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Tool Summary Tool Characteristics Tool Application Source of Tools Opinion of Tools

Tool application

Name of the tool
Participatory Assessment Process (PAP)

Who applied the tool in the case?
The Awel Aman Tawe project staff and volunteers. For further information contact:
Dan McCallum, Awel Aman Tawe, Ysgol Gynradd Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Heol Newydd, Gwaun Cae Gurwen, Rhydaman SA18 1UN
Phone: 01269 822954 Fax: 01269 825628
Email: awelat@freenetname.co.uk website: http://www.awelamantawe.org.uk

Time taken to fully apply the tool
This consultation was extremely thorough and took 10 months.
Public consultation are not usually this long but it is generally considered that a thorough consultation process is best.

Any other interesting information about the tool
When it was decided to undertake a Participatory Assessment Process (PAP) it was also decided to extract the lessons from the process and make them available to others, this resulted in the publication of the two reports outlined above.

Hinshelwood and McCallum (2001b) extracted a number of lessons from the consultation process:
Awareness raising
• Place an emphasis on awareness raising about issues relating to Renewable Energy and wind farms.
• Make sure information is accessible, consistent, up-to-date and relevant.
• Inform people about the broader context.
Local benefit • Identify the ways in which the local area could benefit from the proposed scheme.
• Plan and implement the project in such a way that local benefits are realised.
Local context
• Recognise the importance of the local context and past experiences on people’s opinions.
• Recognise the importance of social networks.
Local involvement
• Recognise Communities as Key Stakeholders in the development of RE:
• Involving local people strengthens RE projects.
• Involving local people contributes towards Local Agenda 21 objectives.
• Involving local people could be cost effective.
• Plan the appropriate level of local involvement.
• Democratic decision-making is empowering.
Opposition
• Recognise the tactics of opposition and target information accordingly.
• Remember that it is usually a minority of residents that oppose Renewable Energy schemes.
• Acknowledge the impact of an opposition group.
• Stay calm and do not get defensive.
• Ensure that word does not get out about the proposed scheme prior to the start of the consultation.
Consultation process
• Think strategically.
• Plan and implement a consultation strategy appropriate to the proposed scheme.
• Utilise the three directions of information flow in the consultation process.
• Encourage and facilitation discussion and debate about the proposed scheme in informal as well as formal settings.
• Maintain an active use of the local media.
• Feed local ideas into the project."

Case study/ies where tool is in use

Awel Aman Tawe Community Energy Project.