Social licence is not a permit and it is not a certificate. It is a shorthand for the quality of relationships, legitimacy, trust and acceptance surrounding an operation or project.
A health check should therefore examine evidence such as grievance responsiveness, local employment credibility, procurement commitments, communication quality, environmental confidence and whether commitments are tracked to closure.
A numerical score is only a prompt for inquiry. The views of affected communities cannot be replaced by an internal rating exercise.
Trend matters more than decoration. Rising unresolved grievances, repeated commitment failures or declining confidence can be early warnings even when formal approvals remain in place.
Use the assessment to identify questions that require engagement, independent evidence or management action. Do not publish a self-score as proof of community consent.
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What responsible use looks like
Record the assumptions used, keep source dates, preserve the original evidence, and disclose limitations when sharing a result. Where the decision is material, regulated or safety-critical, use qualified professional review.