This presentation was made by Monika OLLIG, Germany, at the 3rd OECD Forum on Governance of Infrastructure held in Paris on 26 March 2018

1. 3x3 Recommendations for Successful
Public Participation in Large-Scale Projects
Monika Ollig
Division G II 2
Public Participation in Environment, Building and Urban Development
Policy, Public Participation Processes
Federal Ministry for the Environment,
Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Stresemannstraße 128 - 130, 10117 Berlin
26 March 2018
3rd OECD Forum on Governance of Infrastructure: “In the Public Interest –
Making Infrastructure Delivery Transparent, Inclusive and Fair”
Session 2: Consultation for inclusive infrastructure

2. 3x3 Recommendations for Successful
Public Participation in Infrastructure Projects
Outline:
1. Introduction
2. Key data on the research project, objectives and terminology
3. Methodology and examples
4. Outcome: 3x3 recommendations for good public participation
5. Conclusion

3. 2. Key data on the research project
Title: Participation processes in environmentally relevant projects
• Research ID 3714 16 104 0
• Commissioned by: Federal Environment Agency and Federal
Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear
Safety
• Carried out by: German Institute for Urban Affairs (DIFU)
• Duration: December 2014 to January 2017
• Closing event and recommendations:
• “3x3 Recommendations for Successful
Public Participation in Large-Scale Projects”
https://www.bmub.bund.de/pressemitteilung/das-3x3-einer-
guten-oeffentlichkeitsbeteiligung-bei-grossprojekten/

4. 2. Objectives and terminology
of the research project
Objective: Developing recommendations for improving informal public participation in
large-scale environmentally relevant projects
Terminology:
Large-scale projects: planning and approval of infrastructure projects (e.g. airport
expansion, transformer stations, light rail systems, electricity grids, wind energy
installations, water reservoirs)
Environmental relevance: projects which have non-negligible impacts on the
environment, e.g. construction causes significant interventions in protected assets (land
use, emissions, nature conservation and conflicts of use, etc.)
Public: NGOs, grass roots initiatives and interest groups, associations and environmental
organisations and citizens who are not organised in group or NGOs
Informal Participation: dialogues which are not regulated by law, no participation in
decision-making

5. 3. Methodology
Using a mix of methods:
• A
Step 1
20 participation processes
on environmentally
relevant projects
- fact sheets
Step 2
5 projects selected for
in-depth case studies
e.g. interviews with different
groups of participants
2 Expert meetings over the entire project term:
with representatives from approval authorities, federal states,
local authorities, interest groups and industry
concluding event
Recommen-
dations

6. 3. Methodology
The study mainly focuses on three aspects:
• Completed infrastructure projects with public participation
(best practice)
• Participation research, documentation and experiences
• Perspectives of different groups of people involved in project planning and the
participation process
 Deriving recommendations for action

7. 3. Methodology: key questions
Key questions:
• How were informal dialogues linked with the formal planning and approval
procedure?
• How were tasks divided between project developers (private and public), approval
authorities and other stakeholders (e.g. civil society)?
• Who participated? Did inclusion play a role, did different social groups become
involved?

8. 4. Methodology: key questions
Lessons to be learned:
• When is the right time for public participation?
• How can formal and informal dialogues be linked in a useful way?
• How should public participation be managed?...

9. 3. Methodology: example
Example: Shell Connect Pipeline
• Background: Shell Rheinland Refinery consists of two parts, the northern plant (Werk
Nord) in Cologne Godorf and the southern plant (Werk Süd) in Wesseling. The
“Connect” project refers to a pipeline that connects the two plants, crossing under the
Rhine twice. Potential conflicts were identified with environmental protection, landscape
and water protection, since the originally planned pipeline would have affected
ecologically sensitive areas.
• Participation took place as a continuous process, comprising several planning and
approval procedures and the construction phase. A wide range of participation
instruments (such as meetings with residents and bilateral talks) and supporting
communication measures (e.g. direct mailings and radio reports) were used.
• The outcomes were included in the plan approval documents: The pipeline was built
underneath the Rhine.

10. 4. Outcome: 3x3 messages for
good public participation

11. 4. 3x3 messages for
good public participation
1. Project developers should launch informal public participation as early as possible,
improve the quality further and make it more binding.
2. Continuous communication should be ensured from the early stages to the
implementation of the project.
3. Informal public participation must be prepared and managed professionally.
How project developers should shape participation processes:

12. 4. 3x3 messages for
good public participation
1. Project developers and approval authorities should plan the dialogue together
because communication is the key to successful public participation.
2. Approval authorities should play their role as initiators, stakeholders and managers
of participation. The dialogue with interest groups and citizens requires a new
culture of dialogue and communication.
3. Learning from local authorities: They know how to organise good participation
processes. All stakeholders in public participation can learn from them.
Project developers and approval authorities should forge an
alliance for public participation
ein Bündnis für Öffentlichkeitsbeteiligung schmieden:

13. 4. 3x3 messages for
good public participation
1. Project developers and facilitators must ensure that interest groups and private
citizens are being equally addressed.
2. Targeted mobilisation is required, especially for those individuals and groups who
are not familiar with participation processes. Processes must be shaped accordingly
and specific selection and participation formats are needed.
3. Environmental associations are advocates of the environment. Project
developers should actively engage environmental associations in public participation.
How the public should be involved:

14. 5. Conclusion
- Informal participation formats are a useful complement to formal participation.
- Taking into account the nine messages from this study can help to make infrastructure
planning even more robust and improve results from an environmental point of view.
- We will keep up the dialogue!

15. Thank you for your attention
Monika Ollig
Division G II 2
Public Participation in Environment, Building and Urban Development Policy,
Public Participation Processes
www.bmub.bund.de/buergerbeteiligung/

16. 3. Methodology: example
Example: bypass in Waren/Müritz
• Background: The town of Waren is an important hub for traffic between
Neubrandenburg in the east and the motorway A19 in the west. The connecting road is
federal highway B 192. B 192 runs right through the town of Waren. High noise levels
caused by heavy traffic on this road affect the health of residents. The idea of a bypass
has been discussed at local and state level for 30 years. One option was to have the
road run through a nature conservation area.
• Participation: An early, broad-based and open information and communication process
was initiated as a dialogue of equals. Information was disseminated through various
channels, such as a website, press articles and direct mailings.
• As the citizens voted against the project, the road was not built. Noise abatement
measures were taken instead.

17. 1. Introduction: The BMU is a pioneer
of public participation at national level
 The BMU has a specific division which deals with fundamental aspects of public
participation and also carries out public participation processes itself.
 We organise dialogues on central environmental policy programmes and decision-
making processes: e.g. Climate Action Plan 2050, ProgRess II, Integrated
Environmental Programme, COP 23 and COP 21. We engage citizens from across
Germany who are not organised in NGOs, and we publish the outcomes of the
dialogues. This makes us pioneers in participation at national level.
 We also commission research projects to further develop public participation.