Community Engagement - What is it and why is it important?

What is it?

Community engagement, as a concept - has been around for many years but there is no common or widely-agreed definition.  Many studies and reports provide various definitions and the one used here is taken from the Home Office, which uses Wilcox's model 'ladder of participation', to define community engagement by citizens in relation to those in authority, as; 

• Informing - giving a message but don't require feedback or comment 
• Consultation - Allows choice between pre-determined options not an opportunity to propose alternatives 
• Deciding together - views shared, options generated jointly a course of action agreed upon 
• Acting Together - working with others to make decisions and carry through the action agreed 
• Supporting local initiatives - supporting groups to develop and implement their own solutions

There are different levels of engagement for people.  It can range from being consulted over a proposed course of action, to determining the allocation of resources of a project or being involved in the delivery of a service.  Depending on the objectives, the issue and the community to be engaged with, some approaches might be more suitable than others.

Communities can mean different things to different people. For those who carry responsibility for public services, engaging with the community means ensuring that everyone in their local area is given the opportunity to comment on the services provided for them and on the organisation’s priorities.

It also means involving them in major decisions that will improve their quality of life. This is meant to be a two-way process, with organisations benefiting from the imagination and energy of local people. Community engagement can involve individuals, voluntary and community organisations and public sector bodies working together to address local issues.

A community consists of a number of communities, be they based on ethnicity, gender, age, disability, location, etc. Each community will have different wants and needs that have to be balanced.
 
It is possible to engage with communities in a variety of different ways. But it is important to understand which type of engagement it is that particular citizens or communities prefer and be able to use them in a way that benefits residents, the community and the organisation.

Organisations can engage the community in a variety of ways. The diagram below illustrates this.   Source: Improvement Network. www.improvementnetwork.gov.uk Opens in a new window

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