Question 1

What is Public Outrage Predictive Modelling or POPM?

Accepted Answer

POPM is innovative online assessment tool that uses predictive modelling to assess the risk of public outrage based on your project’s profile and comparative data from other projects. ​​​It leverages insights gathered from professionals who have collectively worked on over 200 projects, many of which experienced significant public outrage. POPM provides an evidence-based assessment of the likelihood and severity of public opposition, helping project teams to take proactive measures.

Question 2

What does POPM deliver?

Accepted Answer

POPM provides an objective analysis that helps you identify, test and mitigate the factors most likely to incite opposition on your project. Three versions available - POPM quiz, POPM Self-Serve and POPM Deep-Dive - all providing a risk score analysis, with additional features and actionable insights available as you more through the service offerings.

Question 3

How does POPM work?

Accepted Answer

Based on our research, projects impacted by public outrage share a number of similar characteristics, known as contributing risk factors. By comparing your project’s risk factors against these known contributing factors, it’s possible to forecast the probability and intensity of community opposition that may be expected. The process involves a detailed risk scoring process that allows you to test and mitigate these risks in a controlled environment. Decisions can then be made to implement the most effective mitigations and reduce the risk of outrage.

Question 4

What does POPM cost?

Accepted Answer

POPM has been designed to meet the needs of various projects and match the skillsets of practitioners.

The POPM Quiz is free of charge and provides an instant overview result of your project's predicted risk of outrage.

POPM Self-Serve is designed for straight-forward projects and practitioners with significant experience working in their field (be they stakeholder engagement professionals, risk management experts or project managers/directors). Undertaking the Self-Serve Assessment online does not attract a fee however the results need to be reviewed and analysed before an Assessment Report can be generated. This process attracts a fee commencing at $2950 and increasing dependent on the requirements of the project and the support needed to undertake the assessment.

POPM Deep-Dive is the most comprehensive assessment, which is guided by one of our trained staff, either as a Preliminary Desktop Analysis that provides a baseline (inherent) risk level for your project and/or as a Mitigations Analysis with accompanying Preception Strategy for the project.

The Preliminary Desktop Analysis fee commences at $10k, and increases based on the complexity and size of the project.

The Mitigations Analysis (with Preliminary Desktop Analysis built in) commences at $25k and may inrease based on the complexity and size of the project.

Some projects opt to undertake the full Deep-Dive, with baseline and mitigations assessed at the same time or within six months of each other. When this is the case, the cost of the combined Desktop and Mitigation analyses is discounted to commence at $20k.

Find out more about POPM's benefits and fees.

Question 5

When during the project lifecycle should you undertake a POPM?

Accepted Answer

POPM can be undertaken anytime during the project lifecycle to gauge the level of risk. The earlier a POPM is done, the sooner contributing factors most likely to generate public outrage can be identified and managed. POPM can be undertaken anytime for a current 'snapshot' of outrage risk and/or at regular intervals to ensure the project’s perception trajectory is on track.

Question 6

Why do I need a POPM when I already have a risk assessment?

Accepted Answer

Risk assessments look at all project risks from a perspective of delivering the project on time and on budget. POPM looks only at those risks/factors likely to ignite community opposition, based on the experiences of other projects. Mitigations can then be agreed to better address these risks or make them more publicly acceptable. Ideally, you have both a risk assessment and a POPM.
Quick POPM risk animation.

Question 7

Isn’t our stakeholder engagement strategy enough to manage community concerns?

Accepted Answer

Stakeholder engagement strategies are important for managing community concerns, identifying issues and building important relationships with stakeholders. However, many of the contributing factors present in projects experiencing community opposition stem from project decisions outside the control of stakeholder engagement personnel. In fact, our research indicates that an integrated approach, combining project decisions with robust engagement and communication strategies, is needed to resolve public outrage in approximately 80 per cent of cases.

Question 8

Who developed POPM

Accepted Answer

POPM was developed by Yolanda Vos, an experienced professional with extensive expertise in infrastructure project management and community engagement. Yolanda created POPM to provide a practical solution to the challenges of managing community opposition, drawing on years of experience, focused research and consultations with industry professionals.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions