Social sustainability and stakeholder engagement in Egypt is vital not only to the social and economic improvement within this developing country but to all key elements of sustainable development.
As Health, Safety and Environment Professionals, paying attention to the details, and integrating HSE into the management of activities makes programs successful. This is no different when it comes to Stakeholder engagement and grievance management. Relationship building takes time to develop trust, mutual respect, and understanding. Early engagement with our stakeholders provides valuable opportunities to influence public perception and to establish a positive culture for the life-cycle of a project.
This paper describes how one of Egypt's largest International Oil and Gas Companies has successfully reduced and managed the risk associated with addressing community concerns while creating positive social change. The paper describes Apache's successes with their Stakeholder Partnerships: the Bedouin Tribes, Local Community Engagement, including Government Agencies, and the one Classroom Schools built by Apache that contribute to the overall social and economic improvement to their areas of operation.
Stakeholder engagement and consultation is an indispensable part of Apache Egypt's operations. Within Egypt, Apache has a well-established strategy for stakeholder engagement that outlines the key components of the process and gives guidance at all phases of a project's lifecycle. There is a high level of respect for the communities in which Apache operates; grievances are addressed in a timely manner; and relationships with stakeholders are actively sought out and maintained.
