Community Engagement

(Market Research)

DirectSupport Programme

Betsy Gray-King and Peter Gray

0800 026 0202

Lead partner: ruralnet|ukTel: 024 7669 0691

Email: info@directsupport.org.uk

• Definition of Community Engagement

• Why do we want Community

Engagement?

• How do we do Community

Engagement?

• Fundamentals

• Tools and methods

Workshop content

So What is it?

• Involvement of community leaders, voluntary groups and neighbourhood residents in the policy decisions that affect their lives and in the design and implementation of services, especially at the local level National Audit Office October 2004

• Wheel of Participation, Circles of Engagement

Why do we want Community Engagement?

• Real results • Deepening democratic involvement• Contributing to more effective

neighbourhood renewal• Sustainable communities• Sustainable UK online Centres!

• Marketing and Activity planning….

Issues from centres….

•We don’t have time...

•We know what engagement is but – we don’t know where to start…

– we started then we got stuck...

• It’s not my job…– I don’t know whose job it should be…

• The trustees/staff/partners won’t do their bit….

Solutions?

•Hire a consultant?

•Resource a post?

•Use a template?

•Use models from other organisations?

•Make an Action List?

•Agree a shared process…?

How do we do Community Engagement?

Three core steps:•Know your community•Reach your community•Engage with your

community (receive from…)

Fundamentals

• Manage expectations – what will happen with answers, contributions? “Why can’t we do this?”

• Give time to the framework – who, what, when, where, why, how

• On the who, consider hard to reach groups – who are they, how to reach them, sensitivities, special cases

• Choose tools and methods carefully

An activity...

Decision cartoon

• take a case study, decide the stakeholders, constraints and the Community Engagement Working party

Feedback?

Tools and methods

• Ideas Quickthink• Tools and Methods

– www.directsupport.org.uk

– Log in

» Need ID and Password

– Go to Experts Online

– Community Engagement Forum

– Knowledge Bank for tools and methods

… a few examples

Getting and summarising young people’s ideas and

issues in street work

Road design with public engagement

Café activity development

Resources

… more resources

Framework - thinking strategically• “Reach your community” section of

Community Engagement Plan •Strategy Planner A3•Have fun!

An activity...

Summing up

• Issues?

•Questions?

How to move forward

• www.directsupport.org.uk

• Log in

– Need ID and Password

• Go to Experts Online

• Community Engagement Forum

• Knowledge Bank for tools and methods