What is Engagement science?
Engagement Science is our approach to understanding social licence – the way people accept or push back on an organisation’s activities. Community insight is how we apply this in practice. Using social science methods, we measure trust and acceptance, identify the drivers that influence them, and track how they change across the life of a project.
Academic research origins
From research to real-world application
This approach began with research at CSIRO into social licence to operate. Over many years, our team studied what drives trust between organisations and communities, and how trust influences the degree to which projects are accepted.
This investigation led to what we call the Voconiq Trust Model. In simple terms, it shows how different drivers connect and build on each other to shape community confidence. For example, how people feel about fairness, communication, or environmental impact can influence trust, which then affects whether a community accepts a project.
By mapping these relationships, we can see not just what people think, but why they think it and what is influencing their views. This makes social licence something that can be measured and managed.
We have since applied and refined this approach across multiple industries and regions, including some of the most socially and operationally complex environments in the world.
What the system measures
Understanding what drives trust and acceptance
We measure two core outcomes: trust and acceptance. These shape how communities respond to an organisation and its activities.
Crucially, we identify and rank the drivers that influence these outcomes. This helps organisations understand what is driving community attitudes, not just how people feel.
Ranking these drivers shows what matters most in each community and where an organisation’s effort will have the greatest impact. In one place, fairness might matter most. In another, it could be communication or how impacts are managed.
This turns community insight into clear priorities, so organisations can focus their efforts, take action, and strengthen relationships at a local level.
Representative community voices
We collect data through representative community surveys, so we hear from a broad cross-section of the community, not just the loudest voices.
We design our approach to reach people beyond standard engagement processes, including those who may not usually participate or feel their views are being sought. This helps bring in perspectives that are often missed.
As a result, organisations get a more accurate view of how they are perceived and reduce the risk of decisions being shaped by a small or self-selected group. Results reflect the wider community, not just the most visible stakeholders.
community trust is dynamic
Tracking sentiment over time
Trust is not built in a single moment, it is dynamic and changes over time. It therefore needs to be understood over time.
Relationships with communities and the broader public are not fixed. They shift as projects evolve, decisions are made, and local or national conditions change. Trust is built slowly and can change quickly, which is why it needs to be measured regularly.
Tracking trust and acceptance over the long term makes it possible to see trends, understand whether relationships are strengthening or weakening, and identify emerging issues early. Organisations can see whether their actions are having the intended impact and where they may need to change their approach.
Science that informs better decisions
Engagement Science uses rigorous research to turn community perspectives into practical insight. It shows organisations how they are perceived by the communities affected by their activities, and what is driving those views.
Ethical research and confidential participation
Our research follows strict ethical standards. Participation is voluntary, and people are clearly informed about how their data will be used.
As an independent third party, we are separate from the organisation being measured. This helps build trust with participants and makes it easier for people to share their views openly.
All responses are kept confidential. Individual identities are protected, and results are reported in a way that cannot be traced back to any one person.
This creates a safe environment for honest feedback, leading to more reliable data and a more accurate picture of community views.
See the impact in practice
Organisations use Engagement Science to understand community views, act on evidence, and build more stable relationships.