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As the Communications Team of the Roads Projects Department- RPD at Ashghal, we are at the forefront of community relations and service communications, bridging the gap between large-scale infrastructure projects and the communities we serve. Recognizing the impact of our work on residents’ daily lives, we have taken proactive steps to ensure every project is communicated with clarity, responsiveness, and transparency, aligning with Ashghal’s mission to enhance public satisfaction and Qatar’s National Vision 2030.
One of our most impactful innovations is the assignment of four Public Relations Officers- PROs from Contractor and two PROs from Consultant to each project site. Each PRO serves as an on-site representative, available to answer residents’ questions, provide real-time updates, resolve any complaint, and explain the project’s goals and timelines. This approach allows residents to understand the purpose and scope of construction activities and provides a direct point of contact for any concerns, fostering trust and engagement.
PROs play a vital role in maintaining Ashghal’s commitment to minimizing disruptions and ensuring safety. By being physically present, PROs can respond to concerns in real-time, addressing issues such as noise, access, and service interruptions on the spot. They monitor contractors’ compliance with quality standards, including safety and environmental protocols, and provide immediate feedback to teams to ensure project activities align with public expectations. PROs also coordinate closely with local authorities and utility providers, managing logistical requirements like temporary diversions and facilitating residents' access to their homes.
A PRO Module was implemented in Ashghal’s Oracle-based Project Management System -APMS, allowing for centralized tracking of recruitment, training, and performance. This innovation enables us to ensure that each PRO is fully prepared to represent Ashghal’s values, equipped with comprehensive knowledge of the project and trained in best practices for resident interaction. An onboarding program and continuous training workshops further empower PROs to handle queries confidently and uphold Ashghal’s quality standards.
In addition, RPD’s Communications & CRM Team maintains a high success rate in resolving public complaints—closing 92% within the Service Level Agreement. We’ve also elevated our engagement efforts by increasing media exposure for our projects, ensuring that residents receive timely and accurate updates through multiple channels.
RPD Communications Team has developed comprehensive PR Tool Kits and standardized deliverables to support the work of the PROs across all project sites. These kits provide clear guidelines on roles and responsibilities, escalation procedures for on-site issues, and include tools like a complaint register, project briefing form, and daily site audit checklist. Tool kits also contain best practices for site appearance, photography guidelines for project documentation, and other resources that streamline PRO operations.
RPD Management further established a dedicated PROs Hiring Committee to oversee recruitment, performance, and continuous process improvement of PROs. By hiring PROs from contractors and consultants, Ashghal ensures that each site benefits from proactive mitigation plans, issue analysis, and strengthened community relationships. This approach not only minimizes public complaints but also positions PROs as trusted first points of contact, fostering a reliable link between residents and Ashghal’s projects.
The Public Satisfaction performance is measured through the Public Satisfaction Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that provides a continuous measure of community satisfaction during construction. These KPIs flow from the contractor to the Consultant and then to RPD, assess monthly compliance that feeds into an annual scorecard, available on the PMWeb platform. Evaluations are divided into seven categories: High-Level Complaints, Public Complaints, Insufficient Information, General Site Setup, Public Satisfaction Survey, Considerate Contractor Initiatives, and Public Relations Campaigns, including Project Leaflets. Each category is scored based on specific criteria and targets, encouraging high standards in communication, complaint resolution, and community relations throughout the project lifecycle.
These strategic enhancements and commitment to resident engagement set new benchmarks in community relations, service communication and public trust.
Nomination Title: Elevating Public Engagement at Ashghal
