Using regional community consultative committees to improve stakeholder collaboration

Abstract

The importance of stakeholder engagement is often discussed, but there is something more powerful: stakeholder collaboration. It is one thing to have your stakeholders fully informed and understanding of proposals, but how much more beneficial would it be if they partake in creating proposals? Success among all parties is a value shared by staff on the $18.5b Santos GLNG CSG to LNG Project. While regular and meaningful engagement has been critical to the active stakeholders (more than 4,000) impacted by the project, the greatest community outcomes have occurred through collaboration.

The concept of collaboration applies just as much to the internal stakeholders of an organisation as it does to the external audience. This extended abstract focuses on collaboration opportunities with external stakeholders using examples from the Santos GLNG Project.

‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts’, an often-used quote from Aristotle, is fundamental to the notion of stakeholder collaboration. Far greater results can be achieved by working together. In 2009, Santos created the Roma Community Consultative Committees (RCCCs) collaboration. Such was the success of this committee that it has since been mandated by the Queensland Coordinator-General as a standard condition of approval of new major projects. Santos has also expanded the concept of the committee to include industry partners. These committees now operate in every regional council area impacted by the project.

RCCCs bring together key community leaders every quarter to discuss social issues, primarily generated either directly or indirectly from the activities of the Santos GLNG Project.