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UK Onshore Oil and Gas:Policy, Planning and Future Developments
The Human Dimension
Sue Manns
Regional Director Pegasus
The Human Dimension
▪ The Human Dimension
▪ Understanding the psychology and physiology of change responses and the dilemmas of consultation
▪ How does this impact on consultation - who is engaging in 2017?
▪ Emerging trends and legal challenges
▪ Working better with Humans –some suggestions
The Human Dimension
o Planning - a technical and legalistic discipline
o Evidence based – specialist expertise
o Consultation - working with humans
o Human behaviour and reactions to change
o Not always logical, based on past experience and perception
o Understanding reactions
Psychology and physiology of change responses
▪ ‘Human Givens’
▪ Physical needs – include food and shelter
▪ Emotional needs – include safe environment, being part of a community
▪ Place attachment
▪ People naturally respond to perceived ‘threats’ to these - fear change
▪ Fear of change induces stress, which in turn affects behaviour
“If you want to make enemies, try to change something”. Woodrow Wilson
Change induced stress - physiological responses
▪ Physiological response to stress:
▪ Freeze
▪ Flight
▪ fight (about 10% of population).
▪ Society needs ‘fighters’ – nothing new
▪ Consultation tends to attract ‘fighters’
“The tendency of aggression is an innate, independent, instinctual disposition in man …… it constitutes the most powerful obstacle to culture”
Sigmund Freud
The smallest uncertainty can cause
individuals to imagine stressful
scenarios
Reducing stress levels – improving engagement
▪ Reducing stress can change the way in which the ‘fight’ response develops
▪ Stress levels are affected by:
▪ controllability▪ predictability▪ impact▪ internal conflict
It’s not just what you say, but when and how you say and do it
Advance WarningRoad ahead will be
closed for one week from 01/April/2017
Road Ahead closed
Advance WarningRoad ahead will be closed from
01/May/2017 for one weekSuggestions for diversions
welcomedContact ….
Humans are all different ………..
▪ Do not “all share the same views” or live same lifestyle
▪ Views change over lifetime▪ Strength of personal feeling vs time and
ability to secure change▪ Globalisation and modern
communications raise moral awareness –people feel ‘closer’ to the ‘threat’
Challenge - how representative are those who get involved in planning?
Elected representatives usually want to know what constituents think.
2017 - who is engaging?
Protect a ‘way of life’ – Older Generation
“The blunt problem is that those who have the loudest voices tend to be a wealthy section of the older generation”
2012 Intergeneration Foundation
26 March 2017 –Leapers Wood Quarry, Carnforth
Moral outraged – ‘Enraged Youth’
Two key groups most commonly seen are:
‘Swampy’
2017 - who is engaging?
Typical Pre-application consultation:
▪ FREEPOST response forms - Majority over 55 years (can be circa 80%)
▪ Web-based responses - Over 55s average around 40%, almost all over 35 yrs
▪ Attendees at Exhibition – over 55s average 77%, low numbers of under 35s
▪ Gender balance has improved – now approx equal male : female ratios
▪ “Moral outraged” do not tend to engage through the normal routes – protests
2017 - a growing distrust of ‘experts’ and ‘facts’
“I think people in this country, have had enough of experts.” Michael Gove MP
“There is only one expert that matters and that is you”
Labour MP Gisela Stuart
“It was the most watched
inaugural ceremony both in
person and around the world”
Sean Spicer
Emerging trends – unrepresentative engagement
▪ Levels of engagement declining, except for affluent areas
▪ Distrust of ‘experts’ and ‘facts’
▪ Silent majority now 97%
▪ There is a new ‘Hard to Reach’ - under 35s and those with busy lives
▪ Increasingly aggressive behaviour
“I am in favour of ……. We need it, but I cant write it down in front of these people, I feel intimidates by the Councillors and other people who are being whipped up …. ” Local resident at a consultation event
Increasingly opposition led engagement
▪ No reason why people should be especially motivated to participate –except when their ‘human givens’ are under threat
▪ Learned behaviour – louder the protest the more chance of success
▪ IMPORTANT - Impact of non response bias on outcomes – depends upon the extent to which the responses are representative of wider views
▪ GOOD DECISIONS are those taken in the light of fair and balanced responses
Be aware - growing body of case law
▪ Wide discretion as to scope, timing and how undertaken
▪ Should be proportionate to size and impact of project
▪ Not unlawful because it could be improved on, let alone with the benefit of hindsight
Gunning / Coughlan principles - consultation must:
(a) be undertaken at a time when proposals are still at a formative stage.
(b) include sufficient reasons for particular proposals to allow those consulted to give intelligent consideration and an intelligent response;
(c) Allow adequate time for this purpose; and
(d) The product of consultation must be conscientiously taken into account when the ultimate decision is taken
Moseley (2014) should briefly refer to alternative approaches /options and to the reasons why they were unacceptable
Growing awareness of legal challenges
Working better with Humans
The ‘moral outraged’
▪ Will not convert the ‘moral outraged’
▪ It is a ‘way of life’ – part of a community, social group
▪ They are often afraid of ‘engaging’ – if swayed will become an ‘outsider’
▪ Most refocus their campaigns over lifetime
▪ Respect commitment
Heathrow 2016 protests
Greenham Common
26 March 2017 – Leapers Wood Quarry, Carnforth
Working better with humans – some suggestions
Build human relationships - “Win friends and influence people”
Reduce ‘stress’ levels
▪ Start early
▪ Be open and honest
▪ Do not ‘sell’
▪ Build relationships
– Engage on how to engage (Consultation Steering Group)
– Invite participation in consultation
– Build trust by delivering
Good consultation will reduce threat of legal challenge
Working better with humans – some suggestions
▪ Wide leaflet distribution, website and local exhibitions
▪ Keep it simple and honest
▪ Include relevant information and be clear about what will happen next
▪ Signpost where further information can be found
▪ Include FREEPOST response form
▪ Don’t ask questions – invite comments -issues based analysis
▪ Share feedback on issues and invite comments on actions through ‘consultation steering group’
Working better with humans – some suggestions
Reaching the 97% …………
▪ Monitor engagement
▪ Are there demographic / geographic gaps
▪ Take action to fill gaps:
▪ Light touch consultations
▪ Mother and Toddler groups
▪ Young Farmers
▪ Local business breakfast clubs
Other things to consider
▪ Security of the team
▪ Challenge false and misleading information, Advertising Standards Agency
Final Thoughts
“Here is Edward Bear now coming downstairs on his head. Bump, bump, bump behind Christopher Robin, it is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming down though he feels there ought to be a better way if only he could
stop bumping for a moment and think about it.”
Winnie the Pooh.
AA Milne
