Applied Environment & Safety Director Completes Highly Recognised “Certificate of Engagement”
Applied Environment & Safety (AES) is proud to announce that our Director, Melanie Dixon, has successfully completed the Certificate of Engagement through the Engagement Institute.
This achievement marks a significant step in strengthening our commitment to best-practice stakeholder and community engagement, ensuring our project work continues to deliver positive and sustainable outcomes for our clients and the communities they operate in.
Why Engagement is Key to Environmental and Safety Success
In the environmental and safety consulting sector, technical expertise is only half the equation. The successful implementation of approvals, management plans and onsite compliance hinges on effective engagement.
We dedicated to providing practical environmental and safety management services across Australia, AES understands that complex projects require more than just technical solutions. They require building trust, achieving shared understanding, and developing meaningful relationships with all stakeholders, from project teams and regulators to local communities and First Nations groups.
“The Certificate of Engagement is a globally recognised benchmark for quality engagement practice. The skills learned will be immediately applied to enhance our client’s projects, ensuring we are not just compliant, but are also building genuine partnerships that minimise risk and maximise social licence to operate.” — Melanie Dixon, Director, Applied Environment & Safety
What the Certificate Entails
The Engagement Institute (formerly IAP2 Australasia) is the peak body for community and stakeholder engagement in the Australasian region, and the Certificate of Engagement is considered the gold standard.
The program involves completing a series of core courses focused on a structured, ethical, and outcomes-focused approach to engagement, including:
- Essentials of Engagement: Covering core principles, ethics, and foundational frameworks.
- Design and Plan Engagement: Focusing on defining context, selecting roles, and designing tailored approaches.
- Apply Engagement Methods: Exploring a diverse range of practical, inclusive methods matched to different audiences and objectives.
This comprehensive training ensures practitioners are equipped with the strategic frameworks and practical tools needed to lead successful engagement processes across challenging and diverse projects.
Enhancing Our Client Offerings
AES investment in this advanced professional development reinforces our capability to provide an exceptional level of service in areas such as:
- Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Approvals: Conducting robust and defensible engagement that informs regulatory submissions and reduces approval risks.
- Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMP) Implementation: Facilitating effective communication between construction teams, community members, and compliance officers to proactively manage issues.
- Risk Management and Social License: Developing strategies that move beyond mere consultation to build lasting trust and minimise potential for conflict and delays.
We look forward to leveraging this enhanced engagement expertise to continue to deliver efficiency, improved performance, and high-quality results for all our clients.