Abley reposted this
Recently I had the opportunity to visit beautiful rural Victoria to run Community Focus Groups on behalf of a client. Targeted at road users of compact roundabouts, it was a fast and furious two days of engagement and travelling (with a bit of sightseeing) between Mornington Peninsula, Inverloch, and Ballarat. As well as taking in the rolling hills of Inverloch and exclaiming several times to my travel buddies, ‘This looks exactly like New Zealand’, I was reminded of why community engagement is key to understanding local challenges and opportunities and gaining buy-in for projects, as well as the human-focused intricacies of working in this space. It takes a village to put on a show, and big thumbs up to the Abley Team, local councils, and my travel companions for their support in running these successful sessions! Here are some of my takeaways. Communities are unique – they are made up of different customs, cultures, and people and one approach does not fit all. Applying a tailored approach and adapting on the fly is fundamental to generating good discussion and feedback Communities are tribal – people have a connection to their patch and care deeply about their backyard. Feeling out those connections early and getting under the hood helps put things in context and builds trust, quickly! Community engagement moves conversations forward – sometimes communities are stuck in a cycle and feel like nobody is listening or there is a lack of understanding of the project and benefits. Being face to face and listening helps people feel heard while providing an opportunity to educate and fill those gaps. Ginger Nuts and Pineapple Lumps are a hit at any public gathering – enough said!
Communications and Engagement
4wAwesome work Cath, great insights!