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Engaging Queenslanders: an Introduction to Community Engagement © State of Queensland (Department of Communities) 2005

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Engaging Queenslanders: an Introduction to Community Engagement © State of Queensland (Department of Communities) 2005 Engaging Queenslanders: An introduction to community engagement © State of Queensland (Department of Communities) 2005. The Queensland Government has no objection to this material being reproduced but reserves its right to have its material remain unaltered. Printed August 2005 Copies are available from the Department of Communities, phone (07) 3224 7499 or email [email protected] ii Engaging Queenslanders: An introduction to community engagement Contents The purpose of this resource 2 1. Setting the context 3 1.1 Introduction 3 1.2 Community engagement drivers and trends 3 2. What is community engagement? 5 2.1 A defi nition 5 2.2 Engagement in a representative democracy 5 2.3 Levels of engagement 5 2.4 Choosing the appropriate level of engagement 7 3. Community engagement in Queensland 8 3.1 Queensland’s approach 8 3.2 The government’s commitment 8 3.3 Key government initiatives 9 3.4 The state of engagement in Queensland 12 4. Benefi ts and challenges for government 13 4.1 Benefi ts of effective community engagement 13 4.2 Working with community expectations 13 4.3 Key challenges for the public sector 14 5. Where to from here? 16 5.1 Future direction for the public sector 17 Engaging Queenslanders: An introduction to community engagement 1 The purpose of this resource Engaging Queenslanders: An introduction to Other guides in the suite include: community engagement provides Queensland • Engaging Queenslanders: community Government public offi cials with a good engagement in the business of government understanding of community engagement and effective engagement practices. It defi nes • Engaging Queenslanders: a guide to engagement and levels of engagement, outlines community engagement showcasing events the global trends and drivers for increased • Engaging Communities: A guide to community involvement in government planning engagement methods for practitioners and decision making, and describes the current • Engaging Queenslanders: a guide to state of affairs in Queensland. evaluating community engagement. The publication is part of a suite of Copies of these guides can be downloaded resources produced by the Department of from the Queensland Government community Communities in collaboration with a range of engagement website (www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au). agencies, to support and promote effective Further guides being developed in the suite community engagement practice across the include: public sector. The suite of resources was developed in association with government • Engaging Queenslanders: introduction to and non-government community engagement working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait practitioners and informed by: Islander communities • Engaging Queenslanders: introduction to • the Community Engagement Improvement Working with Culturally and Linguistically Strategy, developed by a cross-government Diverse (CALD) Communities. team of engagement practitioners • a government-wide survey mapping community engagement activities • The State of Engagement 2003 and 2004 reports outlining community engagement activities across Queensland Government agencies • a series of community engagement showcasing events involving community, industry and government representatives • research into a range of national and international community engagement practices • a cross-government review of the Community Engagement Improvement Strategy. 2 Engaging Queenslanders: An introduction to community engagement 1 Setting the context 1.1 Introduction • innovation and reforms to improve Involving citizens in government planning and inclusiveness and accessibility at all levels of decision making is crucial to the legitimacy government and responsiveness of government, the quality • establishment of the Department of of public policies and programs, and the Communities with the vision of ‘Safe, valued effectiveness of services. and empowered communities’ While community engagement is aligned with • implementation of a Community Engagement our system of representative democracy and Improvement Strategy to improve engagement Queensland Government agencies have been practices and capability across the public undertaking a range of community engagement sector activities for some time, the government • inclusion of ‘Delivering responsive acknowledges the need for continuous government’ as one of the government’s improvement. seven key priorities. In a modern democracy, there is an expectation 1.2 Community engagement drivers that public offi cials will facilitate the contribution and trends of citizens and communities in government Globally, there are a range of drivers and trends planning and decision making processes. moving governments to improve community There is also an expectation that government engagement in planning and decision making. agencies will, through their Ministers and chief They include: executive offi cers, account for the results of their 1. Concerns about low levels of trust and engagement with citizens and communities. confi dence in government The increasing emphasis on community As communities and governments have grown involvement in government processes in in diversity and complexity, real or perceived Queensland corresponds with growing disconnections have increased and levels of citizen expectations for more accessible, trust and confi dence in government and public responsive and accountable government. It also institutions have decreased. The challenge corresponds with an international trend towards to restore public trust and confi dence more participatory and deliberative approaches has therefore driven many governments to democratic governance. The Organisation internationally to develop and implement for Economic Cooperation and Development innovative ways to effectively involve citizens advocates strengthened government–citizen in government processes. connections and the involvement of citizens in 2. Community expectations for governments shaping public policies. to be responsive, accountable and The Queensland Government has responded effective to citizen expectations and international trends Internationally there are community with a signifi cant commitment to improving expectations for greater government community engagement. The commitment has transparency and accountability, leading to been demonstrated through: increased outcome measurement. Greater Engaging Queenslanders: An introduction to community engagement 3 transparency and accountability allows citizens In response to these drivers and trends, to more easily access information about governments are taking a variety of approaches government and to examine and evaluate to enhance government–community government decisions. There is also continuing connections. The diversity of approaches has pressure on governments to deliver increased led to various descriptors, such as community effi ciencies through more tailored and better engagement, community capacity building, coordinated policies, programs and services. community renewal, strengthening communities 3. Mounting evidence and acknowledgement and place management. However, the common of increased social exclusion and overall objective is to enhance government disadvantage capacity to understand and respond to the There is signifi cant evidence that the complex and diverse needs of communities, increasing complexity of social and economic and to assist citizens and communities to build issues is changing the face of society and their own capacity to become involved in the the gap between the well-off and the socially processes of government. and economically disadvantaged is growing. Governments internationally are shifting from a Effective community engagement provides top-down model to ‘networked’ governance — a opportunities for governments to work with more inclusive approach that acknowledges the citizens and communities to close this gap. importance of connections, facilitates increased 4. The realisation that government does not citizen input into government processes, and have the expertise, resources or infl uence emphasises collaboration across the public, to solve all issues private and community sectors. Effective community engagement practice enables the government to access the considerable knowledge and expertise residing within Queensland communities. Several other global trends are contributing to a growing interest in community engagement. They include: • rising education levels • increasing interest in seeing more citizen opinions and values refl ected in government policies and decisions • the changing nature of community and non-government organisations • changes brought about by technology which are providing opportunities for fast and direct communication between citizens and public offi cials. 4 Engaging Queenslanders: An introduction to community engagement 2 What is community engagement? 2.1 A defi nition more effectively when conscious of the needs, Community engagement refers to the opinions and experiences of their constituents. connections between governments, citizens Public involvement in developing and evaluating and communities on a range of policy, program policies, programs and services is an effective and service issues. It encompasses a wide means of reconciling competing political, public variety of government–community interactions sector and community values and perspectives, ranging from information sharing to community and is a sound investment for government. consultation and, in some instances, active However, it is neither practical nor useful to participation
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