In a closely related vein, honest and open communication was mentioned as being crucial for successful informal relations. The responses of government officials on this issue almost always tied honesty to trust: “…you trust that people can feel comfortable to give you information, and feel comfortable asking you for information.”. However, there was a difference in how external stakeholders approached the issue of openness. One stakeholder mentioned that even to be taken seriously by government officials, it was important to “…be consistent in your messages”. Another argued that from their perspective, everyone being open was a necessary condition for their engagement in the process: “I also value in a group of people I’m working with people who can speak plainly and clearly about what there issues are and why they’re there, so that if there are perspectives, investments, or biases, those are easy to discern.”
