An Engagement Institute specialised course, in partnership with Articulous.
ARE YOUR TEAM MEMBERS SAFE WHEN THEY’RE ENGAGING IN THE FIELD?
Build the confidence and practical skills to communicate effectively, de-escalate conflict and manage challenging conversations when engaging with people in public settings or in the field.
Designed for professionals working in remote locations, on project sites or in community settings, this program prepares participants to navigate difficult interactions with confidence—whether responding to unexpected situations or planning for complex conversations with people who may be distressed, emotional or hostile.
Ideal for teams delivering infrastructure and energy projects, conducting site work, door-knocking, hosting pop-up engagement activities or engaging directly with communities, this course provides practical techniques that can be applied immediately in the field.
Combining situational awareness, facilitation and mediation approaches, the program helps technical and engagement professionals build the confidence, capability and skills to engage safely, professionally and effectively.
Prerequisite
This course doesn’t have any pre-requisites.
This is a standalone specialised course and does not attract credit points towards the Certificate of Engagement.
Course Benefits
This program builds the critical skills needed to:
- De-escalate conflict and manage difficult behaviours in real time.
- Respond confidently when working alone, remotely or in unpredictable settings.
- Navigate high-stakes conversations with impacted community members.
Effectively manage conflict
De-escalate conflict and manage difficult behaviours in real time.
Handle unpredictability with confidence
Respond confidently when working alone, remotely or in unpredictable settings.
Effectively manage difficult conversations
Navigate high-stakes conversations with impacted community members.
LEARNING OUTCOMEs
By the end of this interactive course, participants will:
- Understand how your organisation’s values intersect with community and stakeholder engagement
- Understand models of communication, tools and tactics for a variety of circumstances
- Consider what’s needed to plan for, take part in and debrief a difficult conversation
- Build skills for effective communication to confidently work with conflict, anger and aggression
- Use emotional intelligence and empathy to listen and deliver complex messages
- Consider body language and use tactics to appropriately respond to a range of challenging behaviours
- Practice communications skills to help you think on your feet and manage your own responses to difficult conversations in the field
- Build skills to confidently make sound decisions in the field and use situational awareness to continually assess and uphold health and safety.
Who is this course for?
This course is ideal for:
Professionals delivering infrastructure, energy and resource projects
Build confidence engaging in environments where conversations can be complex, sensitive or have limited negotiables.
Teams working directly with community members in the field
Ideal for those conducting site visits, landowner meetings, property access conversations, inspections or community drop-ins.
Staff operating in remote, mobile or higher-risk engagement settings
Support safer and more effective interactions when working remotely, independently or in unpredictable situations.
Program focus
This is not a planning course! It is a practical, skills-based program focused on:
- 1:1 conversations in the field
- Managing tension and conflict
- Building trust under pressure
- Communicating clearly when stakes are high
Delivery
- Delivered across two half days (10:30am – 2:30pm), or one full day (from 8:30am – 5:00pm).
- Delivered virtually or face-to-face.
Why this training is critical
Early, ongoing and meaningful engagement
Engagement must be early, ongoing and two-way, with community input able to influence outcomes. Engagement must also go beyond information sharing to genuine participation.
Transparency and accountability
Stakeholders must be provided accurate, clear and accessible information. Organisations must demonstrate how community feedback has been considered in decisions.
Inclusive and culturally appropriate engagement
Engagement must be inclusive, equitable and accessible, including with First Nations communities. Engagement also requires early and meaningful engagement with Aboriginal communities and landholders.
Demonstrable effectiveness (not just activity)
Engagement must be effective and auditable, not just undertaken. Effective engagement requires clear evidence that engagement has influenced project design, mitigation or benefits.
Managing impacts and expectations
Engagement must actively identify and respond to community impacts and concerns. Engagement must support fair processes, including compensation and benefit-sharing where relevant.
About the trainers
