Managing Public Consultation in a COVID Environment

One of the many areas of expertise that our Black Gold team provides council on is Public Consultation. Over the years, our team has developed and refined its public consultation process, however, when COVID first hit, our team had to learn, adapt and adjust to the rapidly changing environment. This blog will outline our Public Consultation process and explore how we pivoted the process to a COVID environment. 

Understanding Black Gold’s Public Consultation Process

Black Gold, on behalf of various clients, carries out public and local authority consultations in Western Canadian provinces. These consultations are based on various provincial and federal regulations. 

Black Gold’s consultation works two ways: 

1. It provides the stakeholder with an opportunity to ask questions or provide concerns they may have regarding the licensee’s (client) emergency management program. 
2. The Consultation Specialist provides an overview of the client’s local operations, including key emergency contact information and public protection measures that the licensee will carry out to notify the stakeholder in case of an emergency. Then we work to verify the stakeholder’s contact information so this can be placed into the client’s Emergency Response Plan (ERP).

These consultations take place in the following circumstances:

• During a new project – for example, a new well, pipeline or facility where it’s been calculated that in the event of an emergency the stakeholder would be required to be notified.
• Existing operations – for example, producing wells, pipelines and facilities that are reviewed and required to be met with annually.

For existing operations, the annual consultation program typically involves a rotational annual schedule. This means the schedule rotates between in person consults and phone calls to ensure all elements are captured and communicated properly. In-person or in-field consultation sessions are critical in identifying new construction in the area and facilitates ground validation of infrastructure verification in the region using GPS technology.

Public Consultation during COVID

COVID-19 has caused the above process to be revised to ensure everyone’s safety and to prevent any potential transmission of the virus. Black Gold, through client correspondence and feedback implemented with clients, now has the Public Consultation Specialists organize with the stakeholders in advance by phone call. This call allows us to confirm with the client that they are comfortable meeting face to face, while always taking the precaution of wearing masks in these meetings and ensuring proper hygiene (ex: hand-sanitizer and washed hands prior to the consultation). 

In situations where the stakeholder has declined a face-to-face meeting, our team then updates the contact information via phone call. Client/stakeholder preferences are noted within the confidential resident sheets found in the client’s Emergency Response Plan (ERP). 

The changes made to this process to adjust to COVID have been met with overwhelmingly positive results. Our clients and stakeholders have expressed their appreciation that Black Gold Public Consultation Specialists are respecting their health and safety while providing them with the additional opportunity of completing this by phone call if they aren’t comfortable with the face-to-face meeting.

Although these program changes sometimes seem minuscule once the program is re-established to reflect external environments, we reflect back on our ability to pivot with gratitude. COVID has forced many elements of day-to-day business to adjust and change. Our team is dedicated to ensuring a safe environment for our clients and stakeholders. As we continue to adapt to the ever-changing world, we look forward to challenging our processes with flexible new protocols.