Transcript Creating and Maintaining Effective Partnerships

Community Engagement
Workshop
Deborah Morrison
Perfecting Tomorrow Inc.
Agenda
 What is Community Engagement
– Definition
– Levels of Engagement
– Leading Practice Principles
 The 5 W’s – things to think about before
planning a community engagement
strategy
– Exercize
 The 5 step Engagement Planning Cycle
 Ten Techniques for Community
Conversations
Exercise
True or False Quiz
__ Community engagement is a
mechanism for forcing residents to take
responsibility for their community
__ An expert is required to carry out
community engagement activities
__ Community engagement requires a long
term commitment
__ The key to a successful community
engagement strategy is funding
__ Leadership from within the community
is always better than leadership from
outside
__ Conflict is a sure sign that a community
engagement strategy is not working
Community Engagement
“Community is like a gem … it
originates from the earth in the
form of a stone … through a
process of cutting and polishing it
becomes a gem … is multifaceted;
each facet a mere aspect of a
whole that defies description. The
seeds of community reside in
humanity.”
 Scott Peck
Community Engagement
is:
 Working together with community
members and organizations to
address issues of importance and
concern in the community.
Exercise
 In your small group discuss:
– What are some of the community
engagement strategies you are
currently using?
– Be prepared to share with larger
group.
Levels of Community
Engagement
Tamarack Institute
Levels of Participation,
Empowerment and the Need for
Support and Capacity Building
Low …..…..EMPOWERMENT…..…..High
INFORM
CONSULT
INVOLVE
COLLABORATE
EMPOWER
Public
Participation
Goal:
Public
Participation
Goal:
Public Participation
Goal:
Public Participation
Goal:
Public
Participation
Goal:
To provide
balanced and
objective
information to
assist the
public in
understanding
alternatives
and/or
solutions
To obtain public
feedback on
analysis,
alternatives
and/or decisions
To work directly with
the public throughout
the process to ensure
that public issues and
concerns are
consistently
understood and
considered
To partner with the
public in each aspect
of the decision
including the
development of
alternatives and the
identification of the
preferred solution
To place final
decision-making
in the hands of
the public
Promise to the
public:
Promise to the
public:
Promise to the public:
Promise to the public:
Promise to the
public:
We will keep
you informed
We will keep
you informed,
listen to and
acknowledge
concerns and
provide
feedback on
how public input
influenced the
decision
We will work with you
to ensure that your
concerns and issues
are directly reflected
in the alternatives
developed and
provide feedback on
how public input
influenced the
decision
We will look to you for
direct advice and
innovation in
formulating solutions
and incorporate your
advice and
recommendations into
the decisions to the
maximum extent
possible
We will
implement what
you decide
Low …...NEED FOR SUPPORT AND CAPACITY BUILDING…..High

Source: International Association for Public Participation (unknown date)
Communication
Communication underpins all collaboration. Effective
communication, within a framework of community
engagement must be based on a pattern of mutual
dialogue and respect. Minnesota State Health, citing
the Annadale Report, contrasts old ways of thinking
about communication and new ways of thinking about
engagement.
Communication
Engagement
Communicate to
Public hearing
Talk to, tell
Seeking to establish / protect turf
Authority
Influencing the like-minded
Top down
Building a hierarchy for decisionmaking
Goals / strategic plan
Products
Public relations
Deliberate with
Community conversation
Talk with, share
Seeking / finding common
ground
Responsibility
Understanding those not likeminded
Bottom up
Establishing a stakeholders
network
Values / vision
Process
Public or community
engagement
Source: Minnesota State Health (2004)
Trust and Respect
 Trust and respect is the mortar
that holds together the building
block of successful community
engagement
 Especially important when working
with populations that have been
marginalized or excluded
 Without trusting relationships the
organizer/organizing agency will
be seen as an outsider
Community Engagement;
is Not a Science
 Methods are not prescriptive
 What works at one time, may not
work the next
 Populations/community is not
static; they’re alive, ever changing
 Circumstances, faces, challenges,
assets and demographics are
constantly changing
 What remains constant are the
innate needs of security,
connectedness, recognition,
meaning, and sense of being/self
Leading Practice
Principles


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Effective community engagement is
built on trust, goodwill and respect. It
should be driven by principles not
shaped by specific techniques.
9 principles which can help you avoid
common mistakes
Clarity of purpose
Commitment
Communication
Evidence
Flexibility and responsiveness
Timelines
Inclusiveness
Collaboration
Continuous learning
Leading Practice
Principles


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Effective community engagement is
built on trust, goodwill and respect. It
should be driven by principles not
shaped by specific techniques.
9 principles which can help you avoid
common mistakes
Clarity of purpose
Commitment
Communication
Evidence
Flexibility and responsiveness
Timelines
Inclusiveness
Collaboration
Continuous learning
Leading Practice
Principles


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Effective community engagement is
built on trust, goodwill and respect. It
should be driven by principles not
shaped by specific techniques.
9 principles which can help you avoid
common mistakes
Clarity of purpose
Commitment
Communication
Evidence
Flexibility and responsiveness
Timelines
Inclusiveness
Collaboration
Continuous learning
Leading Practice
Principles


1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Effective community engagement is
built on trust, goodwill and respect. It
should be driven by principles not
shaped by specific techniques.
9 principles which can help you avoid
common mistakes
Clarity of purpose
Commitment
Communication
Evidence
Flexibility and responsiveness
Timelines
Inclusiveness
Collaboration
Continuous learning
Things to Consider Before
Engagement
 An organizing agency must be
reflective in its approach to
engagement
 Engagement must not be seen as
a sideline to everyday business
 Engagement must not be done to
satisfy an ideological or
philosophical imperative
 Engagement must be based on
vision, relationship building,
knowledge and learning and action
 Before organizing an engagement
strategy consider the 5 W’s
The 5 W’s
 Who does the organizing agency
want to engage? Who will benefit
from engagement?
The 5 W’s
What
 What methods will be used for
engagement? Are certain methods
best suited for certain purposes?
What are the limitations and
benefits of each method? What
resources are needed?
The 5 W’s
When
 When and how will the community
be engaged? When will the
community be available for
engagement and is the organizing
agency prepared to meet with the
community on the community’s
time schedule?
The 5 W’s
Where
 Where will engagement of the
community take place? Will it be at
a public forum, the local
community centre, over the phone,
or at an agency-organized event?
The 5 W’s
Why
 Why is engagement necessary? Is
it the intention of the organizing
agency to inform, consult, involve,
collaborate or empower the
community?
Exercise
 Discuss within your small groups:
– What is one area of your work you
believe you could address more
effectively by engaging more
community members, organizations?
 Be prepared to share with larger
group.
Five Step Engagement
Planning Cycle
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



Design and Plan
Prepare and Organize
Implement
Follow-up and Feedback
Evaluate
Source: E:\CD Workshops\Evaluation, Community Engagement and Partnerships\Five step
engagement planning cycle.mht
Design and Plan
 What are the objectives?
 Stakeholder analysis - who should
be consulted?
 What are the constraints &
opportunities?
 What resources are available?
 What will be the indicators of
success?
 Decide on techniques.
Source: E:\CD Workshops\Evaluation, Community Engagement and Partnerships\Five step
engagement planning cycle.mht
Prepare and Organize
 Preparing an action plan
 Where will community
engagement events be held?
 What publicity is needed?
 What information should be given
to participants?
 Privacy and information
management
 Who will run the events?
 What are the measurements of
success?
Source: E:\CD Workshops\Evaluation, Community Engagement and Partnerships\Five step
engagement planning cycle.mht
Implement
 What is meant by implementation?
 Have arrangements been
confirmed?
 Do presentations need to be
rehearsed?
 What difficulties might be faced?
 What strategies are there to deal
with them?
 Ideas for maximizing the chances of
success.
Source: E:\CD Workshops\Evaluation, Community Engagement and Partnerships\Five step
engagement planning cycle.mht
Follow-up and Feedback
 Why give feedback and follow up?
 When should feedback and follow
up occur?
 How should feedback be given?
Source: E:\CD Workshops\Evaluation, Community Engagement and Partnerships\Five step
engagement planning cycle.mht
Evaluate
 What are the benefits of
evaluation?
 What might an evaluation
consider?
 Have evaluation techniques been
selected?
 If not, then develop and implement
an effective evaluation strategy
based on the above and further
reading.
Source: E:\CD Workshops\Evaluation, Community Engagement and Partnerships\Five step
engagement planning cycle.mht
Community
Conversations
Ten Techniques for Community Conversations
1. Conversation Cafes
2. Peer to Peer Conversations
3. The Top 100 Partners Exercise
4. Future Search Meetings
5. Open Space Conversations
6. Appreciative Enquiries
7. Common meaning Questionnaires
8. Food, Movies, …and Conversations
9. Giving Voice to Photos
10.Building Learning Communities
Source:
Community Conversations: Mobilizing the Ideas, Skills, and Passion of
Community Organizations, Governments, Businesses, and People
Paul Born, 2009
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
1 - Conversation Cafes
All change begins with people conversing,
exchanging ideas, feelings, and thoughts
Provide the chance to voice personal
stories, hopes and fears with each other
TIPS FOR A GREAT CONVERSATION
–Focus on the important stuff
–Accept and acknowledge each person
as an equal
–Speak with your heart and mind
–Watch for and eliminate judgements
–Listen, understand and open to new
vistas and abandon pre-conceived
notions
–Breathe deep to provide time for
thinking and reflection
–Share collective discoveries
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
1 - Conversation Cafes
– Plan an entertaining environment:
decorations, tunes, good lighting and
refreshments
– Create “menu” of open ended questions
– Have at least 2 rounds of table conversations
related to topics of interest
– Aim for a holistic flow avoiding a business or
formal approach that can hamper the spirit of
conversation
–
– Debrief the event together by regrouping to
original table and have the groups spend
fifteen minutes identifying three to five ideas
to share with the larger group
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
2 – Peer to Peer Conversation
Peer to Peer Conversation
– Ideas gathered from peers often exceed
abilities of top consultants
STEPS FOR A PEER TO PEER
CONVERSATION
– Questioner share a challenge or issue and ask
for specific feedback
– Peers ask precise questions for clarification
and details for 10 minutes and then another 10
minutes on “how” and “why” questions.
– Questioner is to sit, listen for 30 minutes
without speaking while peers discuss the issue
– End with a reflection by questioner on what
was learned
– Share ideas gleaned from peer input and
conversations
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
3 – The Top 100 Partners Exercise


The Top 100 Partners Exercise
– Who are the top 100 people or organizations
most able to create changes?
STEPS TO HOLD THE 100 PARTNERS
EXERCISE
1. Name potentially interested and suitable
candidates
2. Rank your list by sector
3. Rank your list by specific criteria:
4. Research your prospect list to priortize
who to ask first. Customize your request
so they can see the benefits and need for
their participation.
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
4 – Future Search Meetings
This is a planning meeting to help people quickly
transform capability for action into action
TIPS FOR USING FUTURE SEARCH
– Invite a cross-section of all parties
– Explore the whole issue before focusing on
one single element
– Develop common ground and highlight the
future
– Urge full attendance. Limit part-time
participants
– Meet under healthy conditions with spacious
rooms, healthy snacks and meals with
adequate breaks
– Work over 3 days with two nights of good sleep
for time to digest everything
– Ask for voluntary public commitments to
specific next steps before people leave
– Formulating the questions is very important.
Allow input into the questions
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
5 – Open Space Conversation
FOUR KEY PRINCIPLES OF OPEN SPACE
– Whoever comes are the right people
– Whatever happens is the only thing to happen
– Whenever it starts, it was meant to start
– When it’s over, it’s over
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
5 – Open Space Conversation
TIPS FOR HOLDING AN OPEN SPACE
CONVERSATION
– Allow people the space and time to grow
familiar with each other
– Allow people time and opportunity to identify
themes
– Trust people to self-organize
– Ensure adequate break out space is available
– Passion is the true motivator for people to
engage
– Trust people will talk when given the chance
– The Law of Two Feet leaves people free to
leave conversations if they feel they aren’t
learning or contributing
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
6 – Appreciative Enquiries
Appreciative Enquiries
–When conversation is seen as a series
of connected stories, it can help to seek
possibilities in solving problems. Search
for the best in people, organizations and
the world around as opposed problem
seeking, diagnosing and fixing.
–Essentially appreciative enquiry
reframes conversations away from
problems to ones seeking possibilities
–Adapt to whatever works for the group,
taking notes on success stories,
opportunities and possibilities
The Cycle of Appreciative
Inquiry
 DEFINITION: Decide what to learn
about.
 DELIVERY DESTINY: Create the
appropriate innovations based on the
hypotheses of the previous phase.
 DISCOVERY: Conduct an inquiry into
the topic and assemble learnings.
 DREAM: Generalize those learnings
into an image of how the organization
would function if those learnings were
fully alive.
 DESIGN: Develop hypotheses about
how to translate these learnings into the
organization’s social architecture.
Source: Pegasus Communications, Inc. #PL-2020
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
7 – Common Meaning Questionnaires
– What needs to be said will be communicated
when listeners are ready to hear
– Questionnaires help find the common meaning
TIPS FOR USING COMMON MEANING
QUESTIONNAIRES
– Deconstruct a purpose statement by creating a
meaning question for each significant concept
– Common meaning is a unique approach for
people to then be deliberate and focused on
exploring common words and concepts
building common understanding
– A great method for forming new collaboratives
7 – Common Meaning Questionnaires
Example - When bringing people together with
diverse backgrounds, the following questions
might be helpful as a guide:
– What does together mean to me
– What does building mean to me
– What does together, building mean to me
– What does vibrant mean to me
– What does world class mean to me
– What does community mean to me
– What does art community mean to me
– What does a vibrant world-class arts
community mean to me
– Below, using all of the colours available, draw
your vision of a world-class community
– Describe your picture
– Use three words to describe the feelings your
picture evokes
– Share three ideas we could do together to
realize your vision
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
8 – Food, Movies and Conversations
 A progressive dinner and for each course at various
community locations like schools, daycares, cultural
centers, hospitals, collaborative kitchens etc.
Huddle with colleagues to ask one simple question:
“What does this experience mean for our work?”
 Have a wealthy, influential person invite people to
dinner, introduce your work, announce why he or
she supports the work and then you present more
about the issue over dessert. Everyone converses.
 Potlucks create the best conversations. Bringing
food to share opens hearts.
 Movies also open the heart and mind to stimulating
fascinating conversations. Find a suitable movie for
the topic needing discussion, set out the popcorn in
a comfortable environment along with markers and
flipcharts
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
9 – Giving Voice to Photos
Photography can amplify visions and experiences
There are three goals
– Enable people to record and reflect on their
community’s strengths and problems.
– Promote dialogue about important issues
– Engage policy makers to learn that the experts
and the grassroots people may disagree on
what is important
TIPS FOR USING PHOTOS TO HOLD
CONVERSATION
– Distribute cameras
– Each person takes many pictures which have
meaning to the photographer
– If no time, you can organize a treasure hunt
around a theme and have people take pictures
– As people think about the issue, they explain
why they took the photos they did.
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
10 – Building Learning Communities
 This type of community is where people
naturally create a learning community as they
work, learn and plan together towards achieving
a better community. There are three key areas
to the basic structure of a community of
practice:
1. Domain – creating a common identity
2. Community – include the people who care
about and interact with the issues related to
the domain. The community creates the social
fabric of learning
3. Practice – this is the specific knowledge that
the community develops, shares and
maintains
Ten Techniques for
Community Conversations:
10 – Building Learning Communities
 In a learning community, leaders might
experience:
– a sense of common goals as they spend time
together sharing stories, experiences, and
insights
– Generative learning – moving from a place of
association to trust. A trusting space is
developed and a state of common inquiry
– Turning answers into questions – every
learner is a teacher and vice versa. Every
interaction is an opportunity to evoke
generative learning
Profile of Techniques
Highlighted techniques
Some other techniques
1. Inform
1. Meeting
2. Public notice
3. Website
4. Written
Discussion paper
Exhibition
Promotion
2. Consult
1.Citizens’ panel
2.Community information and
feedback session
3.Facilitation
4.Focus group
 meeting
5.Public hearing
6.Questionnaire
 Website
Community needs analysis
Networking
Strategic questioning
3. Involve
 Facilitation
1.Planning focus meeting
2.Precinct committee
Networking
Review session
Strategic questioning
4. Collaborate
1.Advisory committee
2.Charette
 Facilitation
3.Policy round table
4.Regional forum
5.Search conference
5. Empower
1.Citizens’ jury
 Search Conference
Strategic questioning
Joint venture
Source http://tamarackcommunity.ca/g3s136.html
Exercise
 Using the 5 W’s and the scenario
provided create a community
engagement strategy within your
small group.
Rules of Engagement
Jim Diers
 Have fun
 Start where people are
 Strive for results
 Utilize People’s strengths
 Celebrate success and recognize
caring neighbours
Deborah Morrison
Perfecting Tomorrow Inc.
780 490-6645
[email protected]
Scenario 1
 The Federal Government has
recognized the importance of raising
the literacy levels of Canadians. They
have asked each municipality for a
proposal outlining how they will go
about achieving increased literacy
levels in their community.
 As the Family Literacy Coordinator in
your municipality you have been
charged with creating such a proposal.
 You have decided it would be wise to
engage the community in this
discussion as it is a community wide
issue.
Scenario 2
 There has been a great influx of new
immigrants into your community. The
youth attending high schools are placed
according to age not ability. Many
become frustrated since they do not
know the English language and
therefore are not achieving success at
school. They have been dropping out.
 These youth are being targeted by drug
dealers. Many, feeling they have no
better prospects, find themselves as
members of gangs dealing drugs.
 The police chief recognizing this issue
as a community wide issue asks you
as the E.D. of a successful youth
serving agency to create a plan for
addressing it.