Stakeholder Engagement Submission 2018/19 Contents
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Stakeholder Engagement Submission 2018/19 Contents Welcome by John Morea, CEO Part one Part two 1 Our stakeholder engagement 01 1 Focusing on things that matter 01 strategy to our stakeholders 2 Continuing to ensure a broad 05 2 Measuring outcomes 01 and inclusive range of stakeholders are engaged 3 Increasing our positive social 02 impact 3 Tailored engagement mechanisms 06 to inform and engage with our 4 Planning a shared future 06 stakeholders 5 Delivering a safe and efficient 08 4 Acting on stakeholders’ feedback 08 service 5 Using external benchmarking and 10 accreditation to evaluate our performance Contact us SGN management statement This document fairly presents SGN’s stakeholder engagement activities for the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, which we are responsible for designing and implementing. The criteria used for making this assessment, we believe, are suitable for evaluating our reporting. This document: Ÿ was prepared to appropriately describe our stakeholder engagement strategy, the way in which we keep stakeholders informed, how we enable timely input and feedback to inform decision-making and the variety of mechanisms we use to engage, tailored to stakeholder needs Ÿ includes relevant details of changes to SGN’s stakeholder engagement management activities in the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, and Ÿ does not omit or distort information relevant to the scope of the stakeholder engagement management and activities being described. John Morea, Chief Executive Officer Contents Welcome by John Morea, CEO Part one Part two 1 Our stakeholder engagement 01 1 Focusing on things that matter 01 strategy to our stakeholders 2 Continuing to ensure a broad 05 2 Measuring outcomes 01 and inclusive range of stakeholders are engaged 3 Increasing our positive social 02 impact 3 Tailored engagement mechanisms 06 to inform and engage with our 4 Planning a shared future 06 stakeholders 5 Delivering a safe and efficient 08 4 Acting on stakeholders’ feedback 08 service 5 Using external benchmarking and 10 accreditation to evaluate our performance Contact us SGN management statement This document fairly presents SGN’s stakeholder engagement activities for the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, which we are responsible for designing and implementing. The criteria used for making this assessment, we believe, are suitable for evaluating our reporting. This document: Ÿ was prepared to appropriately describe our stakeholder engagement strategy, the way in which we keep stakeholders informed, how we enable timely input and feedback to inform decision-making and the variety of mechanisms we use to engage, tailored to stakeholder needs Ÿ includes relevant details of changes to SGN’s stakeholder engagement management activities in the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019, and Ÿ does not omit or distort information relevant to the scope of the stakeholder engagement management and activities being described. John Morea, Chief Executive Officer WELCOME PART ONE 01 Welcome by John Morea, Chief Executive Officer Ofgem criteria: The network company has a comprehensive and up-to-date stakeholder engagement strategy, which sets out – Ÿ how the network company keeps stakeholders informed about relevant issues, business activities, decision-making and other developments, and When I’m out and about across the business, I’m often Ÿ how the network company enables timely input and feedback from stakeholders via struck by the ethos of public appropriate mechanisms to inform decision-making service that runs through our people. Listening to feedback, acting with care 1. Our stakeholder engagement strategy and concern, and working We reviewed our strategy for long-term stakeholder engagement this year, planning for the next eight years and collaboratively to do what’s thinking about continued evolution within our industry and society. right, as we keep all our Our stakeholder and customer insight suggests that new technology, evolving social concerns and ambitions for customers safe and warm. decarbonisation may drive changes in the expectations and priorities of stakeholders. Our stakeholders have asked us to work collaboratively to contribute to solving complex long-term challenges including the energy transition and fuel poverty. Within this broader context, we discussed and refined our principles of engagement with our Stakeholder Advisory Panel and Customer Engagement Group. We wanted to recognise the importance of collaborating with our stakeholders on shared challenges and we amended our fourth principle to reflect that. We need to ensure our services reflect all our We’ve also continued to work with our valued stakeholders’ needs. As we engage, whether in person Stakeholder Advisory Panel (SAP) which acts as a Our updated principles of engagement as written in our strategy are described below: or online, every conversation gives us valuable insights ‘critical friend’ to me and my senior team. We were 1. Delivering measurable benefits: 3. Driving inclusivity and diversity: 5. Being responsive and into the things that really matter to our stakeholders. delighted during the past year to welcome its new We will engage directly with Engagement with customers and transparent: SGN will be responsive Chair, Jayne Scott, who brings a wealth of experience We believe as the UK transitions to new low carbon customers and stakeholders to stakeholders should be broad and and transparent, explaining how in the consumer challenge arena. heat solutions, engagement becomes ever more embed their interests in our inclusive; we will seek out the the views and priorities of important; planning together for a shared future that I hope the extracts of activities contained in this report decision-making and deliver diverse perspectives of challenging stakeholders have influenced meets the needs of all. illustrate the importance we place on our engagement valued, measurable benefits and hard to reach groups decision-making and how we have with stakeholders – listening and responding to balanced the needs of different This year, we have scaled-up our partnerships to create 2. Focusing on material issues: 4. Providing ongoing opportunities produce better solutions for everyone. stakeholders stronger outcomes for both stakeholders and our Customers and stakeholders for challenge and collaboration: business. And we’ve worked with leading experts and should have a say in the issues they Engagement will be tailored to the 6. Continually improving: care about and that have the most needs of stakeholders to ensure SGN will continuously improve its a small steering group of stakeholders to better impact on them that genuine opportunities for engagement with customers and measure the positive social impact of what we do. ongoing dialogue, challenge, stakeholders, finding new and review and collaboration are better ways to respond to their created changing needs Statement by Jayne Scott, Chair, SAP In our engagement strategy we describe how we bring our principles to life and embed them into our business activities I feel very privileged to be able to introduce this report SGN’s Executive team has continued to be very by following a six-stage, iterative engagement cycle as shown below. as Chair of SGN’s Stakeholder Advisory Panel (SAP) engaged with the SAP with good Executive team having been appointed to the role during the year. attendance at SAP meetings and by responding 1. Identify positively to challenges and suggestions from the SAP. A summary of our six stages of engagement This has been a year of change for the SAP. During the Particular highlights this year have included: is presented opposite. year SGN’s Customer Engagement Group (CEG) was 1. For each of our key business priorities and established and the company asked the SAP to ü Learning from electricity networks who are leading processes we identify the stakeholders that consider where it might continue to add value in the the way on stakeholder engagement are impacted by or interested in our development of stakeholder engagement given the ü Proposals to work with third parties who represent activities CEG’s role. A very constructive workshop session was ‘hard to reach’ groups including those with 6. Refine 2. Tailor held between members of the SAP and the company 2. We tailor our methods of engagement and disabilities to consider how it might challenge and support SGN in communication to our stakeholders’ needs the future, while recognising but not duplicating the ü Enhanced engagement with local authorities to depending on their preferences and levels of knowledge and interest role of the CEG. Revised Terms of Reference for the align business planning with their future plans and SAP were drafted and agreed with the company as a energy needs 3. We engage with a purpose and listen to our Six stages stakeholders of engagement result. The SAP’s revised remit now focuses on how it ü Engaging with online communities to promote fuel can work with SGN to continually extend its poverty solutions 4. We respond to the views of stakeholders 5. Measure 3. Listen stakeholder reach, with the widest possible across our business stakeholder engagement, to continue to operate as a Overall, the SAP is very encouraged by the progress 5. We measure the benefits of our ‘critical friend’ but be independent of SGN, provide made by SGN to mature its stakeholder engagement engagement and its effectiveness practical and expert guidance to SGN to help it and consider stakeholders as a central part of all respond to challenges from the CEG and