EWG 2009 Project Synopsis

2005 meeting.A very successful workshop on LNG public education was held in Guangzhou, P.R. China
on November 5-7, 2007. The workshop, which was funded by an APEC TILF project, was aimed at
capacity building and information exchange on this topic to facilitate moving to Best Practice Principles
for Facilitating LNG Trade - which is a priority of APEC Energy Ministers as noted above. The workshop
presentations are available on the workshop website. Responses to the workshop questionnaire were all
highly favorable with both government and industry representatives stating that the workshop should be
held annually rotating among LNG shipping and receiving economies in the region. Essentially all
workshop participants found the event to be very effective, comprehensive, and informative, and
particularly useful as a first step in building a communication network in the APEC region and sharing
experiences and best practices related to LNG.
The objectives of this project are to:
• provide information on and examine in greater depth a number of case studies of LNG public
education, consultation, and information campaigns held in APEC member economies;
• develop best practice guidelines for such campaigns that will assist developing APEC economies
in their communications with stakeholders and the public; and
• build capacity in developing APEC economies in the area of LNG public information, education,
and consultation.
It is clear from the comments made both during the workshop and in the questionnaire responses that
those involved in this area in member economies are demanding further follow-up. Such follow-up was
in fact foreseen, in the form of an APEC Support Fund project proposed by the EGCFE for 2008 [EWG
10/2008A], which aimed to carry out a number of case studies of LNG public education campaigns as a
means of providing additional quality information. This proposal addresses a high-priority energy
issue in the APEC region, LNG Public Education, as evidenced by statements regarding best
practice principles for facilitating LNG trade contained in Declarations by APEC Energy Ministers
in 2004, 2005, and 2007. Morevover it responds to the desires of more than half of the APEC
member economies as expressed in the 2007 Workshop. Hence an early approval of this project
is requested as an urgent project.
Methodology:
The project will identify a number of suitable candidate case studies that economies agree to provide,
develop a framework for reporting the elements of the case studies that would facilitate development of
best practice guidelines, synthesize the case study results, assess their implications for public education
and information campaigns, and draw up a set of best practice guidelines for public outreach and
education in regard to future LNG projects in APEC economies.
The project will be carried out by a consultant with experience in the areas of public education and
information in the field of LNG. This consultant will have responsibility for identifying a set of appropriate
case studies in consultation with EGCFE members, developing a framework for reporting these case
studies, working with designated experts in APEC economies, ensuring timely completion of the case
studies, and providing a synthesis report including best practice guidelines. A project steering team from
the EGCFE will provide guidance at various stages.
The consultant will:
• In cooperation with EGCFE members and experts from APEC economies, identify a number of
suitable candidate case studies that economies agree to provide.
• In consultation with designated member economy experts, develop a framework for reporting the
elements of the case study projects that would facilitate development of best practice guidelines.
• Work with the experts in the economies to ensure that the results of individual case studies are
provided in a timely fashion.
• Synthesize the case study results, assess their implications for public education and information
campaigns, and draw up a set of best practice guidelines for future LNG projects in APEC
economies.
• Prepare and publish a final report following EGCFE project team review and approval.
The RFP should be issued by early 2009, with responses due within a month and consultant selection
and contract award within another month. The case studies should be completed by the end of 2009.
The draft report should be completed by the consultant, reviewed by the EGCFE project steering team,
finalized and published by APEC during the first half of 2010.
The timetable outlined above assumes that the project follows the normal approval process and is
finally approved by the BMC at its second meeting of 2008. In the event that the EWG accepts the