Community engagement is being undertaken more often than ever before – but as engagement practitioners, have we learned from (and do we share) the experience? We may be doing it more often, but that doesn’t mean we’re all getting better at it!

This session focuses on a back to basics approach, covering the key elements of good consultation practice – from both a theoretical perspective (as accredited IAP2 members) – but importantly, from
a practical perspective born out of numerous complex and sensitive community engagement projects.

Essence has a proprietary four step Community Engagement Model, and this session focuses on each step of the model and imparts to participants the risks and traps that so many engagement practitioners can inadvertently fall into.

By attending you will take away:

• Tools for  effective planning an preparation of consultations
• Ideas for stimulating consultations, so participants are truly engaged
• Tools for stakeholder identification and what-if scenario planning
• Kills for risk management to support community engagement practitioners
• How to ensure community engagement outcomes result in specific actions and recommendations for change, and for moving a project forward