A greenfield gas project team, just prior to construction, lacked understanding of and the capability to deal with the undercurrent socio-economic issues affecting the local population. Located in a remote, poor area of Bangladesh, the project was an imposing presence in a land-scarce region with inadequate health facilities and undeveloped infrastructure. A robust situation analysis was conducted and a comprehensive outreach strategy developed. This included the formation of a community relations team and the implementation of programs tailored to meet project-specific objectives. This enabled the client to commence major construction with less likelihood of community crises disrupting operations.