- Involving social and sustainability experts in the company’s project development team was crucial in understanding the historical traditions and fundamental beliefs of the Indigenous Peoples, who are key stakeholders for the project. In addition, the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in the initial stages of the process identified an opportunity to provide project funds to support ongoing anthropological research.
- The study undertaken by the company into the historical presence of oil and gas companies in the country highlighted evidence of dissatisfaction associated with the late awareness of these projects. Through the engagement undertaken, this dissatisfaction was reduced which helped generate a positive relationship between the company and the Indigenous Peoples.
Project background/scenario
Once a discovery is made in the oil and gas sector, design options for development are considered. These options are evaluated based on the nature of the discovery, the project feasibility, the strategies and regulations relevant to the context, and the needs of the future operator and investment partners. It is at this stage that preliminary discussions have commenced with the government, including relevant regulators.
When the oil and gas company was undertaking the initial stages of this process for the project, the presence of Indigenous Peoples was identified. Whilst the regulatory requirements of the country did not necessitate engagement with the Indigenous Peoples until after submitting the environmental and social impact analysis documents, the company made the decision to involve these stakeholders. The early involvement of these stakeholders sought to ensure that the ancestral cultural traditions of the Indigenous Peoples were properly understood, and that an open and continuous dialogue was established. Engagement involved anthropological experts to ensure that appropriate channels were opened to enable continuous information sharing and feedback into project option evaluation.
The decision to involve the Indigenous Peoples early in project development arose from a study conducted by the company which highlighted concerns relating to the historical presence and legacy of oil and gas companies in the country, and the dissatisfaction exhibited by Indigenous Peoples to being apprised of projects late in the development process, compared to the country’s official government institutions. Furthermore, through the engagement conducted, the company learned about important local traditions and beliefs (including the balance between human activity and nature held by the Indigenous Peoples). This deepened the company’s understanding of the local context.
How engagement was made meaningful
In this case study, engagement was made meaningful through the following:
- Principle 1 – the purpose for the engagement conducted was for the company to better understand the concerns/impacts that the Indigenous People had in relation to the operation, and to properly engage with them throughout project development.
- Principle 2 – stakeholder engagement occurred following a detailed study undertaken to understand the Indigenous Peoples, which provided insights into the culture and traditions of the involved communities.
- Principle 5 – the company was transparent with the Indigenous Peoples in relation to the project objectives and the desire to involve them early in the development process in order to help build mutual trust and respect.