Community perceptions of a proposed port and shipyard expansion

What is shaping shipbuilding

Shipbuilding and maritime services depend on a deep supplier ecosystem, skilled workforce and port infrastructure, with long project cycles and strict standards.

• Supplier capability limits how fast yards can scale
• Skilled trades are scarce and ageing
• Port users judge performance on turnaround and reliability

A port and shipyard developer, working in A coastal district in South India. Client identity is withheld to protect confidentiality.

Organisation

A port and shipyard developer

Sector

Shipbuilding

Team engaged

Market Research

Services

Government research, Quantitative research, Qualitative research

An expansion project faced opposition, particularly from fishing communities worried about access to fishing grounds and the effect on livelihoods. The developer wanted an honest understanding of concerns before finalising plans.

• Deliver on the brief: community perceptions of a proposed port and shipyard expansion.
• Understand the views, needs and behaviour of households.
• Measure how widespread each pattern is, and explain the reasons behind it.
• Give the client evidence it can act on within 9 weeks.

The work focused on 1,600 households.

• households1,600

Audiences we typically reach in shipbuilding

Shipyards and project managersMarine equipment suppliersSkilled workers and traineesPort users and shipping linesMaritime regulators

Coverage: A coastal district in South India. Market: India. 18 villages covered.

• India

A mixed-method design: structured research measured how widespread each pattern was, and qualitative conversations explained why.

1. 1Brief
2. 2Household survey
3. 3Fisher community discussions
4. 4Insight

Independent researchers surveyed households about livelihoods, expectations and concerns, and held separate discussions with fishers, women, youth and local leaders. Findings were reported transparently, including views critical of the project. Separate discussions with women ensured that concerns about household income and safety were heard alongside those of fishing boat owners.

Government researchQuantitative researchQualitative research

households

1,600

• Respondents were selected across A coastal district in South India using quotas set in advance for each location and respondent type, so no single area or group dominated.
• Qualitative participants were recruited purposively to cover the full range of experiences that mattered, rather than for statistical representation.

• Trained local-language interviewers conducted interviews in person, supervised in the field.
• Interviews and discussions were led by experienced moderators using a guide agreed with the client.

• Back-checks on a share of completed interviews
• Time and location checks on field interviews
• Supervisor accompaniment in the field
• Recordings and transcripts for every session
• Re-screening of qualitative recruits
• Logic and range checks on the final data
• Work carried out under our ISO 20252 quality procedures

• Cross-tabulation by key groups and locations
• Significance testing on the differences that mattered
• Thematic coding of interviews and discussions
• Journey and decision mapping

• Fishers’ main concerns were access routes for boats and compensation clarity, while young people wanted skills training for port jobs.
• A community liaison office was also set up near the main fishing harbour to handle questions and complaints.

Reporting critical views honestly built more credibility than a positive summary would have.

• Build on the core insight: reporting critical views honestly built more credibility than a positive summary would have.
• Focus effort where the evidence was strongest: fishers’ main concerns were access routes for boats and compensation clarity, while young people wanted skills training for port jobs.
• Re-measure after the changes to confirm the effect.

• The developer revised access arrangements, published a clear compensation framework and committed to local skills programmes.

What changed in the business as a result of the work. Impact is described qualitatively.

• Insight report and management presentation
• Cleaned data file and data tables
• Interview summaries and key verbatims
• Evaluation findings with programme recommendations

• Repeat the measure after changes are in place to track progress.
• A natural follow-on question: what would attract more skilled workers?