Genuine community engagement remains just as vital during COVID-19.
While the social distancing requirements may mean that face-to-face meetings, events and workshops are not an option, communities still expect to have a say in the planning and delivery of projects that affect them.
Accordingly, both public and private sector proponents are exploring digital ways of engaging their stakeholders. There is a wide choice of technologies out there, all of which have their pros and cons. How do you select the right tools that meet your objectives and provide meaningful outcomes for the community?
The cost of getting community consultation wrong can be significant. According to the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University, stakeholder pressure is a leading contributor to project delays and cancellations with more than AUD 20 billion of projects delayed, cancelled or mothballed over the past decade in Australia alone[1].
Having a solid strategy is still key for effective engagement. The COVID-19 crisis presents organization with an opportunity to reinvent their community engagement and consultation toolkit for years to come. This means re-examining strategy, considering how objectives align with the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum, and selecting the appropriate tools.
To help develop your engagement strategy, GHD has developed a Digital Community Engagement Toolkit, which provides a comprehensive and multidimensional view of the potential tools that can be used to connect with communities and stakeholders.
For the first time ever, the global toolkit matches the full range of digital tools to the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum, from informing the public, to involving them in the project and finally, truly empowering the public as collaborators in the project.
There has never been more choice when it comes to digital engagement tools. Selecting the right tools for your project and community needs are key to effective consultation.
Download our Digital Community Engagement Toolkit
[1] Source: http://www.nextgenengagement.org/uncategorized/707/
For more information, connect with our community consultation and engagement professionals:
Anne-Marie Kirkman
Strategy & Innovation Leader, GHD Digital
Email Anne Marie Kirkman
Mary Papachristos
Chairperson – Engagement, Consultation & Communities Digital Working Group, GHD
Email Mary Papachristos
Stacy Mueller
Service Line Leader – Engagement, Communications & Communities, North America, GHD
Email Stacy Mueller
