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Communications with Your Neighbour

Effective communication with your neighbours, external stakeholders and within the project team is essential for the success of your retrofitting project.

It is important to understand who you need to communicate with, what you need to communicate and how best to communicate the information.

A communication plan can be set up following the steps listed below. This plan assists the project team throughout the project to ensure effective communication.

  1. Who are the residents
  2. Determine topics for communication
  3. Information needs
  4. Communication methods
  5. Timing
  6. Responsibilities

Who are the residents

Analyse the composition of your block of flats. To ensure the effectiveness of your communication methods it is necessary to understand the composition of your block of flats. For example, when the majority of residents are elderly it would not be a good idea to use an app to communicate. 

Determine topics for communication

Before anything is communicated to your fellow residents you should determine all topics that are important to communicate. New topics can be added throughout the project; a good overview of the relevant topics provides structure and will ensure a comprehensive message to your fellow residents.

Information needs

Assess the information needs of all residents. Some residents will prefer to be updated every few days and others will only want to be contacted when necessary. It is important to create an overview of the information needs of each resident and tailor your communication plans to meet these needs.

Communication methods

Choosing your method of communication based on the type of residents and their information needs will result in a more suitable fit. Combining two communication methods is most often preferred, however this also depends on the size of the block of flat and the preferences of the residents

Timing

The timing of communication is important for the engagement of all residents. Communications should be relevant to each stage of the project. Too much information at the start of the project can lead to confusion which, in turn, can lead to opposition to the project. Matching the information needs with the appropriate communication methods at the right time will help to increase the engagement of the residents. Make sure that there is not too much communication, because this could also overwhelm residents.

Responsibilities

Divide roles within the project team and communicate these roles to all residents. Residents should know who to contact when they have questions. Clearly defined and communicated roles will result in better information distribution and can prevent misunderstandings. The person in charge of a specific topic should be familiar with the information to ensure communications are accurate.

Who are the residents

Create an overview of all residents within the condominium (e.g. age, children, time at home). See communication/residents inventory. Reassure sensitive residents and make sure to spend extra time to inform them about the project. Inconvenience and disruption (noise, dirt, etc.) are important considerations for these residents and may lead to opposition of the retrofitting project.  Therefore, extra attention is advised to make sure that these residents are reassured. The frequency in which information is provided is important to maintain the attention of all residents (see information needs).

Determine topics for communication

Before the start of the retrofit a list of important topics should be created. This list will assist the project team in the preparation of the project, ensuring that all important topics are discussed with the residents. Link to template – communication for each retrofit step

Information needs

Establish the frequency of communication which is preferred by the residents. Present all relevant information in such a way that it is understandable for everybody, but do not oversimplify information as this could be counter-productive. For example: Break down financial information in a simple but still detailed way, such as

  • Roof improvement: Labour £ 30.000, -
  • Material £ 20.000, -.

In the project plan the financial information should always be provided in a more detailed way, however, this is often irrelevant to residents. Interested residents should always be given the freedom to request more in-depth information. Pay special attention to residents who are reluctant for change and collect their arguments against the project.

Communication methods

Choose your communication method.

Several physical information meetings are the most effective method of informing all residents about the project as well as creating an understanding of the views of all residents. These physical meetings can be done in various forms, but the most effective is a presentation with a combination of visual information (PowerPoint or posters), and leaflets with the most important information. Experts should be included in the early stages of the project, because this builds trust and more specific questions can be immediately answered by these experts. You probably have to deal with skeptical residents, who will criticise the project. It should always be made clear that their criticism is very important and that these questions should always be raised. Always ensure that unambiguous answers are provided to these questions. When you are not sure what to answer, say that you will try to find the answer and provide it later on.

Timing

Before the retrofit is decided it is very important to inform all residents in a comprehensive way. Plan extra meetings to pay special attention to reluctant residents. The timing may depend on the availability of experts and other relevant stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Define clear roles within the project team, so that everybody has their task throughout the project and communicate this to all residents.

Who are the residents

Give extra attention to sensitive residents (e.g. elderly, families with small children, limited ability/mobility). Ensure that they are well-informed about the project and that they can receive extra help when needed. For example, when some areas of the building are closed for construction and they need assistance in moving around. These residents, the project team, and the contractors should cooperate closely to ensure good accessibility to the building for all residents at all times. Every major event in the construction process should be communicated to all residents in plenty of time, this means that everybody should know what will happen in the building at the very least a week prior, but sometimes earlier. Sensitive residents should be informed in more detail about events that could impact them in any way, such as limiting their access to the building for an x amount of time.

Determine topics for communication

Emerging topics should be discussed within the project team and if necessary, communicated to residents.

Information needs

It should be clear to residents who to contact to get more in depth information concerning the project. Information needs differ from person to person, for example one person can expect or require more detailed explanation than another person. The project team should be flexible in providing information to residents. Requested information should be provided to the residents in a clear and coherent way and transparency should be the guiding principle. In case major issues arise, be prepared to set up a meeting with the contractor and the residents.

Communication methods

Choose your communication method.

During the retrofit it is important that all residents are kept up to date with progress. This can be done in various forms. Online information sharing platformsmeetings, email or leaflets that are placed in an easily accessible space (e.g. by the lift, next to the mail boxes) are all examples of how residents can be updated. A ‘simple’ WhatsApp group is also an option. Important for this is the preferences of the residents and the level of information that they require. The size of the block of flats and the preferences of the residents will determine the most effective method. Organise a meeting when major works are planned to inform all residents and allow them to raise any concerns, these concerns can then be discussed with the contractor.

Timing

Residents need to be updated throughout the retrofitting process to ensure their continued support of the project and to keep them in the loop. Inform residents about all potential disturbances during the renovation process (e.g. noise, dirt), but give clear indications about the scope of works (e.g. noise from the backyard between 7:30 – 18:00 Mon – Fri). Create weekly newsletters in which all residents are updated on progress, even if it is not visible progress. Be transparent throughout the whole process to prevent trust issues or uncertainty about the future of the project.

Responsibilities

Make sure that everybody knows their roles throughout the retrofit and communicate any changes to the residents. In this way transparency is guaranteed, and the residents trust the project team

Who are the residents

Assess the level of satisfaction amongst residents concerning the retrofit project. Gather complaints and try to resolve these in cooperation with the contractor. Try to gather lessons learnt from the project so that it can also function as a learning experience to others.

Determine topics for communication

Important topics which should be discussed after the retrofit should be decided upon.

Information needs

Provide the residents with the final update of the project.  This should include overall costs, energy savings, complaints, and future events. It could be beneficial to include the project contractor in the final update. The contractor could provide an overview of the works completed along with advice regarding future maintenance.

Communication methods

Choose your communication method.

Organise a final meeting, this could also be the “official” opening of the retrofitted building. Ask the experts to present the final result of the project and any important points of attention.

Timing

A final meeting/ feedback meeting should take place after 6 months- 1 year after completion of the project to assess the energy savings and overall satisfaction levels amongst the residents.

Responsibilities

Let every team member debrief the residents about their specific subject.

  • Make an inventory of the residents that need extra attention based on their age, family situation or any other special circumstance.
  • Plan weekly meeting to decide upon the most important topics that should be communicated to the residents.
  • Organise at least two physical information meetings for all residents before the project starts to map the composition of your block of flats, the information needs from all residents, and to inform them about the key information.
  • Place an information board at a central location within the block of flats, such as by the front door. Update this information board on a regular base, so that residents are always aware of developments
  • Create a weekly newsletter in which residents are updated and relevant information is shared. This will create set timings of communication to your fellow residents. Make sure that residents know when the next newsletter will be distributed.
  • Indicate all project team member and their corresponding roles on the information boards, so that residents always know which team member to contact with their specific questions.