, approval and decision-making processes
Synopsis:

This course will examine the concept of a “Social Licence to Operate”, particularly as applied in the Energy and Resources sectors. It will cover how companies can better engage with stakeholders and why this matters to all parties.

The course will cover what is (and is not) involved in a Social Licence to Operate and how/why ineffective engagement can lead to stakeholder conflicts and project delays, even when legal permits are in hand. The course will provide practical advice from practitioners and industry standards, particularly for communication techniques such as outrage management and managing effective grievance mechanisms. The (international) legal basis for concepts such as Free, Prior and Informed Consent will be introduced, along with international legal and financial drivers for effective engagement. The concept of cultural heritage will be addressed, along with the importance of working with different cultural viewpoints and understanding the socio-political structure of stakeholder networks. Finally, the value of adopting a social return on investment viewpoint will be stressed, where community engagement is an integrated component of extracting resources, rather than a philanthropic activity.

The module will consider:

Characteristics and importance of a Social License to Operate
	Land rights & Indigenous Land Use Agreements
	Valuing cultural heritage and working with aboriginal people
	Stakeholders, politics and the media
	Strategically understanding stakeholder networks
	Tools for measuring and mapping stakeholder networks
	Current research into measuring a Social License to Operate
	Conflict, outrage management & crisis communications
	Industry guidance on engagement and grievance mechanisms
	Social Return on Investment - community engagement & business models