VDI 7001
The guideline VDI 7001 with the title “Communication and Public Participation in the Planning and Construction of Infrastructure Projects - Standards for the Work Phases of Engineers” has been in force since March 2014. This VDI guideline consists of two large sections:
- General requirements for good communication and public participation,
- Good communication and public participation in the engineering planning service phases.
Furthermore, two checklists “Good communication and public participation” and “Communicate clearly” are part of the guideline.
scope of application
The VDI 7001 guideline contains a condensed form of basic principles and standards for how "good" communication and public participation should be designed in construction and infrastructure projects. It is aimed primarily at project developers, general planners, engineering / planning offices, project managers , executing companies, authorities and building authorities as well as associations and citizens' initiatives. The guideline can also be used for smaller planning projects (e.g. bypasses). The planning guidelines of the state of Baden-Württemberg and the associated administrative regulations refer explicitly to the VDI 7001 guideline and recommend its application.
General requirements
Formal procedures serve to guarantee legal certainty and the right to sue. They can be accompanied and supplemented by communication and informal participation processes. Good communication and public participation and their instruments can be differentiated according to the desired effect
- Information,
- Consultation and
- Participation.
Each of these levels has different communicative requirements and requires appropriate instruments. Which these are is described in the guideline. At the information level, the aim is to draw the general public's attention to a specific project and to inform them about the project goals and planning status, but also to actively promote understanding of the general and specific benefits. Project developers must create transparency right from the start. At the consultation level, concrete proposals are discussed in an intensive process and ideas and recommendations for action are developed on which the actors involved can later build. The direct interaction between project promoters and an (interested) public has an explicitly advisory character. The aim is to query local knowledge and to include diverse interests and perspectives in the planning.
At the level of participation, it is about the structured handling of controversies, specific problems and conflicting interests in the course of the planning and construction process. The aim is to find a solution to the problem aimed at achieving a balance between the interest groups, or at least to objectify the debate by means of a joint clarification of facts.
A well thought-out communication strategy with coordinated information, consultation and co-creation instruments increases the scope of action of the developer. It tends to save time and money. And it increases the security of planning and implementation, because delays and costs caused by objections later in the project implementation can be avoided.
The guideline also contains ten general principles for good communication and public participation. They were derived from good examples from practice and take up more recent findings from the academic debate on the subject of “civil society and collaborative democracy”. Compliance with these ensures both credibility and the quality of the procedure. And it creates a common basis for dialogue for project developers, project critics and other relevant parties. The rules include a .: an open-minded and appreciative attitude; early involvement of citizens and different interests; a comprehensive clarification of facts; a professional process design for fairness and transparency; communication that can also be understood by laypeople.
Communication and public participation in the individual service phases of engineering planning
In addition to the general rules, the VDI 7001 guideline formulates standards for good communication and public participation for each individual service phase. It is based on the nine service phases of the fee schedule for architects and engineers (HOAI): basic determination, preliminary planning, draft planning, approval planning, implementation planning, preparation and participation in the awarding of contracts, construction / property supervision as well as property management and documentation. In the phases of basic research and preliminary planning, the aim is to create the conditions for successful communication and public participation on the part of the developer. This includes recommendations for the structure and process organization, for stakeholder and topic field analyzes as well as for strategy development. In the phases of design and approval planning, one of the issues is the comprehensibility of planning documents. During construction, the local residents dialogue and construction site marketing are the focus.
Training
The application of the VDI 7001 guideline is to be supported by training. The guideline VDI 7001 Part 1 is intended to facilitate this and at the same time ensure the quality of training. It has been in force since 2015 and applies to training courses for the purpose of further training for interested people in the field of communication and public participation in the planning and construction of infrastructure projects. The VDI 7001 Part 1 guideline describes the qualifications required for speakers. Quality characteristics for training facilities and training content are also formulated.