Making Community Engagement Policy MatterLaura Stewart, Senior Communication and Stakeholder Engagement Manager, Aurecon

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About me

10 years as a communication and engagement practitioner Planning and delivery of

infrastructure across Australia Road, rail, electricity, water

and telecommunication Amateur researcher and

advocate for engagement that involves the community/stakeholders in decisions

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Gather information

Consider legal requirements

Apply the policy

Why policy is important

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Good decision making

Legitimacy and acceptance

Decide, announce, defend

Announce, discuss, decideC

omm

unity

out

rage

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• What are the key principles and definitions of community engagement applied by state and territory governments relevant to public infrastructure planning?

• Can community engagement be more effectively embedded into public infrastructure planning to delivery better outcomes for the community?

Research objectives

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Research processEstablish

criteria

Select sample

Collect data

Identify trends

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Theoretical framework

SUSTAINABLE PLANNING

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Ingredients for good engagement Ingredient Definition

Accessible Sufficient information allowing participation and engagementestablished to reach all in the community.

Influential Demonstrated devolved community influence in the decisionmaking process.

Deliberative Processes aimed to create open dialogue, reasoned discussion andestablished mutual relationships.

Local Process actively seeks local knowledge and expertise.

Sustainable Requirement to assess the costs and benefits of social, economicand environmental factors.

Resources Evidence of engagement undertaken at all stages of the processwith adequate time, resources and skills.

Feedback Process to respond to feedback and report back on outcomes.

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Study sample

The documents subject to assessment for this research include: • Engaging Canberrans: A Guide to Community Engagement

(ACT)• Transport for New South Wales, Community Engagement

Policy (NSW)• Engaging Queenslanders: An Introduction to Community

Engagement (QLD)• Better Together: Principles of Engagement (SA)• Tasmania Government Framework for Community Engagement

(Tas)• VicRoads, Community and Stakeholder Engagement Policy

(Vic)• Main Roads Western Australia, Community Engagement Policy

(WA)

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Data collection and analysis

Positive (+) document demonstrated evidence to suggest conformity Negative (-) document failed to demonstrate evidence to suggest conformity Neutral (o) document demonstrated unclear or insufficient evidence

Matrix assessmentEl

emen

t

Acc

essi

ble

Influ

entia

l

Del

iber

ativ

e

Loca

l

Sus

tain

able

Res

ourc

es

Feed

back

Score + o + + - + +

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Key findings

• The positive influence of industry • Varying definitions of community engagement • Lack of commitment to sharing the decision

making power • Missing legislation and enforcement• Contradicting loop holes• Lack of national standards

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What are three key reason for a community engagement policy?

Collective thought

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What are the key elements of your organisations community engagement policy?

Collective thought

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From the ingredients listed is there anything you would add or remove?

Collective thought

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Ingredients for good engagement Ingredient Definition

Accessible Sufficient information allowing participation and engagementestablished to reach all in the community.

Influential Demonstrated devolved community influence in the decisionmaking process.

Deliberative Processes aimed to create open dialogue, reasoned discussion andestablished mutual relationships.

Local Process actively seeks local knowledge and expertise.

Sustainable Requirement to assess the costs and benefits of social, economicand environmental factors.

Resources Evidence of engagement undertaken at all stages of the processwith adequate time, resources and skills.

Feedback Process to respond to feedback and report back on outcomes.

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Questions