Six Elements of Effective Engagement

Six Elements

The framework for effective and equitable engagement outlined in RP 1185 provides a set of six primary elements or processes to be consistently applied throughout the pipeline life cycle.

The six elements and their corresponding sections within the RP are discussed in greater detail in the Plan, Do, and Check/Adjust sections of the site. Demonstrating the importance of these elements, each corresponding section contains at least one “shall” or “conditional shall” statement detailing process or program requirements. A “conditional shall” statement will include a qualifier to allow operators flexibility in how they meet the requirement. Examples of conditional shall statements include:

An operator shall strive …

An operator shall consider …

Each section also contains a separate requirement to maintain minimum program documents.

In addition to the statements provided below, each section contains a separate requirement to maintain minimum program documents (Link to Resource Center).

Commit and Align (Section 4): Describes how operators, through their management, demonstrate the organization’s commitment to stakeholder engagement.
Identify, Understand, and Confirm (Section 5): Describes stakeholders who should be the subject of engagement.
Plan and Prepare (Section 6): Describes how operators get ready for stakeholder engagement activities.
Share Information (Section 7): Describes what operators should share as part of baseline information.
Ask, Listen, and Respond (Section 8): Describes how operators should engage with stakeholders.
Monitor, Evaluate, and Adjust (Section 9): Describes how operators should assess, document, verify, and improve stakeholder engagement performance.