1

Engaging with stakeholders

Presentation to SAFESPUR workshop3 July 2007Jon Phillips

NDA Communications Director

2

Agenda

• The NDA• Approach to stakeholder

engagement• National Stakeholder

Group• Site-based consultation• The NDA web site• Lessons learnt• Conclusion

3

The NDA• NDPB established in 2005

• Remit to clean up the civil public sector nuclear legacy

• Sites and facilities built from 1940’s onwards

• Annual funding of ~£2.8Bn

• Based in West Cumbria

• Responsible for 20 former UKAEA and BNFL sites & integrated waste strategy

4

NDA Strategic Priorities• Safety, security and environmental performance

• Hazard reduction

• Securing a stable funding environment

• Stakeholder engagement and meeting socio-economic

obligations

• Delivering value for money from our contractors

• Developing integrated waste solutions

• Maximising income to offset the cost of decommissioning

• Building an effective industry through competition, skills and

R&D

• Developing the NDA into a world class organisation

5

Changing perceptions

Government expectations:

Openness, transparency and pro-active stakeholder engagement

NDA mission statement:To deliver safe, sustainable and publicly acceptable solutions to the

challenge of nuclear clean-up and waste management. This means:

• Never compromising on safety or security• Taking full account of our social and environmental responsibilities• Always seeking value for money for the tax payer• Actively engaging with stakeholders

6

Stakeholder Definition

Any individual or organisation that has a declared interest in the

activities of the NDA

7

Stakeholder categories

Assessing stakeholders

• Formal role in approving, supporting or assessing proposed actions or performance of NDA

Participating stakeholders

• Major contribution to ensure the success of NDA

Influencing stakeholders

• Potential to influence the strategy and direction of the NDA.

8

NDA charter

Commitment to

• Be open and transparent

• Make information available

• Listen to comments

• Engage and consult

• Support Site and National group

• Provide briefing/training

• Hold meetings in public places

• Pay out of pocket expenses

9

National Stakeholder Group

• Meets twice per year• Members representing

• Each Site Stakeholder Group• UK Government departments

& regulators• National NGOs• NDA and nuclear industry• Overseas stakeholders

• Independently facilitated• Funded by NDA• National strategic issues

10

Issues Groups

• Materials Issues Group

Scrutinise NDA’s strategic objectives & decision making processes on management of nuclear materials & spent fuel

• Waste Issues Group

Reporting to NSG, identify issues and challenge/advise on Waste strategies & plans acting as a sounding board

11

Review & emerging results

• Future engagement

• To be Issue led

• Use different methods

• Involve more people & Communities

• Improve communications

• Enhance NDA culture

• Expect wholesale change

• Keep under review

12

Site End States consultation

• A valuable experience but -

• Needs to be clear guidance

• Greater consideration given to the resource impact

• A better audit trail

13

The NDA website

• Began as a staff recruitment tool

• Now the primary method of engaging with stakeholders

• Revamped in April to take account of user views

14

Move to a Stakeholder Tool – Different Audiences

• Recognise different audiences:• Local Site Stakeholders• Contractors• Employees• Non-Governmental Organisations• Politicians• Press/Media

15

A News Channel

• News Alert Service• Stakeholders subscribe via

NDA website• Web Alert sent via email to

registered stakeholders (1800+)

• RSS feed available• Press releases and news• “Dialogue” e-newsletter

available online and issued in PDF to stakeholders via website

16

17

Live Web Cast Via NDA Website

• Low, medium, and high bandwidth options

• Streamed for 3 months

• 548 requests for video clip

• CD-ROM version available

18

Web Chat

• Another means of engaging stakeholders

• Scheduled online chat facility• NDA panel responded to stakeholder

questions online in real-time• Transcript of chat posted on NDA

website

19

Online Consultation• Enables stakeholders to register once for

responding online to all NDA consultations• All responses automatically collated according to

specific issue within consultation

20

NDA Stakeholder AuditJan 2006

21

15-Mar-06Opinion Leader Research, 5th Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QGTel: 020 7861 3080 Fax: 020 7861 3081 Website: www.opinionleader.co.uk

74%74%74%75%84%85%93%

3.8

3.3

4.4

3.8 3.9 3.83.9

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

5.0

Received NDA literature

Seen something in news

Personal contact w named ind

Received email from NDA

Visited NDA website

Attended ad hoc meeting/ event

Attended regular meeting/ event

Communication and Interaction

Base: 107

“Which of the following types of communication or interaction have you had with the NDA since it was formed in April 2005? For each, please give it a score between 1

(most negative) and 5 (most positive)”% who have had specific

communication type with NDA Mean score for specific type of communication (1=Poor, 5=Good)NDA’s strength

is their people

NDA Stakeholder Audit Jan 2006

22

15-Mar-06Opinion Leader Research, 5th Floor, Holborn Gate, 330 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7QGTel: 020 7861 3080 Fax: 020 7861 3081 Website: www.opinionleader.co.uk

Preferred communication

71%

61%

49% 49%

37% 36%

28%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Personal contactwith named NDA

individual

Regular meetingsor events

Provision of NDAliterature

Via email fromNDA

Ad hoc meetingsor events

Through NDAwebsite

Through press /press releases

Base: 107

“In the future, how would you prefer the NDA to communicate with you?”An opportunity to maintain

positive perceptions of NDA communications via personal

and face to face contact

NDA Stakeholder AuditJan 2006

23

Lessons learnt

• No-one likes surprises

• Early warning and engagement

• Differentiate between communication and consultation

• Listen as much as you talk

• Challenge the experts to simplify language

• Build trust through personal contact

• Check you are being understood

24

Research on Energy issues July 2006

Academic Experts 37%Official Scientists 25%Environmental Pressure Groups

22%

The Internet 7%The Media 4%Energy Companies 2%Government Ministers or MPs

1%

Don’t Know 2%

“Which of the following sources would you most trust to tell you the truth about thesafety or otherwise of nuclear power?”

Source: Populus

25

Conclusion

• NDA signalled great change for the UK nuclear industry

• Accountable to Government, stakeholders & public

• Stakeholder engagement will remain at the heart of NDA delivery

• Without it we cannot achieve our mission

• Expect our contractors to do the same

26

www.nda.gov.uk