In the spring of 2011, a West Yorkshire based forester took on the management of a handful of woodlands in the Calder Valley. All of the sites needed a new management plan and the owner wanted them to be FSC certified, so this work included some stakeholder engagement. However, the forester’s experience of public consultations had led him to the conclusion that village hall meetings may not be the best way to comply with the requirements of UKWAS. Discussions with colleagues and clients revealed he was not alone in his misgivings, here’s what they said…
The cost of consultation and engagement was often disproportionate to the scale of the operation
When managing a number of forests over a large area, the cost and time burden of UKWAS compliance relating to stakeholders and communication was high. This reduced the economic viability of woodlands.
Some stakeholders were difficult to reach
For a range of reasons, some people had been be hard to engage. This had led to complaints and comments being received after plans had been finalised, contracts agreed, and management interventions having commenced. The timing of public meetings meant that some key stakeholders could not attend due to other commitments so the requirement for follow up meetings was common.
Public meetings could produce biased data
Some meetings were disrupted by those who had issues relating to earlier management. Some were dominated by individuals or groups who had interests relating to specific topics, but not necessarily relating to the forest or its management. Although these views could be valid, they had the potential to be over-represented, preventing discussion of the full range of activities under consultation. It was also likely that some individuals at meetings took the decision not to express their views, particularly where they would conflict with opinions already expressed.
Collecting and using data from public meetings was unsatisfactory
Capturing the detail of verbal communication with stakeholders was difficult. Structuring and compiling the results into a usable form was time consuming. The maintenance of up to date contact details in stakeholder lists also presented challenges.
Auditable evidence was difficult to collect
Evidence for use during audits was weak, usually based upon minutes written up at a later date. The forester felt a web-based tool could be built to overcome these issues, allowing him to deliver better stakeholder consultation while reducing his costs and the time taken. After a chat with his friend and web designer, Forest Plans was created.
The cost and time burden is reduced
For a small subscription fee, foresters can access and manage a user friendly, personalised web page designed to deliver their stakeholder management. Features such as automatically generated, branded signage save the forester time and money. The time taken to deliver UKWAS compliant consultation through Forest Plans can be measured in minutes, rather than hours or days.
More people can be reached
The signage generated by Forest Plans directs stakeholders to an easy to find web page which holds documents relating to the consultation. Here they can submit their comments directly to the forest manager. They can do this at any time of day and from anywhere in the world. The signage also directs people to their nearest public internet access or offers a hard copy of consultation documents for those without internet access. The forest manager can also e-mail their contacts with a link to their page’s unique web address.
Less biased data
Stakeholders submit their comments and questions from the privacy of their own home or office without time constraints, competition for attention, or peer pressure. Comments aren’t shared publicly, they can only be seen by the forest manager who can communicate the overall findings back to stakeholders if they wish.
Clear data collection
Data is recorded in writing exactly as the stakeholder submits it. The stakeholder’s contact details are collected and the time of their comment is documented.
Auditable
The consultation process is systematic and auditable with an activity log which records the time and date that forests were added to the site and when comments were received.
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Forest Plans is still being used by Matt Taylor in Yorkshire and is also being used by some of the UK’s largest forest management companies, woodland charities, local authorities, and utility companies. Foresters are being creative with how they use the site, reporting new uses all the time, such as quick on-site access to management plans and communicating health and safety documentation to their contractors.
For more information about Forest Plans visit www.forestplans.com or email matt@forestplans.com.
Matt Taylor is a forester, FSC Forest Management auditor, and land manager working for Forest and Land Ltd in West Yorkshire, UK.