Stakeholder Consultation

Stakeholder engagement and consultation as assisted by SENES is a collaborative, systematic, interactive process for proponents, interested parties, and regulatory agencies to exchange information, raise and respond to issues, discuss alternative solutions and attempt to resolve differences. SENES has an impressive history of undertaking community engagement and dialogue for controversial and technically complex projects.

The services provided by SENES include identification of stakeholder groups and key issues; design and development of information materials including news releases, fact sheets, web sites, poster displays and public notices; organization and facilitation of public meetings, public information centres and workshops; pre-submission consultation with the public, government agencies, ratepayer groups and other organizations; utilization of social media; and conflict resolution. Community scans which measure and evaluate how a community or group of stakeholders are receiving communication and consultation around an environmental issue have also been undertaken by SENES staff.

The efforts of SENES in the field of public consultation has led to pioneering work in willing host site selections. Under this approach, communities are asked and sometimes compete for a facility rather than have it imposed them. But consultation is not just a matter for projects affecting the public at large. Scientific studies often involve conflicting views and SENES increasingly finds itself in the role of mediator between these differing points of view.