What We Do

Studies indicate Canadian CEOs devote almost half of their time (49%) to communications, both with external stakeholders such as investors, government, the media or customers, and internal audiences such as employees and management.

CEOs recognize the importance of building trust and alignment with all stakeholders – with a priority focus on the board, investors, the media and relevant government contacts. Among those we interviewed, most spend on average about half of their time managing “up and out.” Harvard Business Review, February 2019.

Nontechnical risks are now the primary challenges for natural resource and infrastructure projects in Canada. The synthesis of government relations, indigenous relations, community relations, communications, and regulatory affairs probably constitute the key risks your company and your projects are facing.

At Sedgwick we distinguish ourselves by providing our clients the strategies, tools, and tactics to overcome these risks. We look at your challenges holistically so that, with our clients, we can identify primary barriers to success. 

In the modern environment the segregation of these five “soft issue” factors can be a recipe for failure. Sedgwick Strategies overcomes that silo-ing to deliver you results.

Previously it was all about technology and big project capability and those hard, technical skills. That’s (now) about one-third of the equation. About two-thirds is all about those social aspects…what we as a company call non-technical risks. It is the core of what we do now. If I look at how I spend my time…its about half of my time and that’s a change over the past twenty years.

Marvin Odum, President of Shell Oil Company at the BC LNG Conference 2014. As found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hncjhy6O2Uo

At Sedgwick Strategies we understand that not every problem is a nail and not every solution is a hammer. We get to know your challenges and provide the right support to overcome them be they with government, indigenous communities, regulatory officials, media, community or elsewhere.

Government relations (or lobbying) is not what you think it is anymore. Checks and balances within our government systems, including regulatory officials with statutory decision-making authority, mean that convincing a single political figure to make a change is no longer sufficient.

We understand government and the individuals within government. Processes, personalities, and procedures all need to be properly understood to craft a government relations strategy that takes you to the right decision makers in order to ensure success.

Major projects, which typically take several years to complete, need a plan that anticipates the major decisions and government influences on the project.

Whether you are seeking a change in legislation, policy or regulation or you are being regulated and are looking for better outcomes Sedgwick can help by mapping a path forward for your company.

Securing indigenous support is critical to the success of major infrastructure projects. Working in line with indigenous communities’ social and economic goals, organizations need to build strong, respectful and productive working relationships with indigenous groups.

Canada’s complex political environment, coupled with years of case law, mean that project success often depends on Indigenous support.

Sedgwick understands the difference between pronouncements and practical outcomes. We know that effective reconciliation requires both performative and transactional tools. Our experiences ranges from developing Reconciliation Action Plans, implementing cultural inclusion tactics, Indigenous procurement plans, negotiating benefit agreements, managing Indigenous led environmental assessments and beyond.

Modern times are very much about the hyper social amplification of risk. 

Communications, or how we express positions, interpretations and information, plays an integral role in the success of major projects. Communications supports all aspects of a project, from gaining social license to achieving project approvals, organizations need to strategize what, when, how, and to whom to communicate information to. Failure to prioritize strategic communications, including a touchstone website, proper branding, pro-active media relations and a digital strategy – can cause significant project delay. 

That is why we take strategic communications very seriously. We have helped organizations through British Columbia navigate protests, major environmental crisis, and indigenous disapproval. Whether your organization wants to influence specific stakeholder groups, re-establish itself following a crisis, educate the local community, or build a new website, Sedgwick can help your project achieve its communications objectives. 

Having successfully led major projects through federal, provincial and first nations-led EA processes, Sedgwick can work with your organization to create a communications strategy for each phase of a project. 

Without a sincere effort to understand and accommodate local and community needs, projects can easily flounder. More importantly, without effective community relations, opposition to projects and development can easily take hold as opponents fill the vacuum and develop relationships where a proponent failed to.

Sedgwick understands this and takes community relations seriously without treating it as an afterthought. Attempting to effectively communicate at a distance can lead to failure. We not only provide strategic advice on effective community relations; we physically help our clients engage in the places they need to be. Sedgwick has on-the-ground experience across Canada building coalitions, finding allies and mobilizing local support.

Regulatory Affairs is the next step in effective government relations. It deals with the myriad of regulations that govern your project or company and the vast number of civil servants who administer and make decisions about those regulations. 

In the past, success with project approvals hinged on government relations—convincing senior government decision makers (politicians and senior bureaucrats) of the need for change. Moving a single decision maker was generally sufficient. 

But modern western democracies have developed highly complex bureaucracies staffed by regulators and experts in almost every aspect of a project or issue. And, statutory decisions are often delegated to mid-ranked experts with politicians happy to leave the tough decision elsewhere in the maze of government. 

For example, an environmental assessment certificate will pass across the desk of dozens of civil servants, each with their own regulations and/or legislation to administer. Each of their individual approvals–be it on air quality, water quality, cumulative effects or any other minutia of your project or issue—is necessary to move to the next stage. Problems in a single area can hold up processes for months, at considerable expense. 

At Sedgwick we aren’t just door openers for meetings with politicians (although we can do that too!). Our team has actually been through multiple environmental assessment processes at the federal, provincial and even Indigenous government level. We understand the opportunities and dangers associated with being unprepared for these complex processes. And we have spent time getting to understand the legislation, the regulation and the people involved. We will work with your team to develop strategies, tactics and tools to minimize your regulatory burden. 

Sedgwick Strategies’ leadership has spent years working in the realm of subjective and political risk in Canada. As leaders in the natural resource and infrastructure sectors, we understand that comprehending the risks, their likelihood of occurrence, and their potential impact is crucial for any significant major project investment in Canada. 

Subjective and/or political risks encompass “non-technical” risks that are not related to physical aspects. They are associated with the potential harm to a company or investment, such as government policy, political disruption, legal challenges, public opinion, and reputation. 

It is widely acknowledged that changes in government composition, policies, and regulations can have significant implications for businesses considering major investments in the country. Likewise, in Canada, the risks associated with the emerging importance of Indigenous relations and Indigenous governments cannot be underestimated. Canada’s recognition of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, along with years of case law, means that companies must now more than ever understand and adapt to a changing landscape. Additionally, as a vibrant democracy with regulatory demands for public consultation, public opinion can pose a significant risk to the success of an investment or project. 

Sedgwick supplies detailed subjective/political risk analysis and comprehensive reports that define the major subjective risks a particular company or industry may face. We also offer clear guidance on both the likelihood of a risk and the potential impact it can have on your investments. We help you understand these risks, supply detailed analysis, advise on mitigating them, and, if necessary, aid in responding to them, including managing resulting crises. 

Specifically, Sedgwick offers: 

• Detailed subjective/political risk analysis and reports 
• Advice on anticipated risks and how to prepare for them
• Plans to mitigate and manage existing and potential risks
• Risk communication plans and support in implementing them
• Crisis management associated with subjective and political risks