Renewing AEMO's engagement model

Matter under consultation 

AEMO is undertaking a stakeholder engagement model uplift of its existing forums and working groups to improve decision making and, ultimately, the outcomes delivered for energy consumers.

AEMO has reviewed engagement practices used by both AEMO and a range of comparable organisations. Part of this review involved collating and considering feedback from stakeholders. The review confirmed that many stakeholders find AEMO consultative and working groups to be at times inconsistent, fragmented, uncoordinated, and one-way in their communication. 

AEMO now seeks your feedback on potential reform alternatives, as we aim to deliver a more collaborative, transparent, and dynamic experience for our stakeholders as they engage with us. Our new model should also deliver a more streamlined formal stakeholder engagement and consultation process.

Any new model is intended to deliver a material shift in both:

• The level of transparency market participants, consumers, and other stakeholders enjoy regarding AEMO’s understanding of current and emerging challenges, and
• A more two-way, collaborative experience for stakeholders, in both defining problems and identifying solutions.

AEMO is committed to an uplift and shift of our engagement model to enable increased participation, collaboration, and co-operation. We are determined to ensure that stakeholders can engage with AEMO’s many workshops and forums in a way that is transparent (so stakeholders can understand what is happening across AEMO) and efficient (so their time is used effectively). 

Consultation process 

AEMO is seeking views from our members, energy industry participants, and regulatory, community, and consumer stakeholders on a revised forum structure. Consultation will be sought in existing AEMO working groups and forums, through AEMO’s website and external communications, and in collaboration with peak industry associations.

AEMO would appreciate any constructive feedback you may have. Some specific questions are: 

• What groups do you already participate in?
• Which forums and working groups does your company find useful?
• How do you decide which forums your company will attend?
• What do you value about them to continue to support them?
• What could be improved from that experience?
• What is your overall experience of these groups?
• Should our improvement focus be on greater transparency, flexibility, consistency, problem-solving collaboration, future issues, or anything else?
• What are your impressions of the new models?
• Is there a clearer line of sight on important issues from the CEO Roundtable through the panels and the working groups?
• Is there sufficient connection between AEMO, industry, and consumer group executives?
• Do you have any feedback on three options for selecting the strategic level panels, under Option 3?
• Will these models ensure issues are brought forward for stakeholder collaboration and prioritisation early in the process?
• Is there flexibility to cover immediate or deeper issues, over short or long timeframes?
• Will the inter-related tiers of “strategic, transient, and functional” underpin current best-practice operations as well as analysis of future needs?
• If consumer voices are integrated into each strategic work stream, is there still value in a stand-alone consumer panel?
• Are there any gaps in our proposed new approach?
• Do you see any opportunities for integration of existing AEMO forums?

If you would like to make a submission, please email it to stakeholderrelations@aemo.com.au. Written submissions will be accepted until 28 August 2020. Submissions will be published on AEMO’s website. Please indicate to AEMO if there are any parts of your submission you would like kept confidential.  
 
AEMO will also hold a general information and Q&A session via Microsoft Teams on Friday 24 July 2020 at 10:30am AEST. This will provide an opportunity to discuss the options paper and answer any questions you may have about the review.  

As well as the above written submissions, there were also several meetings that discussed this consultation where verbal feedback was provided to AEMO.

Stakeholder meetings