Infrastructure advisory firm Aurecon and the University of Melbourne have partnered on the Next Generation Engagement Project – an initiative aimed at evaluating and quantifying the value of community and stakeholder engagement in infrastructure delivery for decision makers.
The project will also investigate the impacts of stakeholder engagement on infrastructure project delivery, with the goal to develop a robust framework for engagment around which governments, communities and inudstry can plan.
A principle element of the project will be identifying trends and the social challenges that affect new infrastructure today.
“The importance of using stakeholder engagement to effectively inform the delivery of a project, especially in the early design stages, cannot be understated,” said Kylie Cochrane, Global Lead, Communication and Stakeholder Engagement at Aurecon. “Projects can rise and fall on the back of engagement.”
The university will have access to Aurecon’s experience industry practicioner for the reasearch project.
According to the statement, Aurecon’s involvement will play a vital role in helping to understand the challenges faced by industry and will bring an important interdisciplinary perspective to the research.
“The reality is that poor engagement often results in time-consuming and costly delays to project delivery. Delays, appeals and redesigns all add time and cost, and ultimately affect the project’s viability, not only as an investment, but also as an effective piece of infrastructure for our communities,” says Ms. Cochrane.
“Early community consultation not only helps to generate acceptance for new infrastructure, but it aids in shaping and designing the project to deliver quality, fit-for-purpose, human-centred infrastructure outcomes. Understanding where, when and how stakeholder engagement is most effective in the design process can elevate the efficacy of infrastructure and project delivery to new heights.”