• Community engagement in context
  • Community engagement - an overview
  • Community engagement in a representative democracy
  • Key challenges for the public sector
  • Implications for public sector managers
  • The context for engagement
  • Clues to good community engagement
• Planning CE
  • Community engagement and the policy/planning cycle
  • Project goals
  • When is engagement necessary?
  • Community engagement objectives
  • Community research
    • Media research
    • Community profiling
    • Community segmentation
    • Community and issues analysis
  • Key communication messages
  • Selection of engagement techniques
  • Managing risk
  • Evaluation planning
  • Planning transition and exit strategies
• Implementing CE
  • Working with communities
  • Organisational culture
  • Resourcing
  • Structures and processes
  • Continuity and follow up
  • Representation and control
  • Coordination
  • Other issues
  • Embedding good practice
• Methods
  • Overview of methods
  • Methods of information-sharing
  • Methods for consultation and deliberation
  • Methods for active participation
  • Advanced participative methodologies
  • Choosing an engagement method
• Event management
  • Event engagement processes
  • Choosing a facilitator
  • Structuring the event
• Evaluating CE
  • Introduction to evaluation
  • Principles of evaluation
  • Identifying outputs and outcomes
  • Purpose and approach to evaluation
  • Evaluation criteria and indicators
  • Methods of measuring community engagement
  • Steps in evaluating community engagement
• Risk management
  • Identifying risks
  • Assessing risk
  • Managing external risks
  • Managing internal risks
  • Risk assessment and management plan
• Skills
  • Community engagement skills profile
  • Options for skills development
  • Building the skills of your team

Advanced participative methodologies

In addition to the techniques referred to in Methods of engagement, there are other methodologies and techniques you can use in community engagement.

The following methodologies are outlined for those who may be interested in exploring some additional systematic and collaborative processes of issue identification and outcome generation.

The Department of Communities methods and tools resource also provides details on these and other participative techniques.

Technique	What it is	Reference
Action research	A participative methodology which pursues action (or change) and research (or understanding) at the same time. It does this by using a cyclic process which alternates between action and critical reflection, and in later cycles continuously refines methods, data and interpretation in the light of understanding developed in the earlier cycles.	Action research resources In the resources section, a case study is presented on how action research has been applied in public consultation.
Appreciative enquiry	A methodology for discovering, understanding and fostering innovation through the gathering of positive stories, visions and positive interactions through dialogue.	Appreciative Inquiry and the Quest This site has some reference material and case studies on the use of the method.
Systems theory	A system can be perceived as a collective of individuals and organisations which maintains a state of existence through mutual interaction. Change occurs through understanding and modifying the way system components interact.	Bellinger's Musings This site provides an overview of the method and lots of information on its use in various situations.
Open space technology	A methodology that puts ownership in the hands of the people involved in the forum/conference/workshop. This is very powerful where every person attending is passionate about the issue.	Worldwide Open Space The site has an overview of techniques and success stories.