Communities, How HarrisonStevens Provides a Positive Contribution

Public participation is at the heart of what we do, we have a responsibility to the communities impacted by our projects, making positive contributions in the design journey and what we leave behind.

Why do we have public participation? There are five good reasons; it puts the community at the heart of the planning process which is promoted by the Scottish government; it is a statutory requirement for major applications; we believe that places which the community feel they have been engaged in and have an influence upon,  are more likely to be successful, well cared for and stewardship encouraged; it is often a mechanism for securing funding to deliver projects; and HarrisonStevens design places for the community, the community are the experts so why not ask them for help.

There are a number of clarifications required to first understand the public participation process.  What is the difference between Engagement and Consultation for example?  Engagement is where the community have the opportunity to express an opinion which helps to shape the developing proposals, while Consultation is where the community express an opinion upon designs and proposals which have already been shaped and informed by the professional team.  If you are following a robust participatory process then engagement comes before consultation.  We have been involved in a number of approaches across many projects, often undertaking the statutory response either as a member of a wider multi-disciplinary team or on occasion leading on masterplans and public realm proposals.  By far the most rewarding however are the community led projects and the Charrette process.  Through our Scottish Canals, Sustrans, Community Councils and Trusts, and Public Body sponsored projects the level of participation varies.  One of the most successful projects which demonstrates the engagement with the community and the impact their decisions and directions had on any of our projects is at Westside Plaza in Wester Hailes.  Following an extensive engagement process five priorities for the community emerged.  These five outcomes were delivered through a CEC contract to enhance the public space at the heart of the community.  The early work was with Wester Hailes Community Trust and through WHALE Arts we were able to host a series of workshops at all levels of the community, whether that be statutory stakeholders, the local community council, local police, local school children, and community groups.

Why are HarrisonStevens considered experts in this field? We believe in these top ten ‘rules of the game’ for effective community engagement;

1. Involvement – identify the right people to engage
2. Support – identify any challenges to engage with certain groups
3. Planning – agree the purpose, scope and actions
4. Methods – that are fit for purpose, know your audience
5. Working together – clear procedures for effective and efficient participation
6. Sharing information – communicated to all participants
7. Working with others – links to community groups and trusts
8. Improvement – this is about legacy to ensure that there is learning at all levels
9. Feedback – always provide appropriate feedback, ensuring that the community feel listened to.
10. Monitoring and evaluation – has the process achieved its purpose

And in delivering successful engagement programmes over the last 20 years we trust in our specific skills to achieve the best outcome for the community and the project.

The top ten skills we apply to each of our public participation projects are;

1. Listen – you are not just ‘hearing’, you should be listening
2. Engage – open discussion, approach people and ask about them
3. Be-Noticed – make a statement, be consistent
4. Understand Your Audience – young, old, demographics
5. Simple straight forward language and illustrations
6. Do not over estimate what can be understood
7. Ask open questions
8. Do not be guarded
9. Receive a briefing – politically sensitive, do not give away sensitive information
10. Be Intelligently Honest (integrity)

We use a number of tools to ensure we have positive communication.  We understand DISC profiling and Talent Dynamics as characteristic profiling, this allows us to be informed on the various methods of communication with people at different points on the character wheel.  Being able to quickly identify that you are talking with a ‘D’ or very assertive character will mean you should drop the ambling chat and get straight to the point.  Leading to a more honest and fulfilling discussion.  We also often use the Place Standard Tool Kit from the Scottish Government, a Spaceshaper workshop programme for younger people and utilise recording information platforms such as Mentimeter and Survey Monkey.  If you would like to know more about how we can engage with your community and which tools are best to be used then please get in touch with us.

How can we help? 

• Identify opportunities in your community for HarrisonStevens to become involved
• You can seek new project opportunities in your neighbourhood
• We can hold introduction sessions to the tools – Spaceshaper for example
• We can happily introduce you to our previous successful and relevant projects

HarrisonStevens believe that in everything we do we should be making a positive contribution, this is our legacy on projects.  If we have delivered projects with integrity, that are well loved, used and cared for by the community, to us this is a marker of success.