The expectation that people can participate in public decision-making that impacts their lives is embedded in modern democratic theory. This public engagement course looks at good practice in public engagement and community participation in decision making, reflecting current regulatory contexts in Australia, as well as contemporary and emerging methods for stakeholder involvement.
The premise of the course is that there is no single engagement method, set of tools or techniques that will guarantee positive outcomes. Each engagement needs to first and foremost reflect its purpose and also the circumstances, diversity of stakeholders, complexity of needs, resourcing and time constraints, plus other key variables and risks. To this end, this public engagement course will provide a model for project managing public engagements, founded on having a clear purpose, systematically working through tailored stages and steps, leading towards a defined set of outcomes that are relevant to the specific decision-makers.
The course introduces participants to key theories, concepts and approaches to community engagement and stakeholder consultations, within a wider policy making context. It considers the benefits of appropriately involving people in public decision-making and explores different types of methodologies for ensuring fit-for-purpose engagements. It also discusses key principles and contemporary practices for undertaking effective face-to-face engagements, as well as ways to communicate the outcomes in ways that will be impactful to decision makers.
| Duration | Two sessions (16 hours in total) |
| Dates | TBC |
| Time | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Venue | UTS City Campus |
| Cost | $1,398 (GST free) |
This public engagement course is designed for policy and program staff and other professionals whose work intersects with public engagement and public policy processes.
Course content
The following topics will be covered in this public engagement course:
Module 1: Introduction to public engagement and community consultations
- Defining terms and principles of good practice
- Origins and Theory; Regulations, Policy and Developments
- Common Engagement Options and Consultation Tools
- Common Barriers and Mitigations to Quality Engagements and Measuring Success
Module 2: Design and delivery of public engagements
- Staged approach to public engagements
- Case study: Defining your engagement purpose and designing your methodology and approach
- Interpersonal engagements: Techniques for getting results
- Writing for impact: How to influence decision makers
With public engagement a requirement in various public projects - why not utilise its abilities to positively impact your work? Learn what public engagement is, when to use it, and its risks and benefits.
Learning outcomes
At the completion of this public engagement course you should be able to:
- Acquire knowledge, understanding and skills in the design, planning and execution of public engagement programs and techniques relevant to specific public policy or decision-making environments
- Critically reflect and develop new ideas in relation to the challenges and opportunities in undertaking public engagements, considering a wide variety of factors that exist within diverse communities, public agencies, and other policy and environmental settings.
- Effectively engage and communicate with stakeholders and with decision makers to ensure the outcomes of consultative processes have impact.
Delivery style
This public engagement 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 challenge their understanding of the concepts and consider their application once back in their individual workplace.
About the presenter
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.
Course prerequisites
This public engagement course has no prerequisites and is open to all members of the public.
Course registration
Contact us
Need more information? For all course related enquiries, including future dates or in-house training enquiries email us or call +61 (2) 9514 7884.
This short course is presented by the university's Institute for Public Policy and Governance. Learn more about the Institute's advisory and research services, local government postgraduate courses and professional learning and development programs.