Skills
The delivery of successful community engagement requires a high level of skill on the part of managers and team members. Good skills influence engagement at many levels. While improving the skills of one staff member may not seem enough to improve community engagement outcomes generally, there is a flow-on effect for other groups affected by community engagement, as shown in the ‘ripple effect’ diagram below. Also, as community engagement skills increase, the level of engagement intervention and therefore the cost to government and to the community generally decreases.
Essential competencies for community engagement practitioners have been documented as part of the Public Services Training Package in the key area of community engagement. You may want to investigate the competencies further for your own learning or to support the learning of your staff.
Topics covered in this section include:
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