Community and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy
2010
For the Community Strategic Plan
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Community and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy to develop
the Community Strategic Plan
Aim
The Community and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy will outline an approach for engaging the
local community in the development of the Community Strategic Plan.
Gosford City Council will commit to working directly with the community in developing the
Community Strategic Plan to ensure that community concerns and aspirations are consistently
understood and considered.
Background
During 2010, Council will be developing a Community Strategic Plan. This is a long-term plan that
will identify the community's main priorities and expectations for the future. The Community
Strategic Plan will integrate and further expand current strategic planning work including Vision
2025 and is being developed at this time in response to new state government legislation.
Through the implementation of this legislation Council will have an opportunity to review and add
value to current planning activities, to better integrate these activities across the organisation and
to further develop processes for working with the community.
One of the most appealing legislative changes is the requirement for all Councils to develop a
Community Engagement Strategy to support the development of the Community Strategic Plan.
Council has recognised for some time the advantages of listening, sharing information and
communicating with the community. This legislation provides Council with an opportunity to
formalise community engagement practise and the impetus to develop a good practise model for
future community engagement work.
Council is ultimately responsible for the adoption of the Community Strategic Plan however the
community have a valid role in recommending the priority areas for Council to target their
resources. As is the case with any agency whether it is federal, state or local government there are
a limited amount of resources available as well as certain legislative requirements which have to
be met and Council will consider this along with what is important to the local community when
allocating resources.
Gosford City Council believes that meaningful participation by community and stakeholders in the
development of the Community Strategic Plan will lead to more informed and robust decisions for
all. Council is committed to providing opportunities for community and stakeholders to be involved
in the development of this document and will communicate how that input was considered and
included.
The Community and Stakeholder Engagement Strategy has been prepared by staff from Council's
Community Development and Integrated Planning Business Units who have undergone training in
Public Participation. This Strategy is based on a recognised approach by the International
Association of Public Participation.
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Steps in the Decision Process
Community engagement must follow a logical and transparent process that allows the community
and stakeholders to understand how and why decisions have been made. The steps listed in the
diagram below outline an inclusive decision making process. These steps may be undertaken at a
range of stages during the development of the Community Strategic Plan.
1. Define
decision to
be made
2. Gather
information
3. Establish
decision
criteria
4. Develop
options
Ensure that community concerns and aspirations are
consistently understood and considered. (The
decision is- What is to be included in the CSP?)
Review and summarise existing research,
community consultation findings, implementation of
Councils Vision 2025 document, state and regional
plans and develop background papers - social,
environment, economic, civic leadership identifying
issues and opportunities.
Develop criteria for evaluating information collected
throughout the Community Engagement Process.
Information from Step 2 and 3 will be assessed and
evaluated to determine a range of options.
5. Evaluate
options
Options will be considered against criteria and a
recommendation made to Council
6. Make
the
decision
A decision will be made by Council on the priority
areas in the Community Strategic Plan. The process
for decision making will include evaluation of how
stakeholder issues were considered through the
process
The final steps of the process i.e. develop options, evaluate options and make decisions may be
repeated a number of times with different information throughout the process as community input is
considered and reviewed.
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Purpose of the Community Engagement Strategy
The Community Engagement Strategy provides a framework for the Community Strategic Plan
that:
 Clearly demonstrates Councils commitment, expectations and process for Community
Engagement
 Clarifies Councils roles and responsibilities
 Supports Councils vision
 Identifies Councils commitment to the provision and level of services
 Provides avenues for productive participation by the community
 Seeks input from the community to ensure decisions made are for the long term benefit and
sustainability of the community
 Provides an opportunity to educate the community on the diversity and limitation of services
provided by Council
Objectives of the Community Engagement Strategy
The objectives of the Community Engagement Strategy are to:
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Design a process that assists in making sustainable decisions that reflect the aspirations of
the local community
Ensure that the community engagement process provides opportunities for the widest
possible participation particularly for those groups who are traditionally disengaged from
these processes
Inform the community on Council's planning and reporting responsibilities
Ensure the process is responsive to how the community wish to participate
Ensure the process allows for ongoing communication to the public on how their input has
been included in decision making
Who are our community stakeholders?
The Community Engagement Strategy identifies the following groups to engage with in the local
community:
 Residents / Individuals / Rate Payers
 Groups of individuals, organisations, political groups, lobby groups, interest groups, support
groups
 Hard to reach target groups
 Business community / Developers
 Government Agencies - Federal, State and Local
 Media
 Councillors
 Council staff
 Members of Parliament
 Visitors / Tourists
Key issues of these stakeholders?
With respect to the Community Strategic Plan there are some issues that will be important for all
stakeholders including:
 Opportunities to participate and
 Access to information
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In addition to those above, specific issues outlined below will relate to individual stakeholder
groups.
Stakeholders
Residents /
Individuals / Rate
Payers
Issues
Expectations in service provision and infrastructure
Regulations - zonings, planning, building standards and
approvals, land use restrictions, public health, environmental,
water, public space and facilities
Rates and charges - financial impact of changes
Level, quality and access of service provision and infrastructure
Impact of local activities on individuals/residents
Population growth within local areas
Groups of individuals,
organisations, political
groups, lobby groups,
interest groups,
support groups
Change of power - change in planning and reporting may shift
the power from small vocal groups
Opportunities to raise the profile of group/activities/services
provided
Opportunities to attract group membership
Impact of changes/regulations/decisions on individual activities
of groups or groups members
Access to Councillors/Council staff as advocates
Access to services and facilities
Expectations in service provisions and infrastructure
Hard to reach target
groups
Specific issues relating to each target group which makes that
group hard to reach, e.g.;
 impact of commuting on participation in local activities
 child friendly services and impact on parents' ability to
engage
 youth friendly services and impact on young peoples
ability to engage
 access to isolated communities or individuals
 services tailored to disadvantaged communities or
individuals
 disability access
 equity
Rates and charges - financial impact of changes
Level and quality of service provision and infrastructure
Regulations - zonings, planning, building standards and
approvals, land use restrictions, public health, environmental,
water, public space and facilities
Access to services and facilities
Impact of local activities on businesses
Population growth within local areas
Access to information about services and facilities
Access to information regarding compliance with government
regulations
Feedback on impact of regulations
Issues management
Partnership opportunities
Access to information
Access to contacts for comment
Photo opportunities
Timely response to requests for information/comment
Issues management
Championing opportunities
Business community /
developers
Government agencies
- Federal, State and
Local
Media
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Councillors
Council Staff
Members of
Parliament
Visitors/tourists
Timely, accurate and complete information to assist in decisionmaking
Information/research regarding local issues
Impact of issues on local residents
Issues management
Media opportunities
Recognition of work within local community
Championing opportunities
Inclusive process
Impact on workload
Impact on budget
Change management throughout organisation
Relationship to other processes
Research regarding local service provision
Access to information about services and facilities
Access to information in relation to impact on constituents
Recognition of work within local community
Issues management
Media opportunities
Access to services and facilities
Access to information about local services and facilities
Opportunity to comment
What groups will be hard to reach?
There will be some parts of our community that will be harder to reach than others. These groups
are outlined below. Whilst people who identify with these groups may choose not to participate in
any activities, it is Council's role to ensure that the methods used do not exclude people from the
process either directly or indirectly. Any form of communication used during the engagement
process will be flexible enough to consider the needs of the following groups.
 People with disabilities
 Homeless people
 Commuters
 Children and Young people
 Carers / parents
 Transport disadvantaged
 Socially or physically isolated
 Uninterested / Apathetic
 Aboriginal community
 Multicultural community
 People with literacy issues
 Older people
 Tourists
 Property owners who do not reside in the area
 People of diverse sexualities
Benefits of the Community Engagement Strategy
The benefits of a comprehensive Community Engagement Strategy include:
 A transparent and open communication process between Council and the community
 A process that provides balanced and honest content
 Feedback on current or proposed initiatives / programs / decisions that provides an
understanding of how stakeholders issues are considered
 A collection of diverse views and input
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Participation and input from members of the community that may not traditionally talk with
Council
Provides a 'reality check' for Council to see if they are delivering what the community needs
The process can identify barriers to participation and develop strategies to address these
Level of Stakeholder Impact on Community Strategic Plan
All stakeholders of the Community Strategic Plan have different levels of interests and impact on
the decisions to be made and these levels can change through the process. Diagram 1 illustrates
the different levels stakeholders may be involved in. At the centre of the circle is the Community
Strategic Plan and the outer layers showing the different levels of interest or involvement from the
centre. The further a person is away from the centre the less interest and / or involvement that
person will have. For some stakeholders involvement may be high, participating in every
opportunity to be involved with the development of the document, others may be interested from
time to time and provide some input. There will also be some stakeholders who may know the
process is underway but have no interest in participating.
It is important to keep in mind that we need to provide opportunities for stakeholders to be engaged
in various ways and at various levels of commitment throughout the process. Stakeholders may
move toward the centre or further away throughout the process depending on their level of interest,
awareness of the project, opportunities to participate, availability and the level of priority they give
the phase of the project.
CSP
Deciders
Planners
Advisors
Reviewers
Observers
Uninterested
apathetics
Diagram 1 Level of Stakeholder Impact on the Community Strategic Plan
Adapted from the Planning for Effective Public Participation Student Manual, International
Association for Public Participation, 2006
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Opportunity Cost / Rationale
There is a financial cost to Council to achieve a high quality process. If the process is robust and
there is community ownership of the decisions made than long term savings will result.
Insufficient or poor quality engagement can result in poor long-term decisions requiring further
resources to rectify. Aspirational objectives need to be informed by minimal levels of service that
Council is legislatively required to provide as well as service levels expected by the community.
There is a likely risk that the priorities identified in the Community Strategic Plan will be
unachievable if engagement activities do not link aspirational objectives with realistic expectations.
The aim of a high quality community engagement process is about getting sustainable decisions.
By this we mean the community and council finding common ground and making decisions for the
benefit of both current and future generations. The process will help elected officials to understand
and respond to their communities hopes, dreams, issues and concerns over the long term and not
only for the limited terms of office of politicians.
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Key Stages in the Development of the Community Strategic Plan
The Community Strategic Plan will be developed over an 18 month time frame commencing in January 2010 with adoption by Council in June 2011.
During this period, activities undertaken by staff will be sequenced so that the final document prepared reflects aspirations and expectations of the
community and is adequately informed by social, environmental, economic and civic leadership issues.
Community and stakeholder engagement will occur at various times during this 18 month period as information is shared and key directions provided.
The phases of development of the Community Strategic Plan are outlined.
Timetable for Phases
Phase 1
Research and Scoping
During this phase information will be
compiled that will answer the following
questions:
'What do we know about our community?'
'What could affect our community in the
future?'
What legislative requirements including
state and regional plans inform Council
decisions?'
'How will the community be informed?'
'What principles will guide the Community
Strategic Plan?'
'What is the long-term timeframe of the
Community Strategic Plan?'
December 2009 - March 2010
Phase 2
Identify aspirations and
expectations and prepare draft
objectives
During this phase community and
stakeholder groups will review
'Current Issues and Opportunities
Report' and identify long-term
objectives.
April - June 2010
Phase 3
Developing, allocating and
costing strategies
Phase 4
Final Community Strategic
Plan Preparation
During this phase all of the
strategies that have been
identified will be sorted
according to which agencies
have direct responsibility.
Strategies that aren't the
responsibility of Council are
directed to other agencies.
Resources are identified for
Council owned strategies
based on the identified levels
of service.
During this phase the Draft
Community Strategic Plan is
presented back to the
community for comments.
Amendments made and
Final Community Strategic
Plan prepared and presented
to Council for endorsement.
July - November 2010
October 2010 - June 2011
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Community and Stakeholder Engagement Activities
To determine the types of Community Engagement Activities to be used in developing the CSP, the following questions have been addressed:
 What type of activities will give Council the information we need?
 What type of activities will give Council access to the people we need to talk to?
 What activities will meet the objectives of the process?
In addition, an assessment was carried out using an adapted matrix from the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2). This matrix is
attached as Appendix A to this document.
Phase 1 - Research and Scoping
Deliverable
(what)
An agreed timeframe
for the Community
Strategic Plan
A set of agreed
principles that
underpin the
Community Strategic
Plan
Objective / Purpose
(why)
To determine the
implementation timeframe
of the CSP
To identify the
sustainability and social
justice principles that will
underpin the Community
Strategic Plan
A sustainability matrix
template (including
social justice and
sustainability
processes) to be used
as an assessment tool
across all phases of
the CSP process
To develop the
sustainability matrix
template that identifies
and includes the pillars of
sustainability - social,
economic, environmental,
governance.
Stakeholders
(who)
General Manager
Engagement Tasks
(how)
Memo to GM
Follow up meeting with GM
Responsibility
Advisor Environment
Advisor Economic
Senior Social Planner
Advisor CP
SMG
Other staff as needed
Advisor Environment
Advisor Economic
Senior Social Planner
Advisor CP
SMG
Other staff as needed
Meeting/s to review adopted
documents containing
sustainability and social justice
principles
Report to SMG for endorsement
Manager IP
Dec 2009
Series of meetings and
discussions
Manager IP
Dec 2009 March 2010
Manager IP
Director ENV
Timing
(when)
Dec 2009
10
Deliverable
(what)
Background Papers
for Social, Economic,
Environment and Civic
Leadership identifying
current issues and
opportunities. A
current Levels of
Service Report at
Service Unit Level
Communications Plan
to ensure community
and stakeholders are
aware of the process
Objective / Purpose
(why)
To gather all relevant
research, consultation
activities and legislative
requirements that inform
Council decisions
including the review of
Vision 2025
Stakeholders
(who)
Advisor Environment
Advisor Economic
Senior Social Planner
Advisor CP
Other staff as needed
Engagement Tasks
(how)
Meeting/s to determine structure
and identify strategic and research
documents.
Compile and analyse information.
To inform Councillors and
staff of the CSP Process
and IPR requirements
Councillors
All Staff
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To inform targeted
stakeholders of CSP
process and IPR
requirements
Relevant Govt
Agencies
Peak non Govt
organisations
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Global Email
Team Brief
Staff Newsletter
Internal Briefings including
presentations and reports
to Council
Fact sheets
Direct mail
Presentations at Meetings
Email
RCMG
Reference Groups
Responsibility
Manager IP
Advisor CP
Timing
(when)
Dec 2009 March 2010
Manager IP
Manager
Communications
SMG
IPR Group
Dec 2009 ongoing as
necessary
Manager IP
Manager
Communications
SMG
IPR Group
General
Manager
Dec 2009 ongoing as
necessary
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Deliverable
(what)
Objective / Purpose
(why)
Inform the Community of
IPR Legislation and
relationship to other
planning processes
Stakeholders
(who)
Community and
Stakeholders
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Engagement Tasks
(how)
Computer assisted
processes
Ongoing reference groups
Field Offices - Libraries /
Customer Service /
Community Centres /
Shopping Centres
Central Information
Contacts / Customer
Services
Briefings External /
Information Sessions
Progress Reports /
Newsletters / Direct Mail /
Email
Briefings Internal (including
Council reports /
presentations)
Responsibility
Manager IP
Manager
Communications
SMG
IPR Group
Timing
(when)
January April 2010
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Phase 2 - Identify aspirations and expectations and prepare draft objectives
Deliverable
(what)
Engagement
Summary Report with
an updated long-term
'Community Vision'
and a list of CSP
Stakeholder
Objectives,
Objective / Purpose
(why)
To bring stakeholders
and community members
together to review current
issues and opportunities
and to 'update' long-term
vision and develop
objectives
Stakeholders
(who)
Community and
stakeholders
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A Sustainability Matrix
Report that shows
how engagement
information and issues
/ legislation /
opportunities link to
Community Strategic
Plan Principles
Engagement Summary
Report and Current
Issues and Opportunities
Report reviewed
according to the identified
principles
SMG
IPR group
Managers group
Relevant Staff
Engagement Tasks
(how)
Computer assisted
processes
Workshop (pre registered
attendees )
World Café (could be
combined with workshops)
Focus Groups
Ongoing Reference Groups
Central Information
Contacts / Customer
Services
Progress reports /
Newsletters Direct Mail /
Email
Surveys / Comments forms
Interviews with Councillors
Internal Briefings
Appropriate meetings and
workshops
Responsibility
Manager IP
Manager
Communications
SMG
IPR Group
Manager IP
Timing
(when)
April - May
2010
May - June
2010
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Phase 3 - Developing, allocating and costing strategies and seeking feedback on levels of service
Deliverable
(what)
A list of Council lead
strategies and list of
strategies to be lead
by other agencies
Councils role will be
identified in each
strategy
A completed
Sustainability Matrix
including costings of
council lead strategies
and other resource
implications
Draft Community
Strategic Plan with
prioritised Council
owned strategies
Objective / Purpose
(why)
To identify the
responsibility and role of
Council for each strategy
To consult with relevant
agencies and provide
feedback on how their
planning has been
incorporated into CSP
To incorporate financial
costings to assist in the
prioritisation of strategies
To involve stakeholders
and community members
in the prioritisation of
Council owned strategies
and determination of
levels service
Stakeholders
(who)
IPR group
Relevant Staff
Managers Group
SMG
Relevant govt and non
govt agencies
Engagement Tasks
(how)
Meetings and workshops (Internal
and External)
Presentation (Internal)
IPR group
Relevant Staff
Managers Group
Finance
Asset Management
Group
Meetings and memo to seek
projected costings and other
resource implications for inclusion
in summary matrix
Community and
Stakeholders
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Responsibility
Manager IP
IPR Group
General
Manager
SMG
Manager IP
Computer assisted
Processes (resource
calculator)
Focus Groups
Ongoing Reference Groups
Central Information
Contacts / Customer
Services
Progress Reports /
Newsletters / Direct Mail /
Email
Surveys / Comment forms
Interviews with SMG
Internal Briefings
Timing
(when)
July August
2010
August September
2010
Oct - mid
November
2010
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Phase 4 - Final Community Strategic Plan preparation
Deliverable
(what)
Exhibition of Draft
Community Strategic
Plan
Objective / Purpose
(why)
To place Draft
Community Strategic
Plan on exhibition to
seek comments
Stakeholders
(who)
Community and
stakeholders
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Engagement Tasks
Responsibility
(how)
Computer assisted process Manager IP
Ongoing Reference Groups
Field Offices - Libraries /
Customer Service /
Community Centres /
Shopping Centres
Central Information
Contacts / Customer
Service
External Briefings
(Information Sessions)
Progress Reports /
Newsletters / Direct Mail /
Email
Surveys / Comment Forms
Internal Briefings (including
Council reports /
presentations)
Timing
(when)
March 2011
Final Community
Strategic Plan
Adopted by Council
To meet legislative
requirements and provide
direction for development
of Delivery Program
Council
Council Meeting
Manager IP
June 2011
Launch of CSP
To prepare an
appropriate event/s to
launch the Community
Strategic Plan, thank
Community and
Stakeholders involved
and close the
engagement loop
Community and
Stakeholders
Link in with other events at the
time
Manager
Communications
Manager IP
July 2011
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Key Communication Messages

The Community Engagement Strategy meets the new planning and reporting legislation that NSW councils must adhere to. This coincides
with the need to update a number of other Council planning processes that are also due for review and update including the Community Plan
(Quality of Life Strategy), Cultural Plan, Vision 2025, Social Plan, Cultural Plan, Positive Aging Strategy etc

Review Vision 2025 Priorities - the development of the Community Strategic Plan does not dismiss the work that was done as part of Vision
2025 however the document is due to be reconsidered particularly due to some significant issues affecting the community such as greater
awareness and acceptance of the impacts of climate change, the global economic crisis, the Gosford Challenge project and the demographic
changes taking place in the community particularly in relation to our ageing population.

Council values the communities' participation in the development of the Community Strategic Plan. Council will be open and transparent with
the community on how their feedback has been incorporated into the overall planning process; however the final decision on priorities and
levels of service provision will be made by Council.

The Community Strategic Planning process is an integrated approach incorporating the environmental, social, economic and civic leadership
factors affecting our community. None of these areas exist in isolation and the plan will reflect this.

The Community Strategic Plan is a broad document that will consider the communities main priorities and expectations for the future and
develop strategies for achieving these priorities. Council is not the only agency responsible for working towards meeting these priorities and
expectations. The role of other government agencies and the community will also be identified at part of the process.

This process is just the beginning of a major change to the way Council undertakes its strategic planning. It will take more than one planning
cycle to get the system fully integrated across Council due to the major internal Cultural and Structural changes required. Council is committed
to the long term implementation of these changes.
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Evaluation of the Community Engagement Process
There are two parts to the evaluation of the Community Engagement Process. The first part is an evaluation of the process and the engagement
methods / task used. The second part is an evaluation of how successful we were at meeting the overall objectives of the Community Engagement
Process. The plan is responsive to community issues and concerns so ongoing evaluation will ensure the framework is adapted as necessary through
the lifespan of the process.
Part 1 - Evaluation of Methods / Task of Engagement
Each engagement activity will be evaluated on a set of specific criteria and using a variety of methods.
Engagement Tasks /
Method
Computer Assisted
Processes / WWW /
Feedback forms
Criteria for Evaluation of the Engagement Methods
Evaluation method
Completion Rates
Ease of Use, accessibility and time taken to update information
Community Representation (i.e. diversity of market involvement)
Participation by Target stakeholders
Response to questions
Clarity of information
Plain and understandable English
Number of hits
Assessment of quality information
Relevance of information to questions asked
People registering to receive further information
Monitoring of the site and emails / contacts made
by community
Evaluation by CES Team
Workshops
Registrations for attendance
Diversity of representation
Opportunities to participate and contribute in discussions
Workshop expectations met
Clarity and understanding of information provided to participants
Participation levels of attendees
Advertising
Consensus of views to move forward?
Registrations for attendance
Diversity of representation
Opportunities to participate and contribute in discussions
Workshop expectations met
Participation levels of attendees
Clarity and understanding of information provided to participants
Advertising
Attendance of registered participants
Level of participation at workshops
People registering to receive further information
Quality outcomes from discussions
Evaluation survey of participants
Informal evaluation by facilitators
World Café
Attendance of registered participants
Level of participation at workshops
People registering to receive further information
Quality outcomes from discussions
Evaluation survey of participants
Informal evaluation by facilitators
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Focus Groups
Ongoing Reference
Groups
Fields Offices - Libraries
/ Customer Service /
Community Centres /
Shopping Centres
Consensus of views to move forward
Registrations for attendance
Diversity of representation / targets met
Opportunities to participate and contribute in discussions
Focus group expectations met
Participation levels of attendees
Consensus of views to move forward
75% attendance rate of reference groups (? - will this measure tell
us that the reference group members think this is a worthwhile use
of their time)
Two way information flow
Participation from all attendees
Facilitation
Quality of information provided
Clarity and understanding of information
Location and times for greatest community involvement
Advertising
Attendance of registered participants
Level of participation at workshops
People registering to receive further information
Quality outcomes from discussions
Evaluation survey of participants
Informal evaluation by facilitators
Seek informal feedback from members at each
reference group meeting
Evaluation survey of reference group members
Maintain reasonably stable membership
Informal evaluation by facilitators
Informal feedback to staff at field offices
People registering to receive further information
Informal evaluation by CES Team
Central Information
Offices / Customer
Services
Briefings External /
Information Sessions
Ability to answer calls / enquiries by Customer Service Unit
Follow-up times if enquiry cannot be answered immediately
Register of all enquiries in database and analysis of
data by CES Team
Clarity and understanding of information
Participation levels of attendees
Interest in further involvement in the process
Informal evaluation by CES Team
Interest in future briefings to the group as the
process continues
Progress Reports /
Newsletters / Direct mail
/ Email
Clarity and understanding of information
Numbers of Customer Service contacts of people not able to
understand information provided??? - reword
Evaluation by CES Team
Quality checks on distribution
Feedback received
Surveys / Comment
Forms (Feedback
Forms)
Response rates (do we stipulate a %) - dependant on the type of
survey e.g. telephone
Quality and relevance of information obtained
Diversity of representation of respondents
Participation rates
Two way information / level of participation by interviewee
Quality and openness of information provided
Clarity and understanding of information
Review of forms received
Register of forms including tracking of any follow-up
actions
Interviews
Briefings Internal
Informal review by interviewer and recorder
Question participant re satisfaction of process
Informal evaluation by CES Team
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(including council
reports / presentations)
Ongoing interest in the process
Consensus of views
Expectations Met
Interest in future briefings to the group as the
process continues
Part 2 - Evaluation of Objectives of the Community Engagement Process
At the beginning of this Community Engagement Strategy a number of objectives were set. The plan will be reviewed against these objectives to
determine the success of the process, to learn from and improve for future processes, to determine if the process had sufficient rigour to justify the
outcomes and to demonstrate the value obtained for the resources committed to the process.
Objective
Design a process that assists in making
sustainable decisions that reflect the
aspirations of the local community
Methods of evaluation
 Review database of participants
 Review the link between feedback from the
community and its impact on decisions made
(matrix will assist in this process
 Survey / debrief the ongoing reference group
members at the conclusion of the process
 Random survey of participants of the process
Ensure that the community engagement
process provides opportunities for the
widest possible participation particularly
for those groups who are traditionally
disengaged from these process
Inform the community on Council's
planning and reporting responsibilities


Database kept of participants to track participation
Review methods of engagement and
communication to identify gaps

Ensure the process is responsive to how
the community wish to participate

Survey seeking feedback from participants on their
knowledge prior to and after the community
engagement process
Design methods of engagement on previous
knowledge of how the community wants to
participate
Ensure the process allows for ongoing
communication to the public on how their
input has been included in decision
making

Outcome
Survey of participants on how this message has
been communicated
19
Appendix
A.
Techniques for Effective Community Engagement Assessment Matrix
..\Corporate Planning\Integrated Planning Reforms\Assessment Matrix for Techniques of Community Engagement.xls
References
Communications for Effective Public Participation, Association for Public Participation 2006
Local Government Planning and Reporting Manual, NSW Government 2010
Planning for effective Public Participation Student Manual, International Association for Public Participation 2006
Techniques for Effective Public Participation, Association for Public Participation 2006
20