“one of the biggest impediment to any project is that people don’t believe they have permission to do things”

My experience as well, especially if the behaviour involves an act that has traditionally been frowned upon in education. I’ve seen this often when it comes to working in a wiki where people are hesitant to change someones work when, in fact, the essence of working in a wiki is exactly that. Being overly explicit about what is allowed is a very good instructional strategy.