Community Engagement Handbook for Chinese International Contractors
Guidelines for contractors operating overseas.
Offers recommendations and tools to support project staff and management in engaging communities and fulfilling social responsibilities.
Contractors should:
- Base community engagement on equality, respect, and mutual benefit.
- Incorporate community engagement into decision-making.
- Create community engagement departments and hire community engagement specialists.
- Research local communities to understand their needs fully.
- Engage in two-way communication with communities, understanding their needs and problems.
- Discontinue practices that do not involve talking or listening.
- Communicate consistently to avoid giving contradictory signals to communities.
- Foster community exchanges in areas such as education, cultural exchange, sports, and health activities.
- Respect local customs and use local languages.
- Utilize local festivals and religious events to understand local customs.
- Consider how projects disproportionately impact certain groups of stakeholders.
- Promote consultation, communication, and cooperation between Chinese companies and host country stakeholders.
- Empower civil society organizations (CSOs)/nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to supervise projects, engage in advocacy, and collaborate with contractors during the investment process.
- Communicate with the media to create trust with the local society.
- Communicate with communities through key local intermediaries who are trusted and respected in their local communities.
- Establish a grievance mechanism to allow community members to pose questions, raise concerns, or file complaints.
- Act on and respond to stakeholders’ complaints.
Contractors should:
- Develop evaluation indicators to manage, monitor, and review community engagement activities.
- Develop emergency response plans based on social and environmental hazard assessments. Minimize damage to companies and local communities.