Effective engagement during construction

I know what it’s like. You’ve spent ages consulting the community and dealing with pesky politicians during the planning process. The decision notice is in-hand. You’ve appointed a contractor and handed a site over to your development colleagues. Job done. The last thing you want to worry about is more ‘comms’.

But the simple fact is that the construction phase – especially for larger projects – is often the period when local communities really start to see the change that new development will make to their environment.

To help you manage this, Cavendish has launched our new Communications Toolkit to guide your stakeholder engagement during the construction process.

It is based around six core principles that will help you to build long-term relationships whether you work in the commercial, housing, energy or transport sectors:

1. Know your stakeholders: this sounds simple but getting this right is the key to starting on the right foot. Those likely to take an interest during the construction phase won’t be the same as the planning phase and even where there is overlap, the level of interest vs influence will be different now that you’re on site.
2. Establish a communications protocol: a clear communications protocol is essential for ensuring consistency of message, will help manage media interest and contain escalation procedures should something go wrong. For larger projects this should include what to do if there is a protest seeking to stop or delay construction. A good communications protocol will take the burden of responding off the shoulders of your site manager trying to get on with the job.
3. Commit to regular communications: keeping the community updated regularly on what is about to happen on site is the only way to maintain trust throughout a prolonged construction period. You should ensure communications are issued in good time ahead of any disruption in jargon-free language, with clear contact points for people to get in touch should they need to.
4. Communicate in a variety of ways: people access information in different ways and at different times so don’t relay solely on either digital, social or offline methods. A multi-channel approach will ensure you reach everyone you need to in a way that is accessible to them.
5. Listen and learn: as a kid you’re taught that you have two ears but only one mouth. The same rule applies. Spend more time listening to how people react to your updates and tweak your approach as the build progresses. Social listening allows you to spot issues, monitor trends and take action as necessary to respond to positive or negative coverage.
6. Think outside the box: use the construction process to build lasting relationships with the community and stakeholders by hosting site visits, STEM school lessons, supplier days and creative competitions to inspire the next generation of architects, engineers and construction workers.

You can download the Toolkit for free here.

It is informed by decades of experience in supporting some of the largest and most controversial construction projects across the UK through to completion.