of multi-use platforms at these locations. The North Sea site was in between; even
though the site was predetermined, the stakeholders embarked in a process to better
understand each other’s needs in developing multi-use platforms at the specified
location.
2.5 Concluding Remarks
MERMAID and TROPOS point to the importance of a thorough consideration of
stakeholders’ concerns in design processes to take economic actors, government,
local citizens and others on board, to legitimise the project and to integrate the
platform more effectively in the local context. One has to consider that, therefore,
stakeholder involvement requires a considerable investment from all the participants
in the project.
When setting up participation, different choices need to be made in different
stages of stakeholder involvement. If the process is aimed at closing the deal, as was
visible in the Baltic case study of MERMAID, other actions are needed, then when
the aim is to make stakeholders aware of the potential of multi-use, such as in the
Atlantic case study of MERMAID, or in the TROPOS projects. It is important to
investigate what project phase applies to the proposed site, e.g. identifying a
business case, exploring options to ‘add’ functions to a planned development or
investigating the idea of multi-use platforms from scratch.
It is very important to know the situation and conditions of the site under
consideration – e.g. what technologies are at all possible. Therefore, members of
the team need to invest a lot of time in understanding the locality of the case studies.
In the future, other projects should provide the necessary resources for creating this
understanding of the locality as it is crucial for identifying the relevant stakeholders,
their roles, objectives and resources.
When eliciting stakeholders’ view, selection bias should be avoided during both
the preparation and interview stages. It is recommended to involve the relevant set of
stakeholders for specific decisions. In early exploratory project phases, take stock of
differing views of the stakeholders. In a technical scoping phase, it makes sense to
only involve a small group of relevant experts. In later project phases, stakeholders
should be asked to pronounce themselves on few and reasonably well-defined design
options that are possible for the specific offshore multi-use platform.
Finally, shared knowledge and experience can contribute to more efficient and
sustainable designs of offshore multi-use platforms. Taking into account stakeholders’ perspective and knowledge can help overcome obstacles, and lead one to
adjust the design process if necessary. Not engaging in dialogue or not considering
stakeholders’ point of view leads to risk of inefficient processes, the need to repeat
procedures or even implement suboptimal solutions.
36
M. Stuiver et al.
though the site was predetermined, the stakeholders embarked in a process to better
understand each other’s needs in developing multi-use platforms at the specified
location.
2.5 Concluding Remarks
MERMAID and TROPOS point to the importance of a thorough consideration of
stakeholders’ concerns in design processes to take economic actors, government,
local citizens and others on board, to legitimise the project and to integrate the
platform more effectively in the local context. One has to consider that, therefore,
stakeholder involvement requires a considerable investment from all the participants
in the project.
When setting up participation, different choices need to be made in different
stages of stakeholder involvement. If the process is aimed at closing the deal, as was
visible in the Baltic case study of MERMAID, other actions are needed, then when
the aim is to make stakeholders aware of the potential of multi-use, such as in the
Atlantic case study of MERMAID, or in the TROPOS projects. It is important to
investigate what project phase applies to the proposed site, e.g. identifying a
business case, exploring options to ‘add’ functions to a planned development or
investigating the idea of multi-use platforms from scratch.
It is very important to know the situation and conditions of the site under
consideration – e.g. what technologies are at all possible. Therefore, members of
the team need to invest a lot of time in understanding the locality of the case studies.
In the future, other projects should provide the necessary resources for creating this
understanding of the locality as it is crucial for identifying the relevant stakeholders,
their roles, objectives and resources.
When eliciting stakeholders’ view, selection bias should be avoided during both
the preparation and interview stages. It is recommended to involve the relevant set of
stakeholders for specific decisions. In early exploratory project phases, take stock of
differing views of the stakeholders. In a technical scoping phase, it makes sense to
only involve a small group of relevant experts. In later project phases, stakeholders
should be asked to pronounce themselves on few and reasonably well-defined design
options that are possible for the specific offshore multi-use platform.
Finally, shared knowledge and experience can contribute to more efficient and
sustainable designs of offshore multi-use platforms. Taking into account stakeholders’ perspective and knowledge can help overcome obstacles, and lead one to
adjust the design process if necessary. Not engaging in dialogue or not considering
stakeholders’ point of view leads to risk of inefficient processes, the need to repeat
procedures or even implement suboptimal solutions.
36
M. Stuiver et al.