Community engagement plans

The plan and its purpose

The first conversation establishes what is being decided, what has already been settled and who is responsible for the decision. SCA asks about the project timetable, affected communities, previous engagement and any conditions or commitments that constrain the work.

The organisation supplies the current proposal, relevant plans and approval requirements, and the engagement record it can appropriately share. Where that record is incomplete, the scope can include identifying the gaps before proposing further consultation.

What the assignment can produce

The agreed output may be a new plan or a review of an existing one, covering:

• the decisions and opportunities for influence
• the people and organisations to involve
• the information, methods and timing for engagement
• the responsibilities for activities and responses
• the arrangements for reporting back and evaluating the work.

SCA uses the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation, the International Association for Public Participation’s scale of influence, to clarify what participants can influence. The level chosen needs to match the authority the organisation can give participants; a workshop format alone does not establish that authority.

For a plan already in use, the review can identify changes needed to bring activities into line with the decision timetable. The engagement handover guide covers the separate task of transferring existing commitments between teams.

Agreeing the work

SCA prepares a written scope and quote before work starts, identifying the output, review stages, timing and information required from the client. This assignment sits within engagement strategy and planning.