The Community Engagement Strategy by The Advocacy Foundation, Inc.

The e-Advocate Quarterly Essay Hebrews 10:24-25

The Community Engagement Strategy

“Helping Individuals, Organizations & Communities Achieve Their Full Potential”

Vol. I, Issue II – Q-2 April | May| June 2015

The Advocacy Foundation, Inc. Helping Individuals, Families and Communities Achieve Their Full Potential

The Community Engagement Strategy

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Helping Individuals, Organizations & Communities Achieve Their Full Potential

1735 M arket Street, Suite 3750 | 100 Edgewood Avenue, Suite 1690 Philadelphia, PA 19102 Atlanta, GA 30303 John C Johnson III, Esq. Founder & CEO

(878) 222-0450 Voice | Fax | SMS

www.TheAdvocacyFoundation.org

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Biblical Authority ______

Hebrews 10:24-25 (AMP) 24

And let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to watching over one another, studying how we may stir up (stimulate and incite) to 25 love and helpful deeds and noble activities, Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching. ______

Hebrews 10:24-25 (GW) Encourage Each Other 24

We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and 25 to do good things. We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.

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Table of Contents The Juvenile Justice M inistry @ ...

The Community Engagement Strategy I.

STRENGTHENING EXISTING COMMUNITY AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS a. b. c. d. e.

II.

PARTICIPATION IN JUVENILE COURT PROCESSES f. g.

h. i. III.

Representation of Juveniles Collaborative Coordinated “ Cross-Systems” Approach i. Juvenile Justice System (minimize charges & confinem ents) ii. Education 1. Standard 2. Correctional a. Rapid re-enrollment upon releas e iii. Mental Health iv. Child Welfare System The Restorative/ Transformative Justice Initiative The Juvenile Justice Legislative Reform Initiative

STRENGTHENING “SECOND CHANCE” MINISTRIES j. k. l. m.

IV.

NREPP (Nat. Registry of Evidence-Bas ed Programs & Practices) Training & Organizational Development Accountability Systems/ Change Management Data-Driven Resource Allocation Quality Assurance/ Compliance

Expungements & Pardons Restoration of Rights Employability (Vocational Training Programs) Educational Attainment i. GED ii. Post-Secondary iii. Graduat e School

The COMMUNITY LEARNING SERIES n. o. p. q.

The Restorative Justice Project Juvenile Justice 101 Parental Rights 101 Domestic Violence

e . Trained Police Friendly f. Transformative Justice g. Education Law h. Wills/ Advance Directives

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Introduction Community Engagement refers to the process by which community benefit organizations and individuals build ongoing, permanent relationships for the purpose of applying a collective vision for the benefit of a community. While community organizing involves the process of building a grassroots movement involving communities, community engagement primarily deals with the practice of moving said communities towards change, usually from a stalled or otherwise similarly suspended position. Community engagement can trace its roots to the concept of community benefit, a term that grew out of an English common law concept, articulated in an 1891 legal decision that defined four types of charitable organizations: trusts for the advancement of education; trusts for the advancement of religion; and trusts for other purposes beneficial to the community . As community benefit became an important method of institutionalizing ideals, methods evolved to effectively reach the communities those entities were meant to aid. This led to the birth of community organizing, which as far as the United States is concerned, gained momentum over time beginning in the late 1800s. Practitioners of community engagement runs the gamut, from local community members to professionals such as business developers or social workers. Additionally, they can be specific to issues, such as grassroots organizers focusing on economic justice, or rehabilitation counselors focusing on disability -related issues. M ethodologies of community engagement are a result of problems in the current community benefit administrative structure, where governing boards of community projects become unable to continue convincing either themselves or the community to further the projects they became involved in. This may be due to "incorrect aiming of accountability for problems in the governing board, overzealous micromanagement of resources, a collectively dysfunctional board, poor board / staff relations or unsatisfactory organizational planning." Because of these overlaying problems, community members themselves are also directly influenced and therefore similarly hindered in regards to change within their specific regions of development. Civic engagement refers to political activity, membership and volunteering in civil society organizations. Social engagement refers to participation in collective activities. Community engagement refers to the process by which community benefit organizations and individuals build ongoing, permanent relationships for the purpose of applying a collective vision for the benefit of a community.

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Practical community engagement is used as an active method of implementing change. While most current standards implore more static means through standard marketing techniques, community engagement involves actively implementing a specific process towards activism such as the 8-step guideline listed below developed by Hildy Gottlieb of Creating the Future. While the process may have similarities to a controversial form of friendraising, the emphasis in community engagement is that of honest relationship building for the sake of community, not for the sole purpose of money -making. The steps are: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Determine the goals of the plan Plan out who to engage Develop engagement strategies for those individuals you already know Develop engagement strategies of those individuals you do not already know Prioritize those activities Create an implementation plan M onitor your progress M aintain those relationships

Other programs exist to assist communities in the process of building community coalitions for engagement. One such program is Communities That Care which helps communities assess their needs and implement tested and effective programs to address their identified issues.

Key concepts Community engagement may involve the use of particular key concepts relevant to the community benefit sector such as:         

Friendraising Community impact planning Community-driven governance Asset-based resource development Vision-based community impact planning Organizational wellness planning Building programs on shared resources Community sleuthing Community-based program development

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Strengthening Existing Community & Faith-Based Organizations The United Nations defines Community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad term given to the practices of civic leaders, activists, involved citizens and professionals to improve various aspects of communities, typically aiming to build stronger and more resilient local communities. Community development seeks to empower individuals and groups of people by providing them with the skills they need to effect change within their communities. These skills are often created through the formation of large social groups working for a common agenda. Community developers must understand both how to work with individuals and how to affect communities' positions within the context of larger social institutions. Community development as a term has taken off widely in anglophone countries i.e. the USA, UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand and other countries in the Commonwealth. It is also used in some countries in eastern Europe with active community development associations in Hungary and Romania. The Community Development Journal, published by Oxford University Press, since 1966 has aimed to be the major forum for research and dissemination of international community development theory and practice. Community development approaches are recognized internationally. These methods and approaches have been acknowledged as significant for local social, economic, cultural, environmental and political development by such organizations as the UN, WHO, OECD, World Bank, Council of Europe and EU. Different Approaches There are numerous overlapping approaches to community development. Some focus on the processes, some on the outcomes/ objectives. They include:   



Community Capacity Building; focusing on helping communities obtain, strengthen, and maintain the ability to set and achieve their own development objectives. S ocial Capital Formation; focusing on benefits derived from the cooperation between individuals and groups. Nonviolent Direct Action; when a group of people take action to reveal an existing problem, highlight an alternative, or demonstrate a possible solution to a social issue which is not being addressed through traditional societal institutions (governments, religious organizations or established trade unions) are not addressing to the satisfaction of the direct action participants. Economic Development, focusing on the "development" of developing countries as measured by their economies, although it includes the processes and policies by which a nation improves the economic, political, and social well-being of its people.

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

  

 



Community Economic Development (CED); an alternative to conventional economic development which encourages using local resources in a way that enhances economic outcomes while improving social conditions. Sustainable Development; which seeks to achieve, in a balanced manner, economic development, social development and environmental protection outcomes. Community-Driven Development (CDD), an economic development model which shifts overreliance on central governments to local communities. Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD); is a methodology that seeks to uncover and use the strengths within communities as a means for sustainable development. Faith-Based Community Development; which utilizes faith based organizations to bring about community development outcomes. Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR); a partnership approach to research that equitably involves, for example, community members, organizational representatives, and researchers in all aspects of the research process and in which all partners contribute expertise and share decision making and ownership, which aims to integrate this knowledge with community development outcomes. Community Organizing; a term used to describe an approach that generally assumes that social change necessarily involves conflict and social struggle in order to generate collective power for the powerless. Participatory Planning including community-based planning (CBP); involving the entire community in the strategic and management processes of urban planning; or, community-level planning processes, urban or rural. M ethodologies focusing on the educational component of community development, including the community -wide empowerment that increased educational opportunity creates. M ethodologies addressing the issues and challenges of the Digital Divide, making affordable training and access to computers and the Internet, addressing the marginalisation of local communities that cannot connect and participate in the global Online Community. In the United States, nonprofit organizations such as Per Scholas seek to “break the cycle of poverty by providing education, technology and economic opportunities to individuals, families and communities” as a path to development for the communities they serve.

There are a myriad of job titles for community development workers and their employers include public authorities and voluntary or non-governmental organisations, funded by the state and by independent grant making bodies. Since the nineteen seventies the prefix word „community‟ has also been adopted by several other occupations from the police and health workers to planners and architects, who have been influenced by community development approaches.

In the US In the United States in the 1960s, the term "community development" began to complement and generally replace the idea of urban renewal, which typically focused on physical development projects often at the expense of working-class communities. In the late 1960s, philanthropies such as the Ford Foundation and government officials such as Senator Robert F. Kennedy took

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an interest in local nonprofit organizations. A pioneer was the Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation in Brooklyn, which attempted to apply business and management skills to the social mission of uplifting low-income residents and their neighborhoods. Eventually such groups became known as "Community Development Corporations" or CDCs. Federal laws beginning with the 1974 Housing and Community Development Act provided a way for state and municipal governments to channel funds to CDCs and other nonprofit organizations. National organizations such as the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (founded in 1978 and now known as NeighborWorks America), the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) (founded in 1980), and the Enterprise Foundation (founded in 1981) have built extensive networks of affiliated local nonprofit organizations to which they help provide financing for countless physical and social development programs in urban and rural communities. The CDCs and similar organizations have been credited with starting the process that stabilized and revived seemingly hopeless inner city areas such as the South Bronx in New York City.

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Participation in Juvenile Court Processes Juvenile court is a special court or department of a trial court which deals with under-age defendants charged with crimes or who are neglected or out of the control of their parents. The normal age of these defendants is under 18, but juvenile court does not have jurisdiction in cases in which minors are charged as adults. The procedure in juvenile court is not always adversarial, although the minor is entitled to legal representation by a lawyer. Parents or social workers and probation officers may be involved in the process to achieve positive results and save the minor from involvement in future crimes. However, serious crimes and rep eated offenses can result in sentencing juvenile offenders to prison, with transfer to state prison upon reaching adulthood with limited maximum sentences, often until the age of 18, 21, 23 or 25. Where parental neglect or loss of control is a problem, the juvenile court may seek out foster homes for the juvenile, treating the child as a ward of the court. A juvenile court handles case of delinquency and dependency. Delinquency refers to crimes committed by minors, and dependency includes cases where a non-parental person is chosen to care for a minor. A juvenile court (or young offender's court) is a tribunal having special authority to try and pass judgments for crimes committed by children or adolescents who have not attained the age of majority. In most modern legal systems, children and adolescents who commit a crime are treated differently from legal adults who have committed the same crime. In some jurisdictions, such as in 44 states of the United S tates, severe offenses, such as murder and gang-related acts, are treated the same as crimes committed by adults even for minors (though particularly young offenders may still not be treatable as adults.) It was reported in 2007 that "Beginning around 35 years ago, increases in violent juvenile crime permitted judges to transfer juveniles to adult-criminal courts. No national data exist on the number of juvenile offenders prosecuted as adults." "The main difference between a juvenile court and an adult court in England is that the juvenile court has a much wider jurisdiction in terms of the offenses it can try. It can deal with a juvenile for any offense except homicide, although it is not bound to deal with a young person for a serious offense such as robbery or rape; on such a charge he can be committed to the Crown Court for trial in the same manner as an adult." In all but four states, anyone charged with committing a criminal act before his or her seventeenth or eighteenth birthday is initially processed as a juvenile defendant. In New York and North Carolina the minimum age at which all accused persons are charged as adults is 13. In Illinois, M ichigan, Texas and eight others the minimum age is 17. In other states, such as Washington, the minimum age depends on the severity of the crime. In Kent v. United States (1966), the United States Supreme Court held that a juvenile must be afforded due process rights, specifically that a waiver of jurisdiction from a juvenile court to a district court must be voluntary and knowing. The U.S. Supreme Court held, in 1967, that

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children accused in a juvenile delinquency proceeding have the rights to due process, counsel, and against self-incrimination, essentially the Miranda rights. Writing for the majority, Associate Justice Abe Fortas wrote, "Under our Constitution, the condition of being a boy does not justify a kangaroo court." However, most juvenile proceedings are held without a jury as M cKeiver v. Pennsylvania (1971) decided that minors do not have the same rights in this regard as adults.

Age of criminal responsibility There is no uniform national age from which a child is accountable in the juvenile court system; this varies between states, with many setting 10 as the minimum. Not all minors who commit a crime are committed to juvenile (or adult) court. A police officer has three choices:

1. Detain and warn the minor against further violations, and then let the minor go free 2. Detain and warn the minor against further violations, but hold the minor until a parent or guardian comes for the minor 3. Place the minor in custody and refer the case to an officer

Avoiding formal charges In an American juvenile court, it is possible to avoid placing formal charges. FindLaw lists seven official factors that can help formal charges be avoided: In Connecticut, a referral can be made to a non-court associated committee referred to as a Juvenile Review Board. These boards can present a resolution that does not result in a juvenile criminal record. However, there are circumstances such as the types of cases the board will accept. 1. The severity of the offense. A serious crime is more likely to result in the filing of a petition than a less serious crime. 2. The minor's age. Petitions are more likely to be filed in cases involving older children.

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3. The minor's past record. Formal charges are more likely when a minor has been previously involved with juvenile court. 4. The strength of the evidence that the minor committed a crime. Obviously, stronger evidence leads to a greater likelihood of formal charges. 5. The minor's sex. Formal charges are more likely to be filed against boys than against girls. 6. The minor's social history. Petitions are more likely to be filed when children have a history of problems at home or at school. 7. The parent's or guardian's apparent ability to control the minor. The greater the lack of parental control, the more likely the intake officer is to file a petition. Along with these seven, four "unofficial" factors can sway an official: 1. The minor's attitude. Formal proceedings are less likely when a child shows remorse for committing a crime. 2. The minor's appearance. If the young person dresses well, is neatly groomed and is polite, intake personnel are more likely to handle the case informally. 3. Whether the minor has family or community support. The more support the young person has, the more likely the intake officer is to deal with the case informally. 4. Whether the minor has an attorney. Disposing of a case informally may be less likely when a child has a lawyer.

Reform In his 1997 book No Matter How Loud I Shout, a study of the Los Angeles' Juvenile Courts, Edward Humes argued that the system is in need of a revolutionary reform. He stated that the system sends too many children with good chances of rehabilitation to adult court, while pushing aside and acquitting children early on the road to crime instead of givin g counseling, support, and accountability. 57% of children arrested for the first time are never arrested again, 27% are arrested one or two more times, and 16% commit four or more crimes.

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Strengthening “Second Chance” Ministries The Second Chance Act legislation authorizes federal grants to government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide employment assistance, housing, substance abuse treatment, family programming, mentoring, victim‟s support and other related services that help reduce recidivism. The Second Chance Act also establishes the National Offender Re-entry Resource Center for the purpose of managing, monitoring, and disseminating information to the service providers and community organizations delivering services under the Second Chance Act. "We know from long experience that if they can't find work, or a home or help, they are much more likely to commit more crimes and return to prison.” (George W. Bush, 2004)

The Second Chance Act of 2007 (H.R. 1593), titled "To reauthorize the grant program for reentry of offenders into the community in the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, to improve reentry planning and implementation, and for other purposes" was submitted to the House by Representative Danny Davis (D-IL) to amend the

Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to reauthorize, rewrite, and expand provisions for adult and juvenile offender state and local reentry demonstration projects to provide expanded services to offenders and their families for reentry into society. H.R. 1593 was signed into law April 9, 2008. The S econd Chance Act serves to reform the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The purpose of the Second Chance Act is to reduce recidivism, increase public safety, and

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assist states and communities to address the growing population of inmates returning to communities. The focus has been placed on four areas: jobs, housing, substance abuse/mental health treatment and families. On April 20, 2005 Representative Robert Portman (R-OH2) introduced H.R.4676 and Senator Samuel Brownback (R-KS) introduced S.2789 Second Chance Act 2005 during the 108th Congressional Session however both bills died in committee. During the 109th Congressional Legislative Session, Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) introduced S.1934 and Representative Robert Portman (R-OH2) reintroduced the Second Chance Act (2007) S 1934 without success. However, during the 110th Congressional Legislative Session, Sen. Joseph Biden (D-DE) and Representative Danny K. Davis (D-IL7) successfully ushered the passage of H.R.1593 Second Chance Act of 2007 receiving bipartisan support from 218 Democrats, 129 Republicans enacting the bill into legislation on April 9, 2008. In 2011, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced S.1231 requesting reauthorization of the Second Chance Act during the 112th Congressional Legislative Session. Since that time, the submission has been placed on the Senate Legis lative Calendar (July 21, 2011) where it has remained for further review. The Reauthorization of the Second Chance Act provides for the expansion of state and local reentry demonstration projects to provide expanded services to offenders and their families for reentry into society, as well as the necessary services to remain productive members of society. As of July 2008, the United States House of Representatives appropriated $45 million while the Senate tentatively appropriated $20 million for grants authorized under the Act. The Second Chance Act provides a number of grants, over a two-year period, to state and local governments in order to:      

promote the safe and successful reintegration of offenders into the community upon their release, provide employment services, substance abuse treatment, housing, family programming, mentoring, victim services, and methods to improve release and relocation, provide mentoring services to adult and juvenile offenders, implement family-based treatment programs for incarcerated parents who have minor children, provide guidance to the Bureau of Prisons for enhanced reentry planning procedures, provide information on health, employment, personal finance, release requirements and community resources

Combating Recidivism Each year, as approximately 650,000 people are released from state and federal prisons and between 10 and 12 million more are released from local jails, they struggle with substance abuse, lack of adequate education and job skills, and mental health issues, and a large number of these people return to prison within three years of their release due to inadequate services and opportunities. Two-thirds of released inmates are expected to be rearrested for a felony or serious

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misdemeanor within three years of release. Such high recidivism rates translate into thousands of new crimes each year. Jobless Rates The National Institute of Justice Reports that 60 percent of former inmates remain jobless a year after their release because of their criminal records and the low literacy levels that hamper them in their search for employment. Employment rates and earnings histories of people in prisons and jails are often low before incarceration as a result of limited education experiences, low skill levels, and the prevalence of physical and mental health problems; incarceration only exacerbates these challenges. Housing Current laws deny housing to former offenders with drug-related convictions. A report by Human Rights Watch, No Second Chance, focuses on the unfairness of the one-strike policy in public housing. M ore than 10 percent of those entering prisons and jails are homeless in the months before their incarceration. For those with mental illness the rates reach 20 percent. Released prisoners with a history of shelter use were almost five times as likely to have a post release shelter stay. Substance Abuse Over a fourth of all offenses are drug-related and over 70 percent of the recidivists return to prison with drug or alcohol problems, in part because little treatment has been made available during earlier incarceration and little was made available after their release. In a study of more than 20,000 adults entering five local jails, researchers documented serious mental illness in 14.5 percent of the men and 31 percent of the women, which taken together, comprises 16.9 percent of those studied. The incidence of serious mental illness is two to four times higher among prisoners that it is in the general population. Funding History Budget Request Senate House Final FY2009 N/A $20 million $45 million $25 million FY2010 $100 million $50 million $100 million $100 million FY2011 $100 million $50 million $10 million $70 million

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The Community Learning Series ______ Our Community Learning Series consists of a host of “Lunch & Learn” and “Dinner & Learn” Informational Presentations which include, but are by no means limited to the following:

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Youth Development Series The Restorative Justice Project A Multidisciplinary Approach Juvenile Justice 101 - Students' Rights Parents' Bill of Rights - Parental Power Expungements & Pardons

Board Development Series Board Development 101 Organization & Leadership Group Decision-Making Conducting Successful Meetings Community Collaboration Strategic Planning Capacity Building Fundraising & Compliance

Cornerstone Series Litigation Fundraising Strategic Planning Restorative Justice Automated Programs Accountability

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Youth Court The Economic Consequences of Legal Decision-Making The International Coalition for Drug-Free Communities The Theological Foundations of US Law & Government The First Amendment Project The Fourth Amendment Project The Sixth Amendment Project The Eighth Amendment Project The Adolescent Law Group Parental Rights

Each series is tailored to the particular needs and wishes of each host community.

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References 1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_engagement 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvenile_court 3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Chance_Act_%282007%29 4. http://www.theadvocacyfoundation.org/Publications 5. http://dailyverses.net/community 6. http://www.communityplanningtoolkit.org/sites/default/files/Engagement.pdf 7. http://www.cse.org.uk/thesource/download/community -engagement-developing-astrategy-planlocal-255

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Attachment A

Developing A Strategy

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Chapter 6: Getting people involved | Community engagement: Developing a strategy

Community engagement: Developing a strategy Some questions to help with planning... This guidance outlines some important things to consider when planning a community engagement strategy for your project or enterprise. There are a variety of approaches to community consultation and engagement. The aim of developing an engagement strategy is to be able to plan and deliver an appropriate community engagement process that will allow you to achieve your desired outcomes. This means being clear about your aims, identifying your target audience, understanding your resources and capacity, and planning accordingly. This document is structured under four headings (shown below) which you can use as the basis for your own strategy document and action plan. Each heading is presented with a series of questions and prompts to help you consider what to include in each section. The boxes in each section include some examples of what kind of thing to put in your plan and how to structure it as a working document.

1. Overall aim

What we want to achieve

IMPACT

2. Specific aims

Why we're doing it

OUTCOMES

3. Objectives

How we're doing it

OUTPUTS

4. Review

Is it working?

IMPROVEMENTS

continued ... PlanLoCaL Energy efficiency and Green Deal | www.planlocal.org.uk | January 2013

Chapter 6: Getting people involved | Community engagement: Developing a strategy

1) Overall aim What is your ‘mission’ (overall and/or for this specific project)? What do you want to achieve? What impact are you hoping to make? The overall aim of the project and/or organisation is to... [Describe the aim of the project e.g. reducing CO2 emissions from the local housing stock, reducing fuel bills for local residents in fuel poverty]

2) Aims of the strategy What are your reasons for involving the community? (There may be more than one relating to different parts of the project.) • Is this a consultation (i.e. are you inviting people to have a say on the future of the group, business or project)? Are you promoting the project by getting messages out to people (e.g. to garner support or raise awareness)? • What can be changed in your project plans? What is fixed? How much room is there for negotiation on existing plans? How about in the future? Will there be a chance for people to make recommendations (or decisions) on project activities? • How extensively do you need to consult to overcome potential objections? • How widely do you need to publicise what you’re doing to achieve success?

The strategy has been put together in order to: [amend/insert/delete the example specific aims as applicable] • consult with the community at the start of a project, and use input to finalise the proposal • get messages out, share information, raise awareness or improve understanding about a project or an issue • establish dialogue where individuals, groups or organisations can feed in ideas and help shape a project as it develops • involve people actively in a project or enterprise (e.g. as volunteers, shareholders or partners) • other...

PlanLoCaL Energy efficiency and Green Deal | www.planlocal.org.uk | January 2013

Chapter 6: Getting people involved | Community engagement: Developing a strategy

3) Objectives

i) Identify your target audience • Who are your stakeholders? Who could be affected (positively or negatively) by your plans? Who is likely to be able to influence the success or failure of your project? Are these the same people who you hope to engage through this strategy? For a more detailed approach to identifying your stakeholders there is a good exercise here: www.planlocal.org.uk/downloads/download_file/22 • Do you want to reach as many people as possible (say, the county or region), or are you concentrating on specific groups or geographical areas? • Are you aiming to contact individuals or organisations or certain interest groups? Who do you want to actively engage in on-going dialogue? This strategy aims to target: [Describe your target audience, including rationale if appropriate, e.g. householders in Road X, the local residents association, local businesses, elderly residents living in Village Y, parents at the local school, the village hall committee etc.]

ii) Know your resources • Do you have a budget? What is it? • Who will carry out the work? How many people? How much time can they offer? Does this affect what you can do? • Do you have the right skills and resources to carry out consultation and/or marketing activities? If not, what do you need to develop or pay for?

This strategy aims to target: In order to achieve the actions set out below, a budget of £X [amount of money allocated to the consultation process] will be needed together with Y [number of days of work] person days to deliver the work.

Additional resources and/or expertise may need to be brought in, including the following: [describe additional equipment and expertise and any cost implications]

continued ... PlanLoCaL Energy efficiency and Green Deal | www.planlocal.org.uk | January 2013

Chapter 6: Getting people involved | Community engagement: Developing a strategy

iii) Be clear on timeframes • Do you have a deadline? How long do you need for the activities you have in mind? Is this realistic with the time that you identified as available above? • Can you break down the task into phases and milestones? When do you need to have finished each phase by? • Do you need to factor in planning time, and time for collecting and analysing feedback?

This work will begin [start of engagement and/or consultation activity] with key milestones as follows: [insert key dates and milestones] • e.g. Hold two public open meetings in April 2013 • e.g. Send out a questionnaire to local residents in May 2013 and analyse the results by the end of June • e.g. Have completed one radio interview with a local station by June 2013

iv) Decide on approaches What are the best approaches to use to engage your community? Your approach could include focus groups, steering groups, public meetings, events, seminars, audits, a local media campaign, door to door surveys, web based surveys, leaflets, posters, exhibitions, competitions, a website, regular newsletters, etc. It is likely that you may need to use different approaches for the different aims of your consultation.

v) Keeping everyone up-to-date • How will you keep everyone in the loop within your group? (e.g. meetings, email, phone) • How will you feed back to community groups and individuals or other stakeholders? (e.g. meetings, printed material, newsletters) • How often will these communications take place? Who will organise them? How much of your resources (time and money) will this require? What?

Audience

How often

e.g. Group meetings

Internal group

Monthly

e.g. Newsletter distributed door to door

Local residents

Every quarter

e.g. Website

Stakeholders

Fortnightly updates. Quarterly review of content

PlanLoCaL Energy efficiency and Green Deal | www.planlocal.org.uk | January 2013

Chapter 6: Getting people involved | Community engagement: Developing a strategy

4) Write an action plan Taking all of the previous thinking into account, you can set specific objectives with dates, responsibilities, budgets and so on. This is likely to be based around the approaches outlined in your objectives. The action plan should cover: what exactly you are going to do, who will do it, in what timeframe and using what resources.

An example action plan: Action 1

Hold three public meetings

Specific aim(s)

Use community input to shape project proposal Raise awareness and improve understanding of the project

Who

Jeff and Sue to lead

Date(s)

February to April

Approach

Public workshops to gather views on the project Advertisement of project and meetings week before in local paper, on website and in newsletter Distribute leaflets about project week before outside local supermarket Try to get radio publicity Budget? £75 per meeting for room hire and refreshment; £50 adverts in local newspaper, £30 leaflet printing costs

Resources

Person days? 2 person days for planning and publicity Review indicator(s)

Other expertise or equipment? 3 group members at each event How many people attended and gave feedback? Number of newsletter sign-ups from the meetings?

Action 2

Etc ...

Specific aim(s)

Etc ...

continued ... PlanLoCaL Energy efficiency and Green Deal | www.planlocal.org.uk | January 2013

Chapter 6: Getting people involved | Community engagement: Developing a strategy

5) Review Finally, the strategy needs revisiting regularly to see if you are on track and achieving what you wanted to, and to check that it is still fit for purpose. As Brigadier Pemberton said, “you need to have a plan but you need to be able to change it”. If you set up a consultation or an awareness raising campaign... • How many people did you reach? • Was it successful? How do you know? • Have you learnt anything from the running of the campaign that needs to be fed back into the aims, objectives or outputs of the main project plan? • Revisit your overall project plans – have your priorities changed as a result of the consultation (e.g. the focus of your project, specific activities, or the order in which to go about things)? • How will you act on any responses or suggestions you receive? • How will you decide what you can and can’t include in your project? • How will you pass on issues raised that are outside the scope of your project or group?

The strategy will be reviewed every [how often do you plan to review this] by the project team to monitor how successfully the aims are being achieved, and to identify improvements that can be made. The findings from the review of the consultation strategy will be used to feed back into the main project plan on an ongoing basis. Next review date: [insert date here]

Here are links to some more resources you may find useful: Stakeholder engagement: www.planlocal.org.uk/downloads/download_file/22 Summary of approaches to community consultation and engagement: www.cse.org.uk/downloads/file/approaches_to_consultation_and_engagement.pdf Three short videos on consulting the community: www.planlocal.org.uk/videos/submenus/submenu-consulting.html Introduction to facilitation skills and group management: www.planlocal.org.uk/downloads/view/planning-promoting-and-facilitating-events/28 Guidance on promoting your events: www.planlocal.org.uk/downloads/view/planning-promoting-and-facilitating-events/29 Practical guidance on setting up events: www.planlocal.org.uk/downloads/view/planning-promoting-and-facilitating-events/30 Fife Community Consultation handbook: http://admin.1fife.org.uk/uploadfiles/publications/c64_ConsultationHandbook_complete.pdf PlanLoCaL Energy efficiency and Green Deal | www.planlocal.org.uk | January 2013

Attachment B

Community Planning Toolkit

Page 30 of 35

Community Planning Toolkit

Community Engagement

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement

Developed by Community Places through the support of the BIG Lottery Fund 2014 www.communityplanningtoolkit.org

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement

Contents 1. Introduction 03 2. Planning and Designing Community Engagement

Thinking through the following questions and issues will help in the planning and design of community engagement. • What level of participation is it hoped will be achieved?

3. Quality Standards for Community 07 Engagement

• How to identify the stakeholders?

4. Online Tool to Guide Engagement 08 Activity - VOiCE

•

5. Tools to Help to Choose a Method(s)

6. Methods and Techniques

7. Resources 24

1. Introduction This section of the toolkit provides guidance on the issues to consider when planning and designing community engagement. It focuses on quality and effectiveness, process planning and designing engagement tailored to the particular issue, level of participation to be achieved, timeframe and range of stakeholders affected.

2. Planning and Designing Community Engagement Community engagement works best where it is an ongoing cumulative process enabling relationships and trust to build and strengthen over time. Individual engagement events should be planned and designed with this in mind and aim to contribute to the overall aims of the engagement process. Community or voluntary groups may want to participate at a range of levels – from providing advice to co-designing the process and from undertaking some aspects of the engagement to delivering projects to meet some of the outcomes.

• Communications. Stage of the engagement process.

• Resources. • Are there any limitations? • Timely feedback and next steps. • Tools to help choose a method. • Methods.

What is the purpose and scope of the engagement process? From the outset be clear about the scope and purpose of the engagement process. For example, is the process designed to: • Identify or prioritise what the needs and priorities for Community Planning should be? • Develop a consensus on a proposal or plan? • Inform the decision-making or service delivery of a community, council or department? • Develop new or collaborative ways of implementing elements of the Community Plan? • Review progress on the Community Plan? Agreeing a clear purpose will help identify engagement objectives, anticipated outcomes and help to determine the scope and depth of the engagement. This can range from consultation to involvement in decision making through to community and voluntary groups delivering projects and services. Providing information on proposals, plans or services is part of any communication plan to support engagement but is not in itself community engagement. Often communities will need

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement support to help them engage meaningfully. The Community and Voluntary Sectors (CVS) are skilled in providing this support – but may need access to resources to do so.

What level of participation are you hoping to achieve? Community stakeholders can participate in a variety of ways, and to different levels of influence, in identifying needs, generating solutions, planning new initiatives and service delivery as illustrated in the diagram below:

Users and Beneficiaries

of the activities and funds of the partnership. This is the most basic level of engagement.

Advisers

to the partnership through their involvement in consultations, working parties and evaluations which seek their guidance and feedback.

Contributors to Management

through membership of forums and steering groups that work alongside staff supervising progress on partnership activities.

Decision Makers

primarily through their membership of the partnership board, but also when periodic consultations are taking place about strategic choices and other major decisions.

Deliverers

of projects and programmes on behalf of the partnership and as local successor bodies that are being developed to take over projects and programmes from the partnership. Diagram 1: Five Roles for the Community R1 Community Participation p.13 Sunderland Community Development Plan (2008, p.7) identify another way of thinking about different levels of involvement: Being Informed Being Asked Commenting on Decisions Developing Solutions Delivering Services www.sunderland.gov.uk

Consultation Engagement Partnership

In Dundee, each of the 8 local community plans, which are developed by local community planning partnerships, sets out a Community Engagement Action Plan. The Action Plan aims to raise the levels and quality of participation at the local level and encourage local communities to identify and address issues and concerns through the community planning process R2

Identifying stakeholders Every community will be made up of a range of stakeholder interests. These might include: • • • • • •

Local Residents or Area Based Groups Communities of Interest Faith Based Groups Racial, Ethnic and Cultural Groups Local Community and Voluntary Groups Web Based or Virtual Groups

It will be essential to utilise a range of mechanisms and avenues to facilitate the widest possible participation from these interests. Local community development networks and support organisations should be involved in identifying community stakeholders, their particular interests and needs and how best to engage with them. Issues to consider include: • What impact the issue or proposals will have on these stakeholder interests? • Who represents these interest groups? • Are there existing community networks or forms of communication? • Are there gaps in information which could be plugged through local knowledge? • The relevant Equality legislation.

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Inclusiveness: Overcoming Barriers to engagement When planning an engagement process you need to recognise diversity, identify any potential barriers and design the process to minimise barriers where possible. R3 How (not) to exclude? provides a useful resource. Potential Barriers to consider • The capacity and ability of different stakeholders to participate

Design Issues to consider • Techniques and engagement methods to be used

• ‘Hard to reach groups’ such as young people, older people, minority groups or socially excluded groups

• Need for independent facilitation

• Levels of community infrastructure

• The number and type of engagement events

• Contested or divided communities

• Transport requirements

• Rural isolation

• Childcare needs

• Gaps in information

• Format and content of communication and publicity materials

• Literacy and numeracy levels and dominance of oral culture

• Location and accessibility of the venue

• Use of interpreters and signers • Need for outreach activities

The stage of the engagement process? It is important to consider at what stage of the engagement process you are and how each stage or event contributes to the aims of the overall engagement - different forms of communication, information and engagement methods will be more appropriate depending on the stage of your engagement process.

Communications Communication materials should be jargon free and in plain English; available in accessible formats and provided in alternative language(s) as appropriate. Given the strong oral tradition in many communities events where individuals can discuss the issues first hand are invaluable. In order to maximise levels of participation communication materials should use clear examples or case studies of how the issue or proposed plan is likely to affect different individuals and sections of society. Use existing community networks and forms of communication to publicise events and identify opportunities to align or hold combined events for greater impact.

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement What Time and Resources are available? The following types of resources will be required for most forms of engagement: • Input by staff, volunteers and other interested stakeholders; • Background information or briefing papers on the issue(s) or plan proposals; • Independent facilitation; • Communication and promotion, venue hire, transport, childcare, translation;

Timely Feedback and Next Steps Participants in any one stage of engagement should be informed of or offered the opportunity to shape the next stages of the overall engagement process. In particular information will be required on: • How and when feedback will be provided; • Other elements or strands of the engagement process; • How and when decisions will be taken; • Further opportunities for engagement; and

• Printing and circulating a report on the output of the process and for provision of feedback;

• Whether community/voluntary groups can be involved at the implementation stage.

• Resourcing local Community and Voluntary groups to (for example and where appropriate) support people in understanding and responding to information and proposals; commission research; convene meetings; prepare papers, reports or proposals.

This will help to reinforce participation and encourage stakeholders to continue to be active as the engagement evolves. It is also important to communicate during feedback on how stakeholder input has influenced, contributed to or improved the overall engagement outcomes.

Limitations You should be clear and explicit about what you understand the limitations to be, such as time constraints, finances and resources available. Are some issues not up for discussion - for example, legislative framework, decisions taken already, confidential information or available budgets and resources? Some of these stated limitations may be challenged and you should be prepared to explain why they exist.

Flexibility within the Process Planning for flexibility is essential – the context may change, stakeholders may challenge the purpose of the process, question the scope of the objectives or the methodology or require more information, time or their own resources to co-design the process. The overriding consideration should be retaining and developing meaningful engagement with stakeholders.

Evaluation It is critical that any engagement process is evaluated on both an ongoing basis and postcompletion. Evaluation will provide valuable feedback for example, on the best methods for engaging with groups in a particular area or the most appropriate times or venues. These findings should inform your future engagement processes.

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement 3. Quality Standards for Community Engagement The 10 National Standards for Community Engagement The Scottish National Standards for Community Engagement provide a very useful reference point for ensuring a quality and effective engagement process. They were published in 2005 by the then Minister for Communities and identify good practice for engagement between communities and public agencies.Â The Scottish Community Development Centre (SCDC) developed the standards drawing on the experience of over 500 community and agency representatives. The SCDC website contains a detailed description of the standards and other useful resources. R4 http://www.scdc.org.uk/what/national-standards/10-national-standards/ and R5 The 10 Standards are: 1. The Involvement Standard We will identify and involve the people and organisations with an interest in the focus of the engagement. 2. The Support Standard We will identify and overcome any barriers to involvement. 3. The Planning Standard We will gather evidence of the needs and available resources and use this to agree the purpose, scope and timescale of the engagement and the actions to be taken. 4. The Methods Standard We will agree the use methods of engagement that are fit for purpose. 5. The Working Together Standard We will agree and use clear procedures to enable the participants to work with one another efficiently and effectively. 6. The Sharing Information Standard We will ensure necessary information is communicated between the participants. 7. The Working With Others Standard We will work effectively with others with an interest in the engagement. 8. The Improvement Standard We will develop actively the skills, knowledge and confidence of all the participants. 9. The Feedback Standard We will feedback the results of the engagement to the wider community and agencies affected. 10. The Monitoring and Evaluation Standard We will monitor and evaluate whether the engagement meets its purposes and the national standards for community engagement.

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement 4. Online Tool to Guide Community Engagement Activity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; VOiCE

5. Tools to help in Choosing Engagement Methods

VOiCE (Visioning Outcomes in Community Engagement) is an innovative IT based tool which will support you in the analysis, planning, implementation and evaluation of community engagement activity. VOiCE is published by the Scottish Government for use in Scotland as part of its support for implementation of the National Standards for Community Engagement.

There is no simple solution or one fit all approach to identifying an effective engagement method. To be most effective it will often be necessary to combine a range of complementary methods. The following online tools will guide you in selecting an appropriate method(s) Dialogue Designer R7 & Process Planner R8

VOiCE takes you through logical steps to facilitate well constructed, managed and evaluated engagement from which you can continuously learn and improve your practice. It provides a database of evidence of activity and provides an evaluation tool to measure the quality and effectiveness of the community engagement process and whether the intended outcomes of the process were achieved. Users of VOiCE recently identified its benefits to include: increased clarity of purpose for community engagement; improved quality of community engagement processes, methods and outcomes; and enabling shared planning and evaluation of community engagement with colleagues, partners and communities. R6 VOiCE: Visioning Outcomes in Community Engagement http://www.scdc.org.uk/what/voice/ If you are interested in accessing the online VOiCE tool please contact Community Places for further information.

Dialogue Designer An online tool provided by Dialogue by Design to help you choose the right method for your activity. The tool guides you through 3 key steps: 1. Objectives 2. Target Audience 3. Sensitivity. Based on your responses a number of methods are generated. The tool is available at: dialoguebydesign.net

Process Planner The Process Planner is an online tool developed by People and Participation which takes you through 6 stages: 1. Scope 2. Purpose 3. Participants 4. Context 5. Follow Up 6. Results. Drawing on your responses it identifies a number of recommended methods. The tool is available at: www.PeopleandParticipation.net

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement 6. Methods and Techniques The following section outlines a broad range of methods and techniques for engagement events the appropriateness, strengths and weaknesses of each are indicated. Finally, it presents a diagram suggesting how each method could contribute to the different strands of developing or reviewing a community plan.

Art and Creativity Some forms of community engagement are particularly good at encouraging participation and generating interest and ideas. These include: • Photography: disposable cameras can be given to people of all ages to capture their likes and dislikes in an area. The results can be exhibited to generate further discussion or to promote additional events. • Vox Pox: short, snappy interviews with people in different locations and at different times (radio or television). Like photographs the results can be displayed and discussed more widely. • Songs, poems, artwork: invite people to submit (possibly for a prize) a song, poem or art piece which describes their area, changes they would like to see, their ideal home or environment. • TV game shows: adopt and adapt popular TV game or quiz shows to generate interest and ideas, test local knowledge and/or understanding of project plans and processes. Strengths Suitable for all age groups Interactive and engaging Enables participants to express their creativity Can help develop a common vision Can be exhibited to generate further discussion

Weaknesses Participants confidence in their creative skills Often a large space is required to exhibit or display results It may be difficult to interpret participant’s ideas

Appropriateness Art and Creative methods are appropriate where you want to involve local people in expressing their views and generating ideas in a participative approach. They are a useful technique for engaging with people of all ages through education or school programmes, local community forums and resident or interest groups. They may be beneficial at the beginning of a community planning process to generate interest and raise awareness of the process.

Useful Links Dundee Community Planning Partnership- Young Carers Partnership and Carers Voices Dundee utilised Drama, Cartoon, Poetry and Snakes and Ladders www.dundeecarerscentre.org.uk Fermangh/Omagh Pilot Vox Pox: See Toolkit Podcasts.

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Community Mapping Maps and photographs of an area or specific location are used to illustrate how people view their area: what they like or dislike or improvements they would like to see. Ideas are generated in small group discussions and recorded on ‘post-its’or pre-prepared cards. Discussions should be facilitated to help people explore issues, build consensus or identify areas of conflict. Strengths Stimulates discussion Can build a sense of community ownership Can help people see and understand their community in different ways

Weaknesses Can generate ideas which are not possible to implement It may be difficult to interpret participants’ ideas Participants need to be familiar with the local area

Appropriateness Community mapping is a useful way to engage people of all levels of capability. A variety of aspects can be mapped including land use, community assets, facilities, and transport options to develop a snapshot of an area. Mapping can be carried out using a variety of materials from chalk to sand depending on the situation.

Useful Links Scottish Participatory Initiatives Community Mapping and Action Planning http://scottishparticipatoryinitiatives.co.uk

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Planning for Real ® At the centre of this method is the construction of a model of the area in question. Where possible the model should be made by local people to build a sense of ownership and to ensure engagement from the outset. The model can be displayed at one or more public venues to generate interest and participation. Cards with ideas or proposals, along with blank cards, are made available. People can select or write their own cards which reflect their interests and place them on the model where they think the idea should be implemented. For example, a card may say community allotment - people who want an allotment select this card and place it where they want the facility. Planners, designers and officials are present to answer questions but only if asked- ‘on tap, not on top’.During the event a picture emerges of the changes the participants would like to see. The cards are counted and their locations on the model noted. These details are then fed back to people, discussed further and prioritised at public meetings or small group discussions. After prioritisation, additional technical information (on feasibility, cost, policies etc.) can be provided and used to develop an action plan. Strengths Adds variety to consultation and can engage people who might not otherwise get involved It is accessible to people of all abilities and backgrounds Can build a sense of community ownership of the process

Weaknesses Can generate ideas which are not possible to implement Preparing for the event can be time consuming The card count can be seen as conclusive and may cause conflict particularly if there is disagreement.

Can help people see and understand their community in different ways

Appropriateness The value of this method is that it is accessible to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. It is also a useful method to build a sense of community ownership and enables participants to identify issues and prioritise actions.

Useful Links Planning for Real www.planningforreal.org.uk South Gloucestershire Council- Cadbury Heath Planning for Real Event https://consultations.southglos.gov.uk

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Public Meetings Public meetings provide an opportunity to consult large numbers of people. Meetings can be organised to allow for small group discussions with oral feedback. There are often opportunities for participants to set or influence the agenda and to ask questions. From our experience small groups are an essential element of public meeting to engage people effectively. Strengths Enables large numbers of people to have their say

Weaknesses Unlikely to be representative - not everyone has the time or inclination to attend

Provides an opportunity to explain processes, give information and gather feedback

Attendance is often low unless people feel personally or deeply concerned

Demonstrates openness and transparency

Some people are likely to be inhibited from speaking in a large group

Can attract publicity or be used as a launch event

Traditional formats can limit audience contribution and lead to conflict

Enables participants to develop networks

If confrontational it may lead to poor media publicity

Appropriateness Participants may feel unable to get involved or be unwilling to attend. As part of a series of events they can be a valuable way of sharing information and demonstrating openness and transparency.

Useful Links Aberdeenshire Community Planning Partnership â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Garioch http://www.ouraberdeenshire.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=30&Itemid=54

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Workshops and Focus Groups Workshops and focus groups allow people to discuss their ideas in an open and relaxed atmosphere. Workshops can take a variety of formats. They can be designed to exchange information; to discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an idea or project; to obtain ideas and innovative thinking for a way forward for a project; or they can be specifically geared towards prioritisation and the production of an action plan. Focus groups by contrast are designed to specifically concentrate on a single issue or a programme of topics. Strengths Encourages active discussion in a welcoming environment Time and resource efficient way of identifying and clarifying key issues Conflict can be more easily handled in a small group Can be designed for a specific purpose

Weaknesses With small groups, it is difficult to be sure all stakeholders or interests are represented Workshops can be dominated by articulate and confident individuals if not carefully facilitated Requires experienced facilitators

Can be directly targeted at excluded or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;hard to reach groupsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for example young people or ethnic minorities

Appropriateness Workshops and Focus Groups are useful methods for encouraging discussion among those who may feel less confident in a larger group. The main benefit is that participants or certain interest groups can be targeted and therefore those often excluded from a wider engagement exercise can be identified and invited to attend this type of event.

Useful Links Glastonbury, Connecticut- Community Planning Workshop www.glastonburycenter2020.com Chambers, R. (2002) Participatory Workshops, Earthscan, London

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Forums A forum is a regular meeting of people who represent a group or organisation and may be issue or area based. Those involved typically comprise members of civic, political, professional, economic or social groups from a local area.

Strengths Regular events help to maintain momentum, commitment and enthusiasm and encourages wider participation as the activities of the forum develop Can be an effective way of involving excluded or hard to reach groups by creating an arena directed towards the concerns of specific groups Can address specific local concerns

Weaknesses Often comprise representatives from existing groups rather than individuals from the community May become ‘talking shops’ rather than action-oriented Potential for them to become rule-bound and bureaucratic Potential for confusion or conflict over the respective roles and responsibilities of local representatives

Appropriateness Forums can be a useful way of involving groups who are traditionally excluded from decision-making processes, for example young people. However, it is often the ‘usual suspects’ or those who are already involved in local groups who will participate.

Useful Links Machynlleth and District, Wales Local Community Forum established as part of the Powys Community Strategy- Andy Rowland, Chair Tel: 01654 703965 http://commfirstpowys.org.uk Derbyshire Community Forums- a network of local community forums across the borough of Derbyshire www.communityforums.org.uk

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Web-based Engagement There are a variety of web based engagement processes to choose from such as online discussion forums and blogs, Facebook, online surveys, social networking, ratings and voting and digital interactive TV. Web based activities enable people to choose where, when and for how long they want to participate. Strengths People can choose a convenient time and place to participate Particularly useful for those who may be homebound e.g. carers, elderly people, parents with young children Can create debate and exchange of views

Weaknesses Some techniques may require a moderator to manage comments, this can be expensive and time consuming Excludes those without access to the internet Needs to be publicised to generate interest Some people may feel intimidated

Cost Effective Can reach large numbers of people Less time consuming than attending a workshop or public meeting

Appropriateness Web based processes may work best as part of a package of methods.

Useful Links Guide to Arm Chair Involvement www.institute.nhs.uk/armchair Newport, Wales- Involve Newport has established a short online survey to gather the views and expectations of local residents. http://citypartners.newport.ac.uk Consultation and Engagement tab Cardiff, Wales- Ask Cardiff eCONSULT Pages http://tinyurl.com/AskCardiff Glasgow Community Planning Partnership Engage Database www.engageglasgow.org Belfast Community Planning Pilot Wiki http://www.wikihost.org/w/belfastcommunityplanning

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Future Search The Future Search approach centres on a 2- 3 day conference with ‘visioning’ at its core. The conference explores the past, present and future of a community with the aim of producing a strategic plan. A key element of this approach is to establish some common ground on which participants can build and then develop a plan. The emphasis is on self-managed discussion and taking personal responsibility for implementation of actions. The ideal number of participants is 64 allowing for eight groups of eight people in each discussion group. The event must be well planned in advance so that facilitators do not have an active role to play during the conference. The crucial stages in the process are: Phase One Phase Two Phase Three Phase Four Phase Five Phase Six

examine the past (personal, community and global issues); explore current events, trends and developments; look at present ‘proud’ and ‘sorry’ events in the community discuss an ideal future or vision identify some common ground; and action planning.

Strengths Meetings can accommodate large numbers of diverse people Participants take ownership of the process Power issues are reduced A lot can be achieved at one meeting that would otherwise take several meetings between different interest groups

Weaknesses Sometimes the conference can be seen as an end in itself rather than the beginning of a process Conferences can be expensive to hold and require considerable organising Requires time and commitment from both participants and co-ordinators

Traditionally under-represented minority groupings can be specifically targeted

Appropriateness The Future Search approach assumes that participants have a high level of knowledge and skills in engagement and interaction.

Useful Links Future Search www.futuresearch.net Future Search in Derry and Strabane - Strategy Board Your City Your Say www.yourcityyoursay.com

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Open Space Technology Open Space Technology is essentially a management tool which tries to overcome the difficulties of conventional approaches to decision-making. The event usually lasts 1-3 days and can accommodate a large number of people. It is comprised of the following stages: • ‘opening circle’: everyone sits informally in a circle with a facilitator opening proceedings; • ‘choosing the programme’: people are asked to suggest and agree themes for workshop discussions; • ‘the market place’: participants choose the workshop they wish to attend and can move between workshops; • ‘having your say’: members participate in discussions and comments are recorded; • ‘closing circle’: this is the plenary or feedback session where issues and points raised during the discussions are reported; and • ‘report of the proceedings’: all feedback comments are collated into a report for distribution to participants. Strengths Can be organised quickly, with little cost and minimal preparation

Weaknesses Only likely to get small percentage of the ‘whole system’ to attend

Good for addressing difficult issues, involving large numbers, particularly where there are conflicting views

Unlikely to attract people who traditionally avoid open meetings

Breaks down traditional ‘us and them’ barriers No experts or fixed agenda - ‘moulded’ by participants - ownership of process

Because they are usually ‘one-off’ events, potential participants may miss out Meeting could be viewed as an end in itself

Motivation and commitment can emerge in a way not usually achievable in traditional meetings Leadership can emerge from people not necessarily seen to be leaders in the community

Appropriateness This is a useful method where large groups of participants are involved and where the programme or agenda needs to be flexible or capable of being shaped by the participants themselves.

Useful Links Open Space Technology www.openspaceworld.org

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Citizens’ Juries A group of citizens who are representative of the general public meet to consider a complex issue by gathering evidence, deliberating and then reaching a decision. Jurors can ‘cross examine’ expert ‘witnesses’ who may offer differing perspectives on the issue or topic at hand before reaching agreement or producing a short report of recommended actions. Normally an advisory panel with expertise in the area consider the jury’s findings or report and determine what, if any, actions should be taken. Strengths Organisers and jurors usually find the experience empowering and satisfying

Weaknesses Initial briefing, information and selection of witnesses could be open to bias

Large numbers of people can participate

Jury could be manipulated by the moderator or witnesses

Power issues are reduced Process produces an informed and collective view, resulting from deliberation

The sponsoring body has to be prepared to accept the results or else the process rapidly loses credibility

Appropriateness A high level of skill is required as participants (jurors) are often asked to analyse complex issues.

Useful Links Policy Ethics and Life Sciences Community Jury Project www.ncl.ac.uk/peals/dialogues/juries

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Roundtable/Consensus Building Roundtable discussions can be used as a tool for consensus building. They have multi-stakeholder involvement, operate by consensus and can generate co-operation to promote the environmental, economic and social sustainability of a community. The basic premise is that all participants, from business interests to the local community, are equal. There is no leader but there may be a chair or facilitator. The key factors to consider are sectoral representation; selection and duties of members; size (usually between 16 to 24 members); facilitators; budget and the decision-making processes. Strengths People are brought together as equals Encourages open discussion and helps break down barriers Confronts issues rather than people May produce innovative solutions Aims to create ‘win-win’ situations, rather than ‘win-lose’ scenarios

Weaknesses Their composition normally precludes wider participation e.g. academics and professionals Requires considerable preparation Requires highly-skilled facilitators Open to dominance by powerful elites or social groups

Appropriateness Roundtables benefit from bringing people together as equals who engage in open discussions.

Useful Links Madison Heights Community Round Table www.madisoncommunityroundtable.com/

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Citizens’ Panels Citizens’ Panels involve ongoing panels of around 1,000 to 2,000 people who are representative of the local community. The panel is surveyed several times a year by post, telephone or online.

Strengths Using the same panel a number of times reduces recruitment costs People agree to be on the panel thereby increasing response rates May allow for some measurement of changes over time

Weaknesses People on the panel become more knowledgeable (and therefore less representative) than the general public over time A turnover of the panel (about one third per year) may reduce the validity of tracking over time

Appropriateness A scaled down model of this consultation may be effective and attract those who traditionally avoid going to meetings. Those who cannot attend due to physical, social or psychological issues may be encouraged to take part in the process.

Useful Links Aberdeen Community Planning Partnership: Aberdeen City Voice http://www.communityplanningaberdeen.org.uk/Internet/CityVoice/CityVoice.asp Glasgow Community Planning Partnership- Glasgow is presently establishing a new Citizen’s Panel and already has 10 Community Reference Groups which consist of a panel of local residents from each of the local community plan areas www.glasgowcpp.org.uk Powys Citizen’s Panel consists of 1000 local representatives www.powys.gov.uk Council and Democracy Have Your Say tab

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Street Stalls Street Stalls consist of outdoor displays such as idea or graffiti walls which can be used to capture the views and comments of large numbers of people. Maps and plans for an area or project can be displayed and passer-bys asked to comment on particular issues and themes, generate ideas or vote for particular activities or facilities.

Strengths Can collect the views of large numbers of people Interactive Engages and generates interest Can reach people who may not normally participate

Weaknesses Can generate a large amount of data Requires advance planning and preparation Requires several facilitators to engage with people Event may be affected by weather conditions

Appropriateness Choosing a busy public location can help to achieve high levels of participation and generate interest in the project from those who may not otherwise get involved. The approach can be organised to coincide with other events e.g. community festival.

Useful Links Leith Central Community Consultation Stall, Edinburgh http://www.leithandnorth.org.uk/features2009/leith_festival_09/people.php

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Community Surveys Questionnaire surveys can be undertaken to identify the needs and views of a large number of people in a standard format. The main stages involved are: defining the sample size and the type of information required; deciding on the type of survey to be used (postal, drop and collect, telephone or interview); survey design; piloting the survey; undertaking the survey and post-completion analysis of the results. It is often best to use a short and concise questionnaire where people’s views on an issue are being sought. Increasingly email and SMS (text) are being used to provide a variety of ways for people to engage. These work best when a small number of questions are used and when views on a specific proposal or issue are being sought. Community Places have produced a useful guide to undertaking a Community Survey (2009). Strengths Can gain the views of a large number of people

Weaknesses Need to be well designed and coded to get ‘usable’ answers

Useful for obtaining quantitative data

Large questionnaire surveys are timeconsuming and labour intensive

In principle data can be compared over time or with results from elsewhere Useful for identifying and evidencing need

Information may be limited Do not offer any real sense of community engagement or provide an opportunity for people to exchange views Typical response rates are between 1020%

Appropriateness Surveys are best used as part of a programme of other methods- by themselves they can be limited in scope and provide little meaningful community engagement.

Useful Links Glasgow Community Planning Partnership - established a Neighbourhood Management Task Group in 2007 which undertook a survey of 10,000 households to gather residents’ views and expectations of issues relating to their local area. www.glasgowcpp.org.uk/getinvolved/Neighbourhood_MAnagement/ Stirling Council - undertakes residents’ surveys every 2-3 years through the Stirling Sounding Board which consists of 1300 local representatives. An online version of the survey was undertaken in 2010. http://www.stirling.gov.uk/services/tourism-and-visitor-attractions/tourist-information/factsand-figures/residents-survey/stirling-sounding-board Community Places (2009) Guide to undertaking a Community Survey www.communityplaces.info Action Research by, in and for Communities (ARC) SCDC http://www.scdc.org.uk/what/communityled-action-research/ARC/

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Methods for Developing and Reviewing Community Plans PROCES S

Process – M E T H ART & O CREATIVITY D S COMMUNITY

COMMUNITY PLAN

LOCAL COMMUNITY PLAN

THEMATIC COMMUNITY PLAN

COMMUNITY PLAN REVIEW

EVALUATING COMMUNITY PLAN

MAPPING

PLANNING FOR REAL® PUBLIC MEETINGS FOCUS GROUPS/ WORKSHOPS

Methods

WORKING GROUP OR FORUM WEB BASED CONSULTATION FUTURE SEARCH OPEN SPACE TECHNOLOGY CITIZENS' JURIES ROUNDTABLE CONSENSUS BUILDING CITIZENS' PANELS

STREET STALL

QUESTIONNAIRE LOCAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS

Not Appropriate KEY Often Appropriate Usually Appropriate

Community Planning Toolkit - Community Engagement Resources R1

Engage East Midlands (2001) Community Participation: A Self Assessment Toolkit for Partnerships. LPP: Leicester.

Dundee Partnership Strathmartine Community Engagement Action Plan 2008-2011. www.dundeepartnership.co.uk/content/community-planning-strathmartine

Community Change How (not) to Exclude. www.communitychange-ni.org

Scottish National Standards for Community Engagement http://www.scdc.org.uk/what/national-standards/10-national-standards/

National Standards for Community Engagement. Communities Scotland, Scottish Executive.

VOiCE: Visioning Outcomes in Community Engagement http://www.scdc.org.uk/what/voice/

Dialogue Designer www.dialoguebydesign.net

Process Planner www.peopleandparticipation.net

Attachment C

18 bible Verses About Community

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18 Bible Verses about Community And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 | NIV | Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16 | NIV | How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalms 133:1 | NIV | For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:4-5 | NIV | “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20 | NIV | I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. 1 Corinthians 1:10 | NIV | Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8 | NIV | May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. Romans 15:5 | NIV | All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

Acts 4:32 | NIV | And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3:14 | NIV | Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11 | NIV | Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3 | NIV | But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 | NIV | They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Acts 1:14 | NIV | Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. Romans 14:1 | NIV | I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. Romans 16:17 | NIV | There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abrahamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s seed, and heirs according to the promise. Galatians 3:28-29 | NIV | Very truly I tell you, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me. John 13:20 | NIV |

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