Social Planning and Community Development Course

Use evidence-based practices to support communities and manage change at the local level

Effective social planning and community development brings together social, economic, environmental and cultural perspectives to support communities and also manage change at the local level. This social planning and community development course will provide you with increased knowledge, skills and capacities to lead or contribute to quality planning and development processes based in contemporary theory and good practice.

This course explores social planning and community development as applied to local government. Councils have a responsibility to their communities to continually make sense of socioeconomic, political and cultural trends and are uniquely placed to respond appropriately and efficiently to the factors affecting local communities. The course will offer different approaches, tools and techniques to support you to identify and respond to opportunities and challenges in your communities addressing social policy, stakeholder engagement, community safety, social infrastructure, demographic change, environmental issues, plus place and neighbourhood renewal.

In this social planning and community development course you will be encouraged to deploy core social justice principles (equity, access, participation, and rights) as well as Quadruple Bottom Line planning concepts (social, environmental, economic and civic leadership) embedding in Integrated Planning and Reporting Frameworks to deliver positive outcomes for communities.

Course information

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Course content

This social planning and community development course is comprised of four interlinked modules, each delivered over a day.

Module 1: Introduction to Social Planning and Community Development

This module covers the key theory and good practice principles that underpin quality social planning and community development.

It includes discussion of:

• Legislative and Regulatory Requirements, including local government IP&R issues
• Social justice principles and the role of Quadruple Bottom Line thinking
• Effective engagement and decision making principles
• Different types of planning and key considerations including common community, recreational and infrastructure activities, plus safety, local conflicts, and crisis management.

Module 2: Social Policy, Planning and Project Management

This module introduces effective project management approaches to delivering quality social and community outcomes.

It includes discussion of:

• Practice and management of specific social planning and community development activities
• Introduction to social planning research
• Introduction to effective stakeholder engagement
• Working with communities and managing change in a dynamic environment.

Module 3: Social Planning Methods, Tools and Techniques

This module covers specific approaches, tools and techniques for working at the local level, with specific reference to using evidence based research and engagement techniques.

It includes discussion of:

• Designing, implementing and managing one off or ongoing social planning or community development initiatives
• Common data sources and how to use in community focused social research

Module 4: Place Based Approaches, Measuring Impact and Influencing Decision Making

This module will draws together the theory and practice across the three previous modules and applies the learning to a place-based scenarios.

It includes discussion of:

• Social Planning and Community Development measurement, evaluation and learning
  Community Indicators
• Communicating with Impact and writing for decision makers 

Learning outcomes

After completing this social planning and community development course, you will have:

• Increased knowledge and understanding of social planning and community development theory, good practice and their role in decision making
• Applied community development approaches - such as social impact assessment, social infrastructure analysis, ‘Safety by Design’, and stakeholder engagement - to local scenarios
• Capacity to think strategically and practically about place and communities, using social, cultural, economic, environmental, and leadership drivers of change, working collaboratively with colleagues with colleagues and other professions
• Acquired project planning methods, tools and techniques that reflect social justice, ethics and Quadruple Bottom Line concepts required in local government settings
• Analysed current challenges and barriers, plus personal views and values and their impact on professional practice
• Learnt skills in impactful communications and report writing relevant to social planning and community development decision making.

Delivery style

This social planning and community development course will be delivered as an interactive workshop consisting of an instructor-led lecture, group and individual activities. This training approach allows participants to work through concepts introduced by the trainer in an application-focused teaching environment. Participants will be provided with opportunities to discuss and challenge their understanding of the concepts and consider their application to their workplaces and community scenarios.

Who is this course for?

This course is suitable for professionals working in social planning and community development in state or local government who want to use evidence-based practices to support communities and manage change at the local level.

About the presenters

Edwina Deakin is currently an Associate Director, Research and Advisory at the UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance. She is the Project Manager and a lead author of the new IPPG Community Engagement for Impact Guide.

Edwina has been involved in commissioning, designing and delivering community engagement activities for over 25 years - as a NSW government policy director, social policy consultant and community engagement trainer. Edwina has worked with a wide range of organisations - undertaking over 30 major consultation projects: including various state-wide and local government area engagement activities. Edwina holds BA Honours degree, a Masters in Communications, Graduate Diploma in Education, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment.

Professor Alan Morris is a prominent urban and housing studies scholar. He is the lead Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Discovery grant (2019-2021) titled 'A hidden crisis? The experience and impacts of precarious housing among international students in the private rental sector’'. He is also Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Linkage grant (2017-2019) titled 'Local government and housing in the 21st century'.  In 2014-2016 he was lead Chief Investigator on an Australian Research Council Discovery grant titled 'Stuck here forever? The dynamics and social consequences of long-term private renting in Australia'.

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