10 STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Any organisation that wants to engage effectively with local communities around new ideas, proposals or changes to services, will come across a wide variety of challenges, not least the ability to reach audiences who do not typically participate in discussions with authorities. Here are Freshwater’s ten steps to deliver effective community engagement and listen to ‘seldom heard’ groups:

1. Clearly define your audience

Identify as many community partners as possible and establish good lines of communication with them from the outset. Take on board recommendations where practical, piggyback on existing activities and work with partners to design (and refine) your community engagement plan. Capture and explain how your plans may have changed as a result of these discussions.

2. Plan thoroughly

Make sure all relevant accessibility, data protection and ethical protocols are planned into your community engagement programme at the start. Use accessibility tools, such as Siteimprove, and recognised best practices for any online engagement.

3. Be prepared to adapt

Be prepared to adapt your approach to suit the needs of different groups. More traditional methods of engagement can discourage some from participating, so it is important to remain flexible, listen to concerns and make accommodations. Where possible, use ‘safe spaces’ and activities that your stakeholders are already familiar with. Consider alternative forms of engagement (e.g. art, poetry or music-based techniques) with certain groups.

4. Think carefully about incentives

If it is possible, offer to make a financial contribution to community groups that agree to take part or a fair payment to individual stakeholders who give up their time. Consider the use of widely accepted ‘vouchers’ rather than cash or bank transfers and offer competition prizes, or even non-monetary incentives if engagement budgets are restrictive.

5. Plan every engagement session in detail

Including the role of facilitators and note-takers, timings, introductions and explanations, audio-visual aids, equipment, handouts, etc. Consider the use of technology and how it can assist or enhance the experience for participants – including translators/BSL, explanatory videos and images, online polling and surveys.

6. Use a combination of engagement activities

Use a combination of facilitator-led engagement activities (such as focus groups or workshops) and more ‘passive’ methods, where participants can provide feedback at their own pace, at home or at work/school. Being prepared with a range of activities will give you multiple options if your original plan does not prove effective and allows alternative methods of feedback for individuals who may prefer them.

7. Think carefully about language

Think carefully about the language used in all project communications, both beforehand and within the sessions themselves. Explain the key issues in plain language but avoid patronising stakeholders or leading them towards a particular outcome or perspective. Be aware that participants will have differing literacy levels and English may not be their first language.

8. Keep a record

Keep a record of all findings from your engagement programme and evaluate the most effective way to communicate them. It is often helpful to pick out a number of key ‘themes’ that reflect community feedback and use examples to illustrate them. Take time to reflect on the themes identified, including any surprising or unintended outcomes, and capture them as part of the overall evaluation. Always include a clear summary of what you have learned as a result of the engagement – and how feedback will be used to shape future plans and proposals.

9. Keep in contact

Make sure you follow up and share your findings with the groups and stakeholders you’ve engaged with and explain what will happen next. Remember that the most effective method or channels for sharing your findings with community stakeholders may not be the same as for professional audiences or policy makers.

10. Develop future engagement

Seek to develop capacity within communities to enable them to play a meaningful role in planning and participating in future engagement. Sometimes referred to as ‘always on’ engagement, this approach can help to foster effective partnerships with community organisations and deliver more participative programmes of engagement.

Freshwater is a specialist stakeholder engagement agency who advises organisations in the private and public sectors how to effectively engage stakeholders, manage relationships and build trust.