Building social licence to operate: A framework for gaining and maintaining meaningful, trustworthy relationships

Social licence to operate (SLO) is increasingly seen as important by organisations globally. However, despite its increasing usage, the meaning and application of SLO are still poorly understood. Without a clear understanding of the concept many organisations believe they are building and maintaining SLO, only to find that their approach is failing to deliver them the desired outcome.

While there are multiple conceptual models of SLO, each providing a useful understanding of the underlying theory and structure of gaining and maintaining a social licence, they provide little guidance on how to go about that process.

Drawing on the SLO literature, interviews with researchers working on SLO, and workshops with social researchers experienced with engagement approaches, we have developed a framework that helps to guide organisations in gaining and maintaining a social licence by building and maintaining trustworthiness through meaningful relationships