Expertise
Engagement & change advisory

Engagement & change advisory

Harnessing engagement and change for better social outcomes

The expectation for organisations and places to deliver positive social outcomes and enable people to thrive is fast becoming a non-negotiable factor for success. Realising these outcomes demands early, thoughtful and informed consultation with both communities and stakeholders. Without these traits, places, infrastructure projects, teams and organisations can limit their success and put projects and business outcomes at risk.

Effective engagement, change strategy and delivery can inform go-no-go decisions on investment, de-risk complex negotiations and transform teams for business readiness. Internal resources can be reorganised to deliver business outcomes and projects effectively, as well as deliver infrastructure that creates positive social outcomes and is welcomed by the communities we serve.

We create environments that drive thriving teams, organisations and partnerships, throughout change

People transformation and change is about shaping the future for organisations and communities in which they operate, creating an environment in which stronger outcomes are achieved and people thrive.

Leaders are navigating particularly tumultuous and changing business and societal landscapes. Flexible working practices, the war for talent, an uncertain global political and economic climate, increasingly complex infrastructure projects, together with social sentiment all have significant impacts on organisational strategy, decision-making and success.

Aurecon partners with clients to design and implement organisation models and people strategies that enable great outcomes to be achieved through high-performance teams, partnerships and businesses.

During periods of change, we assess the existing landscape and work with our clients to shape and transform teams, projects, and business to enable success and create lasting social value and thriving people.

We communicate and engage with stakeholders differently

Best practice communications and stakeholder engagement ensures communities, stakeholders and customers are engaged, involved, and informed in decisions that impact them, creating and delivering better project and social outcomes.

It is crucial in the successful design, development and delivery of infrastructure, and is especially important when connecting these assets to strategy.

When Aurecon leads communications and stakeholder engagement activities, we work with our partners and their communities to enable two-way dialogue, at the right time. We speak with, listen to, and collaborate with stakeholders to mitigate social risk and design and implement communication strategies that help realise the best possible outcomes for the community and for business.

We are passionate about delivering infrastructure that lives within communities and enhances the natural environment, rather than infrastructure that communities must simply live with.

Working with Mana Whenua

He aha te kai ō te rangatira?
What is the food of the leaders?

He Kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero.
It is knowledge. It is communication.

We value genuine and collaborative relationships with mana whenua to ensure Te ao Māori is embedded in the development, planning, design and delivery of major infrastructure projects. On Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū Tararua Highway, iwi are represented at all levels of the project, in governance, management and delivery, and the project is grounded in Mātauranga Māori. On this project and many others, we are working with Māori businesses and creating opportunities for employment and training, helping create a legacy that lasts long after the project is complete.

We create positive social impact

Across all our areas of specialisation, we balance local knowledge with international best practice and draw upon digital tools and insights to enable faster and better decision-making, which we deliver with a true lens of inclusion and diversity.

People and organisation

Creating an environment that enables thriving teams, partnerships and organisations, through successfully navigating changing business situations:

Operating model
Organisational design and realignment
People and talent strategies
Future capability and Strategic Workforce Planning
Partnering for success
Leadership growth and capability uplift
Mergers & Acquisitions ‘people’ due diligence
Culture cascade
High Performance Teams design and delivery
Employee value proposition

To build and develop high-performing organisations, teams and leaders, contact our people and organisation lead Dhugal Ford.

Strategic change

Designing and implementing future-shaping internal and external facing change strategies:

Change strategy, change management and business readiness
Change impact assessments
Change leadership
People transformation program design and implementation
Community transition
Culture programs
Interface management

For successful change advice, contact our strategic change lead, Susan Mullard.

Social value

We partner with clients, governments and stakeholders to create positive social outcomes, with frameworks for value creation and capture, leaving a legacy beyond the creation of assets in the community:

Social performance: defining and measuring social outcomes and benefits
Social value/benefits strategies
Social Impact Assessment, including Social Impact Management Plans
Social procurement strategies
Social governance frameworks and due diligence in relation to Environmental Social Governance (ESG)
Social infrastructure studies and strategies
Social licence advice

To realise positive social outcomes, contact our social value lead, Allison Heller.

Digital engagement

Delivering digitally enabled engagement strategies, using tools and specialist expertise for insight generation:

Data gathering, analysis and insight generation
Digital engagement capability building
Visualisation and video animation
Gamification
Digital led engagement campaigns

For informed and data-led decision-making through modern day engagement delivery methods, contact our digital engagement lead, Dave Sweeney.

Strategic communications

Designing and implementing communications strategies (both internal and external facing) that are future shaping:

Internal and external communications
Public relations-engagement campaigns
Communications audits
Government relations
Public affairs
Traditional and social media
Copywriting
Visual communications
Building the narrative
Crisis communications

To engage and inform communities, stakeholders, customers and media, contact our strategic communications lead, Nikki Angelucci.

Mitigating social risk

Proactively mitigating social risk to ensure effective engagement, designing out community and stakeholder issues to avoid program delays:

Project and program social license
Stakeholder engagement (internal and external)
Community engagement
First Nations (Indigenous and Māori) Engagement
Interface management
Placemaking and precincts
Disaster planning, resilience and recovery

To avoid program delays through proactive community engagement, contact our mitigating social risk lead, Claire Holster. In New Zealand, contact Sonya Leahy.

Managing community outrage

Managing community outrage that results when social risk has not been successfully addressed:

Project and program social license
Stakeholder engagement
Community engagement
Community sentiment analysis
Behavioural insights and interventions
Reputation management

To manage community sentiment and reputation, contact our community outrage lead, Taryn Woods. For New Zealand based community outrage management, contact Norma Kloosterman.

IDEAL (inclusivity, diversity, equity, accessibility and linguistics)

Guided by the principles of inclusivity, diversity, equity, accessibility and linguistics (IDEAL), we deliver across the areas of Accessible Communications, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Engagement (CALD), First Nations Engagement and Inclusive and Diverse communications.

To deliver through more inclusive projects and products, contact Belinda Coleman.