Engaging with Communities Around the World: Values, Sustainability and the Arup Group

Beck A¹*

1. ArupSustainability, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Arup is a professional firm that provides technical solutions. We currently operate out of 73 offices in 32 countries, with 7000 members of staff. Arup is made up of a number of inter-related practices ranging from architecture and engineering to vehicle design and sustainability. Our commitment to our environment and the communities we work in has always been at the heart of the Arup ethos. It defines our approach to our work, to our clients and collaborators, and to each other. Sustainability is one of Arup’s 4 priorities. Agenda 21, the international blue print for Sustainability, highlights the requirement and importance of consultation and public participation to raise awareness, build capacity and development partnerships in pursuing sustainability.

The project work of Arup is more frequently being undertaken in communities who’s level of sustainability is often influenced by the planning, design, construction and management of development projects. The ability of Arup staff to understand the needs for stakeholder participation and effectively plan and design processes that involve stakeholders has the potential to add significant value to our projects, in terms of increasing public acceptance and understanding, minimising risk for our clients and truly contributing to more sustainable developments.

With this realisation and the help of Arup’s internal funding initiative “Investment in Arup”, Adam Beck is leading a global team of staff in the preparation and dissemination of a Stakeholder Participation Guide for the Arup Group. The Guide covers all of our operating regions, including Australasia, Africa, the America’s and Europe.

The aim of this project is to enhance the knowledge and skills of Arup staff in stakeholder participation. The key component to the project is the Staff Guide which is suitable for all Arup disciplines that provides information on how to plan, design, implement, monitor, evaluate and report on (external) stakeholder participation processes associated with Arup projects.

The presentation will discuss the approach and methodology adopted. It will explore the value of participation to Arup’s business and how it realised through project delivery. One of the key challenges to the project is the acknowledgment of cultural differences throughout the world and how the project team is responding to this issue in the preparation of the Guide.