Having specialised staff dedicated to stakeholder engagement can provide opportunities to improve the service based on feedback received.
During the construction phase, the Project Company's employment of a communications director responsible for the stakeholder communication strategy was considered successful for stakeholder engagement and management. During the operations phase, the existence of a customer service office is also a good way to manage communication with end users and the general public, and an opportunity to improve the service based on feedback received.
Taking a holistic approach to addressing environmental and urban issues, as well as including the public in the decision-making process, can benefit all stakeholders and improve the overall outcome of a project.
Environmental aspects of the project were given a high priority from the beginning. For every tree that had to be removed for the construction of the tramway, two trees have been planted elsewhere. Also, the selection of some of the trees was carried out through a participative process, where neighbours and business owners were involved in the final selection of the tree species.
Adopting a broad perspective towards this kind of infrastructure development in urban areas, and an openness to innovation, has generated benefits for all stakeholders and improved the overall outcome for the city. Taking advantage of the construction of the new infrastructure to improve the town's appearance is a good lesson on environmental integration and public engagement.
Collaboration can help the development of innovative solutions.
Collaboration, having an open mind about innovation, and adopting a strategic view about the introduction of an On-Board Energy Storage System (OESS) in the trams in specific areas of the town (with specific social and cultural interests) provided benefits to both parties and users.
Having clear, measurable and achievable KPIs, regular independent monitoring, and facilitating data gathering in performance monitoring are all critical elements of the operations phase.
Regular and independent monitoring of the quality of the services provided by the Project Company contributes to the satisfaction of the users and enables transparency and accuracy in the final payments to the Project Company.