Our Newsletters
November 2015
Don’t over-engineer community engagement!
We have often commented on the Importance of language when engaging with communities and stakeholders. More recently we wrote about the language of confusion in relation to the various engagement spectrums that are available, with particular reference to IAP2’s version.
We have just written a blog about IAP2’s new community engagement model with a particular focus on keeping things simple and not making them more complicated than they need to be – particularly from a community’s point of view. Read more about our thoughts here:
Community Engagement Basics Online
Too often people find themselves in roles where they are expected to manage community engagement tasks without adequate training or understanding of all of the pitfalls that come with this exciting area of responsibility. Community Engagement Basics Online is designed as an easily accessible training resource so people can learn at their own pace in their own place! This course is the most cost-effective way of learning the basics and is fully supported by Don and Brett, as trainees need us. Learn more about Community Engagement Basics Online here:
Our Free Stuff!
We provide a range of topical and best practice tools to help practitioners with their engagement projects, FOR FREE! This includes:
You can learn more about each of these tools and access the online order form here:
Our Free Seminar
FOR FREE, we will arrange to present a one-hour seminar on the Engagement Mind-Set, either in person or by webinar, at a time that works best for you. This programme includes: definitions of mind-set; why it’s important; the engagement continuum; engagement models; problem definition; the wisdom of crowds; guiding principles; the engagement spectrum. For more information please email us at brett.sangster@gmail.com.
We have often commented on the Importance of language when engaging with communities and stakeholders. More recently we wrote about the language of confusion in relation to the various engagement spectrums that are available, with particular reference to IAP2’s version.
We have just written a blog about IAP2’s new community engagement model with a particular focus on keeping things simple and not making them more complicated than they need to be – particularly from a community’s point of view. Read more about our thoughts here:
Community Engagement Basics Online
Too often people find themselves in roles where they are expected to manage community engagement tasks without adequate training or understanding of all of the pitfalls that come with this exciting area of responsibility. Community Engagement Basics Online is designed as an easily accessible training resource so people can learn at their own pace in their own place! This course is the most cost-effective way of learning the basics and is fully supported by Don and Brett, as trainees need us. Learn more about Community Engagement Basics Online here:
Our Free Stuff!
We provide a range of topical and best practice tools to help practitioners with their engagement projects, FOR FREE! This includes:
- Engaging Online
- Stakeholders
- Understanding & choosing community engagement tools
- 10 things you can do to help engage your community more effectively
- Engaging online through social media
- The engagement mind-set
- The community engagement checklist
- 9 tips for dealing with difficult stakeholders
You can learn more about each of these tools and access the online order form here:
Our Free Seminar
FOR FREE, we will arrange to present a one-hour seminar on the Engagement Mind-Set, either in person or by webinar, at a time that works best for you. This programme includes: definitions of mind-set; why it’s important; the engagement continuum; engagement models; problem definition; the wisdom of crowds; guiding principles; the engagement spectrum. For more information please email us at brett.sangster@gmail.com.
Second October 2015
Engaging Online – It’s free!
We’ve now added our Engaging Online guide to our selection of free stuff.
This 58-page handbook includes:
We also give insights and examples of information sharing, listening and learning tools. Order your copy of Engaging Online here.
Engagement spectrums
A lot of attention has recently focused on engagement spectrums, particularly the model promoted by IAP2. There are other versions developed by organisations such as the OECD which cover the same territory.
At its recent conference in Perth, IAP2 Australasia revisited its spectrum and decided that a review is warranted. We agree.
We have given some thought to this subject and concluded that there is a lot of confusing language used to define the various levels. We think that this unhelpful, both to practitioners and communities and have developed our own spectrum covering three distinct states: Inform, Involve and Delegate. You can learn more about our thinking on engagement spectrums here.
Taking engagement to the people
Unlike many organisations and councils that engage only when legislation says they HAVE to, Invercargill City Council has a strong focus on engaging with its communities because it WANTS to. Last year, Invercargill invested in a purpose-built caravan that takes the council to the people, rather than making those folk have to take time to come to the council.
The caravan enables the council to connect with its communities on a whole range of levels. Not only can it be used to consult, but also to deliver on a range of other council services e.g. registering and micro-chipping dogs; lodging service enquiries; and so on.
This engagement solution is cost-effective, passionately embraced by council staff and Invercargill’s communities, and growing in popularity. Read more about this here.
We’ve now added our Engaging Online guide to our selection of free stuff.
This 58-page handbook includes:
- The case for going online
- Engaging online successfully
- Online tool options
- Engagement lessons
- Things to look for when buying an online platform.
We also give insights and examples of information sharing, listening and learning tools. Order your copy of Engaging Online here.
Engagement spectrums
A lot of attention has recently focused on engagement spectrums, particularly the model promoted by IAP2. There are other versions developed by organisations such as the OECD which cover the same territory.
At its recent conference in Perth, IAP2 Australasia revisited its spectrum and decided that a review is warranted. We agree.
We have given some thought to this subject and concluded that there is a lot of confusing language used to define the various levels. We think that this unhelpful, both to practitioners and communities and have developed our own spectrum covering three distinct states: Inform, Involve and Delegate. You can learn more about our thinking on engagement spectrums here.
Taking engagement to the people
Unlike many organisations and councils that engage only when legislation says they HAVE to, Invercargill City Council has a strong focus on engaging with its communities because it WANTS to. Last year, Invercargill invested in a purpose-built caravan that takes the council to the people, rather than making those folk have to take time to come to the council.
The caravan enables the council to connect with its communities on a whole range of levels. Not only can it be used to consult, but also to deliver on a range of other council services e.g. registering and micro-chipping dogs; lodging service enquiries; and so on.
This engagement solution is cost-effective, passionately embraced by council staff and Invercargill’s communities, and growing in popularity. Read more about this here.
October 2015
Our Free Stuff survey results
The “Our Free Stuff” section of our web site is a popular destination for site visitors and we have had hundreds of requests for all of the material that’s available there. Recently we ran a survey of people who had requested free stuff to find out how it met their needs, whether they had shared it within their organisation, what barriers they faced regarding good practice engagement and what additional services they may be interested in.
Respondents came from Australia, the Maldives, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the USA. All said they found the free stuff helpful and most shared it with others in their organisations.
The main barriers most respondents identified to the uptake of good practice community engagement in their organisation were:
There were also concerns raised about having an appropriate budget for delivering community engagement.
A clear preference was expressed for online training, rather than face-to-face or classroom-style learning.
A clear preference was also expressed for advice and guidance/coaching and mentoring services as ways of making life easier for engagement practitioners.
Engagementworks can help develop strategies and tactics to remove barriers within organisations and provide customised advice, coaching and mentoring services that target specific practitioner needs. Contact us in confidence to discuss how we can help. We can help you to produce a business case that supports the benefits that come from a sound tactical investment in community engagement.
Governance training
One of the needs identified from Our Free Stuff survey was governance training – as a way of building a strongly focused organisational mind-set for community engagement as well as capacity to deliver good practice engagement.
We have a half-day workshop focused on ensuring good governance for community engagement covering:
This course is ideal for directors, elected councillors and senior managers. Delivery takes about 2½ to 3 hours. This course works best in your own place. We are proposing running this course in a main centre venue in the near future. Contact us at brett.sangster@gmail.com for more information and to register your interest in participating in a main centre venue course.
What is this “free stuff” that people are downloading?
There is currently a list of seven things in the Our Free Stuff section of our web site, covering:
Please indicate which ones you may be interested in receiving and we will send these to you.
The “Our Free Stuff” section of our web site is a popular destination for site visitors and we have had hundreds of requests for all of the material that’s available there. Recently we ran a survey of people who had requested free stuff to find out how it met their needs, whether they had shared it within their organisation, what barriers they faced regarding good practice engagement and what additional services they may be interested in.
Respondents came from Australia, the Maldives, New Zealand, United Kingdom and the USA. All said they found the free stuff helpful and most shared it with others in their organisations.
The main barriers most respondents identified to the uptake of good practice community engagement in their organisation were:
- Up-selling to senior managers/negative organisational mind-set about engagement
- No strategic framework to provide a context for training needs
- Lack of support for changing how community engagement is delivered.
There were also concerns raised about having an appropriate budget for delivering community engagement.
A clear preference was expressed for online training, rather than face-to-face or classroom-style learning.
A clear preference was also expressed for advice and guidance/coaching and mentoring services as ways of making life easier for engagement practitioners.
Engagementworks can help develop strategies and tactics to remove barriers within organisations and provide customised advice, coaching and mentoring services that target specific practitioner needs. Contact us in confidence to discuss how we can help. We can help you to produce a business case that supports the benefits that come from a sound tactical investment in community engagement.
Governance training
One of the needs identified from Our Free Stuff survey was governance training – as a way of building a strongly focused organisational mind-set for community engagement as well as capacity to deliver good practice engagement.
We have a half-day workshop focused on ensuring good governance for community engagement covering:
- Engagement strategies and plans: what they need to cover
- Linkages with other organisational strategies and plans (e.g. project plans and communication plans)
- The engagement governance role for organisational leaders
- The engagement spectrum
- The Engagement Toolbox
- Online and social media
This course is ideal for directors, elected councillors and senior managers. Delivery takes about 2½ to 3 hours. This course works best in your own place. We are proposing running this course in a main centre venue in the near future. Contact us at brett.sangster@gmail.com for more information and to register your interest in participating in a main centre venue course.
What is this “free stuff” that people are downloading?
There is currently a list of seven things in the Our Free Stuff section of our web site, covering:
- Stakeholders
- Understanding & choosing community engagement tools
- 10 things you can do to help engage your community more effectively
- Engaging online through social media
- The engagement mind-set
- The community engagement checklist
- 9 tips for dealing with difficult stakeholders
Please indicate which ones you may be interested in receiving and we will send these to you.
Second September 2015
Audit & review services
You’ve just completed an engagement process. But was this as good as it could have been? Are there things you could have done differently that could have resulted in an even better outcome being achieved?
By using our engagement appraisal process, you can learn what things could be changed to enhance your future engagement processes and get results that build more positive relationships, reduce conflict, build trust, and deliver better outcomes.
Find more information here and give us a call to discuss how we can help you: http://www.engagementworks.nz/audit--review-services.html
Our Free Stuff survey
We have recently invited people who have our free stuff to participate in a short survey to help us understand their engagement support needs. This survey will be of interest to you and we would welcome your participation. It only takes a few minutes to complete and can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8ZFC2TT
Our Blog
Our latest blog post about Hasting District Council’s decision to go GM free is available at http://www.engagementworks.nz/our-blog/warning-may-contain-traces-of-nuts
Townhall surveys
Australian company Townhall Social has recently enhanced its service platform. We are currently experimenting with the free version, using it for a couple of informal surveys. Please feel free to participate and share the survey link with your friends and colleagues.
Our latest question is: What’s your preferred method for connecting with other people? Enter your Top 3 choices here: http://bit.ly/1OCPCZL
You’ve just completed an engagement process. But was this as good as it could have been? Are there things you could have done differently that could have resulted in an even better outcome being achieved?
By using our engagement appraisal process, you can learn what things could be changed to enhance your future engagement processes and get results that build more positive relationships, reduce conflict, build trust, and deliver better outcomes.
Find more information here and give us a call to discuss how we can help you: http://www.engagementworks.nz/audit--review-services.html
Our Free Stuff survey
We have recently invited people who have our free stuff to participate in a short survey to help us understand their engagement support needs. This survey will be of interest to you and we would welcome your participation. It only takes a few minutes to complete and can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/8ZFC2TT
Our Blog
Our latest blog post about Hasting District Council’s decision to go GM free is available at http://www.engagementworks.nz/our-blog/warning-may-contain-traces-of-nuts
Townhall surveys
Australian company Townhall Social has recently enhanced its service platform. We are currently experimenting with the free version, using it for a couple of informal surveys. Please feel free to participate and share the survey link with your friends and colleagues.
Our latest question is: What’s your preferred method for connecting with other people? Enter your Top 3 choices here: http://bit.ly/1OCPCZL
First September 2015
Our free stuff
We’ve added some new resources to our growing library of Free Stuff (http://www.engagementworks.nz/our-free-stuff.html)
Watch out for our new guides:
Governance training
We have developed a half-day workshop focused on ensuring good governance for community engagement.
On this course you will learn about
Engagement strategies and plans: what they need to cover
Community Engagement Basics Online
We have added our guide Engaging Online to our Community Engagement Basics Online course – a saving of NZ$69.00.
The contents of this guide include:
Free Webinar
Occasionally we offer free online webinars which have been well received by participants.
Previous sessions have focused on the Engagement Mind-Set. We are open to suggestions on topics of interest for future FREE webinars. Please let us know what keeps you awake at night and we will compile a programme to help. Contact us with your suggestions at brett.sangster@gmail.com.
We’ve added some new resources to our growing library of Free Stuff (http://www.engagementworks.nz/our-free-stuff.html)
Watch out for our new guides:
- Stakeholders: Covers understanding stakeholders and their differences; stakeholder analysis; and engaging with stakeholders. It also outlines Engagementworks’ levels of engagement model (also known as an engagement spectrum).
- Understanding and choosing tools: Combinations of tools, rather than just one, work best to deliver good results. Knowing your community and stakeholder preferences and being able to effectively monitor tool performance, will add value to any project and also deliver better results for future engagement tasks.
Governance training
We have developed a half-day workshop focused on ensuring good governance for community engagement.
On this course you will learn about
Engagement strategies and plans: what they need to cover
- Linkages with other organisational strategies and plans (e.g. project plans and communication plans)
- The engagement governance role for organisational leaders
- The engagement spectrum
- The Toolbox
- Online and social media
- 2½ – 3 hours
- Directors
- Elected councillors
- Senior managers
Community Engagement Basics Online
We have added our guide Engaging Online to our Community Engagement Basics Online course – a saving of NZ$69.00.
The contents of this guide include:
- The case for engaging online and what a visitor to the online site expects
- Online tool options
- Engagement lessons
- Things to look for when buying an online platform
- A shared service model for online engagement.
Free Webinar
Occasionally we offer free online webinars which have been well received by participants.
Previous sessions have focused on the Engagement Mind-Set. We are open to suggestions on topics of interest for future FREE webinars. Please let us know what keeps you awake at night and we will compile a programme to help. Contact us with your suggestions at brett.sangster@gmail.com.
July 2015
Welcome to our July 2015 client newsletter.
The world of community and stakeholder engagement is always busy and pressured. This is why we have a range of products and services designed to help people design and implement cost effective engagement strategies and projects. We charge for some of these, others are free for download on our website.
Our website provides links to all of our service offerings. Here’s a summary of what we can offer:
Our free online materials
Our commercial online materials
Our consultancy services
Our training services
Our blog
Please call us on a no-commitment basis to learn more about any of these products and services.
Our website: www.engagementworks.co.nz
Our email: brett.sangster@gmail.com
Happy engaging
Don & Brett
The world of community and stakeholder engagement is always busy and pressured. This is why we have a range of products and services designed to help people design and implement cost effective engagement strategies and projects. We charge for some of these, others are free for download on our website.
Our website provides links to all of our service offerings. Here’s a summary of what we can offer:
Our free online materials
- Community Engagement Checklist: Need some help planning your next community engagement process? The community engagement checklist E-book will guide you through the steps from beginning to end.
- Nine Tips for Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders: One of the biggest fears when preparing to engage is dealing with stakeholder aggression and negativity. Not only will you receive Engagementworks’ top tips for dealing with these hard to please stakeholders but also we share: our matrix and checklist for identifying and classifying stakeholder interests, and 3 key steps for analysing stakeholders.
- The Engagement Mind-Set: Having the right mind-set is essential for effective community engagement. In this E-book you can find out how the culture and values of your organisation affect the way that you connect with your communities and stakeholders. We cover: a definition of “mind-set”; an engagement continuum; engagement models; problem definition; smart crowds; and principle-based engagement.
- Engaging Online Through Social Media: Coming soon! Focuses on the four most popular social media currently used by organisations: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube. In this e-book we include ideas on how to get the best use from these channels.
Our commercial online materials
- Community Engagement Basics Online: Develop the skills and knowledge to design and implement good practice community engagement with Community Engagement Basics Online. This course provides a great foundation for building expertise in this vital field. Community Engagement Basics Online delivers about 3 hours of consolidated training through 26 videos and supporting notes, segmented into 9 easy-to-follow sessions.
- Engaging Online: Coming soon! This builds on Community Engagement Basics Online and the free E-book Engaging Online Through Social Media. This guide will help you to understand what visitors to your site expect to find and how to engage with them successfully. This gives insights and examples of information sharing, listening and learning tools. We share what we have learned about successful online engagement.
- Significance & Engagement Resource Kit: Developed to help New Zealand local government councils understand the requirements of the Local Government Act 2002 and create and maintain a significance and engagement policy that complies with the Act’s requirements.
Our consultancy services
- Strategy development: Need a community engagement strategy at either an organisational or project level? Do you need this to connect with other organisational strategies, such as a communication, social media or organisational risk strategy? We can help.
- Advice and support: We are available on tap to help resolve your community engagement challenges, avoid common pitfalls, evaluate alternative approaches and tools, and ensure that you get things right.
- Audit and review: Recently completed a project and need an independent perspective on what worked and what didn’t? Do you need to assess how your organisation is tracking in terms of complying with its organisational engagement and related strategies? We can help.
- Workshop facilitation: Do you need somebody independent from your organisation to oversee and guide a planning workshop? We can help.
Our training services
- Engagement training: Do you have either governance (e.g. directors, senior managers or councillors) or operational teams whose roles would be enhanced by training based on international good practice for community engagement? We have a range of courses that we can adapt to meet your needs.
Our blog
- We are always interested in trends, practices and case studies in community engagement. We occasionally comment on both the good and the not-so-good, as part of our desire to build an active community of practice in this fascinating and strategically important area.
Please call us on a no-commitment basis to learn more about any of these products and services.
Our website: www.engagementworks.co.nz
Our email: brett.sangster@gmail.com
Happy engaging
Don & Brett
April 2015
We've just published our latest blog post focusing on the difference between legal compliance and good practise community engagement. In essence, what we are saying is that there is a significant difference between mere legal compliance and a good practise community engagement process. The example we've used relates to the recent controversy over the planned removal of a very old kauri tree from a development site. You can read this blog at http://www.engagementworks.co.nz/our-blog/tree-fellers-beware
Community Engagement Basics Online
Public demand for better, more effective engagement processes from both public and private organisations is growing. Community and stakeholder management is emerging as a specialised field of practise.
At Engagementworks we are passionate about building community engagement capacity. As a result we have developed Community Engagement Basics Online.
This course delivers about 3 hours of consolidated training through 26 videos and supporting notes, segmented into 9 easy-to-follow sessions.
It puts you in the driving seat, deciding when, where, how and for how long you are going to train. You can even use it as a reference guide for developing engagement plans.
Classroom-style training, when available, can cost as much as $5,000 per person. For one low price of $597, everyone in your organisation can access Community Engagement Basics Online.
Find out more at http://www.engagementworks.co.nz/buy-community-engagement-basics-online.html
Governance Training
There is little value in an organisation leaving the responsibility for delivering community engagement in the hands of a few practitioners – without the support of organisational leaders.
Having the right mind-set or culture within your organisation is vital to good community engagement practise. This includes elected members, directors or anyone in a governance role.
Engagementworks can tailor courses to meet your organisation’s needs, from a one-hour presentation, to longer interactive workshops.
Check-out what’s available at http://www.engagementworks.co.nz/governance-workshop.html
Getting on-the-job help
At Engagementworks we recently talked about how individuals within organisations could get help during a community engagement project, without the expense of formal contractual arrangements and costly training options.
What we think is needed is the ability for practitioners to dial-up help, as and when required; whether for an hour, a day or longer, whether by phone, or Skype, or visit. This would be a way of removing the barriers encountered during the planning and implementation processes associated with good practise community engagement.
At Engagementworks we can provide this type of service, tailored to your specific needs. Contact us, on a no-commitment basis, to discuss how this could work for you, at admin@engagementworks.co.nz or call Don Day on 027 688 1502, or Brett Sangster 022 198 5043.
Our Free Stuff
At Engagementworks we’re passionate about building capacity, which leads us to give things away that we hope will help people focus on good practise community engagement processes.
We are encouraged by the requests we’ve received for our Community Engagement Checklist and 9 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders booklets. If you haven’t already requested copies of these freebies, please get in touch with us.
Keep an eye open for more freebies that we add to our website from time to time at http://www.engagementworks.co.nz/our-free-stuff.html
Engagement Tips
When identifying stakeholders, during your pre-planning engagement plan phase, think beyond geographical areas and focus on who is impacted by and who may impact on the decision or project, wherever they may be.
Community Engagement Basics Online
Public demand for better, more effective engagement processes from both public and private organisations is growing. Community and stakeholder management is emerging as a specialised field of practise.
At Engagementworks we are passionate about building community engagement capacity. As a result we have developed Community Engagement Basics Online.
This course delivers about 3 hours of consolidated training through 26 videos and supporting notes, segmented into 9 easy-to-follow sessions.
It puts you in the driving seat, deciding when, where, how and for how long you are going to train. You can even use it as a reference guide for developing engagement plans.
Classroom-style training, when available, can cost as much as $5,000 per person. For one low price of $597, everyone in your organisation can access Community Engagement Basics Online.
Find out more at http://www.engagementworks.co.nz/buy-community-engagement-basics-online.html
Governance Training
There is little value in an organisation leaving the responsibility for delivering community engagement in the hands of a few practitioners – without the support of organisational leaders.
Having the right mind-set or culture within your organisation is vital to good community engagement practise. This includes elected members, directors or anyone in a governance role.
Engagementworks can tailor courses to meet your organisation’s needs, from a one-hour presentation, to longer interactive workshops.
Check-out what’s available at http://www.engagementworks.co.nz/governance-workshop.html
Getting on-the-job help
At Engagementworks we recently talked about how individuals within organisations could get help during a community engagement project, without the expense of formal contractual arrangements and costly training options.
What we think is needed is the ability for practitioners to dial-up help, as and when required; whether for an hour, a day or longer, whether by phone, or Skype, or visit. This would be a way of removing the barriers encountered during the planning and implementation processes associated with good practise community engagement.
At Engagementworks we can provide this type of service, tailored to your specific needs. Contact us, on a no-commitment basis, to discuss how this could work for you, at admin@engagementworks.co.nz or call Don Day on 027 688 1502, or Brett Sangster 022 198 5043.
Our Free Stuff
At Engagementworks we’re passionate about building capacity, which leads us to give things away that we hope will help people focus on good practise community engagement processes.
We are encouraged by the requests we’ve received for our Community Engagement Checklist and 9 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders booklets. If you haven’t already requested copies of these freebies, please get in touch with us.
Keep an eye open for more freebies that we add to our website from time to time at http://www.engagementworks.co.nz/our-free-stuff.html
Engagement Tips
When identifying stakeholders, during your pre-planning engagement plan phase, think beyond geographical areas and focus on who is impacted by and who may impact on the decision or project, wherever they may be.
December 2014
Focus on identifying problems before developing solutions
Too many organisations create community engagement difficulties for themselves by being too quick to propose solutions to issues that communities may have a different perspective on, such as how problematic an issue may be or its importance to them, or both! Engagement practitioners can also be guilty of this, particularly when they begin rummaging in the engagement toolbox before defining what the problem may be or which communities may be affected.
Different communities need different tools. There is no such thing as One Perfect Engagement Tool™ and web-based solutions do not offer all of the connections needed to get to hard-to-reach groups. Tool choices should always come later in engagement planning, not sooner.
Engagementworks does not market proprietary engagement tools or have any commercial arrangements with engagement tool distributors. We recommend tools that we believe meet the needs of different communities and also align with an organisation’s available resources, skills and experience.
So if you’re seeking impartial advice on the best selection of tools for a particular project, we’re happy to advise.
9 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders
Responding to queries about managing difficult stakeholders, we’ve developed a free guide booklet – 9 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders. Click on this link or go to the Our Free Stuff section on our website, complete the simple order form and shortly afterwards you’ll receive an electronic copy of the guide booklet.
We’ve had strong interest in this since we published it, with several requests from Australia and the United States.
Community Engagement Checklist
Need some help planning your next community engagement process? Our free community engagement checklist E-book will guide you through the steps from beginning to end.
Click on this link or go to the Our Free Stuff section on our website, complete the simple order form and shortly afterwards you’ll receive an electronic copy of the guide booklet.
Community Engagement Basics Online
We are adapting our Community Engagement Basics training course for online delivery. We’re responding to feedback for self-paced learning that people can either do during quiet periods at work or in their own time.
The course comprises nine sessions, with a series of online videos of varying length. The videos will be supported by printed course outline notes and may include some bonuses like our Toolbox document and Good Practice Guide.
The nine sessions covered are:
Pricing for the course is still to be finalised but will be very competitive and affordable.
If you’re interested in learning more about Community Engagement Basics Online please email us at admin@engagementworks.co.nz.
Have a happy festive season!
We’d like to wish all of you our best wishes for the upcoming festive season, whether you’re planning a break away or working through. 2015 looks like being an eventful year, with cricket and rugby world cups scheduled for those of you interested in supporting national teams in these codes.
There will be plenty of opportunities for exciting and innovative approaches to community engagement. Please give us a call if you need advice or support services.
Don & Brett
Too many organisations create community engagement difficulties for themselves by being too quick to propose solutions to issues that communities may have a different perspective on, such as how problematic an issue may be or its importance to them, or both! Engagement practitioners can also be guilty of this, particularly when they begin rummaging in the engagement toolbox before defining what the problem may be or which communities may be affected.
Different communities need different tools. There is no such thing as One Perfect Engagement Tool™ and web-based solutions do not offer all of the connections needed to get to hard-to-reach groups. Tool choices should always come later in engagement planning, not sooner.
Engagementworks does not market proprietary engagement tools or have any commercial arrangements with engagement tool distributors. We recommend tools that we believe meet the needs of different communities and also align with an organisation’s available resources, skills and experience.
So if you’re seeking impartial advice on the best selection of tools for a particular project, we’re happy to advise.
9 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders
Responding to queries about managing difficult stakeholders, we’ve developed a free guide booklet – 9 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders. Click on this link or go to the Our Free Stuff section on our website, complete the simple order form and shortly afterwards you’ll receive an electronic copy of the guide booklet.
We’ve had strong interest in this since we published it, with several requests from Australia and the United States.
Community Engagement Checklist
Need some help planning your next community engagement process? Our free community engagement checklist E-book will guide you through the steps from beginning to end.
Click on this link or go to the Our Free Stuff section on our website, complete the simple order form and shortly afterwards you’ll receive an electronic copy of the guide booklet.
Community Engagement Basics Online
We are adapting our Community Engagement Basics training course for online delivery. We’re responding to feedback for self-paced learning that people can either do during quiet periods at work or in their own time.
The course comprises nine sessions, with a series of online videos of varying length. The videos will be supported by printed course outline notes and may include some bonuses like our Toolbox document and Good Practice Guide.
The nine sessions covered are:
- What is Community Engagement?
- Why is community engagement important?
- Legal Compliance and Community Engagement
- The Engagement Mind-set
- Who is “the community”?
- What’s in a community engagement toolbox?
- Engaging online
- Planning for community engagement
- Building and implementing a Community Engagement Plan
Pricing for the course is still to be finalised but will be very competitive and affordable.
If you’re interested in learning more about Community Engagement Basics Online please email us at admin@engagementworks.co.nz.
Have a happy festive season!
We’d like to wish all of you our best wishes for the upcoming festive season, whether you’re planning a break away or working through. 2015 looks like being an eventful year, with cricket and rugby world cups scheduled for those of you interested in supporting national teams in these codes.
There will be plenty of opportunities for exciting and innovative approaches to community engagement. Please give us a call if you need advice or support services.
Don & Brett
November 2014
Mind-Set Webinar
We held our first-ever webinar on 4 November. This brought online our Mind-Set seminar, previously delivered to live groups. A range of people from New Zealand and Australia participated. Feedback has been encouraging and we’ve learned a lot that we’ll use to enhance our future efforts.
We’re keen to make further use of online webinars as a business engagement and training tool. We understand that our clients often have limited time and ability to travel to out-of-office presentations and believe that webinars are a timely and cost-effective way to connect.
Our webinar planning includes a mix of free and paid services tailored to meet clients’ needs.
We’d welcome ideas for webinars between one and two hours duration that you think could be useful for your community engagement challenges. Please email us at admin@engagementworks.co.nz.
Community Engagement Basics Online
Our Community Engagement Basics training course is currently being adapted for online delivery. We’re responding to feedback for self-paced learning that people can either do during quiet periods at work or in their own time.
The course comprises nine sessions, with a series of online videos of varying length. The videos will be supported by printed course outline notes, training material and may include some bonuses like our Toolbox document and Good Practice Guide.
The nine sessions covered are:
Pricing for the course is still to be finalised but will be very competitive and affordable.
If you’re interested in learning more about Community Engagement Basics Online please email us at admin@engagementworks.co.nz.
Our Blog
Our latest blogs look at:
Significance & Engagement Policies
Councils throughout New Zealand are busy preparing their Significance and Engagement Policies in readiness for the 1 December 2014 deadline set out in the recently amended Local Government Act.
This is an issue we have been actively involved in over the past year, selling 29 of our significance and engagement resource kits to councils as well as providing training and consultancy services. We are able to provide independent assessment of draft and final policies. If you are interested, please contact us at admin@engagementworks.co.nz.
We’re taking an active interest in draft policies as these appear on council websites as part of consultation processes.
Gisborne District Council has produced what we think is an excellent draft significance and engagement policy that may provide useful perspectives to other councils who are still building theirs. You can find it here: http://www.gdc.govt.nz/draft-significance-and-engagement-policy/
We held our first-ever webinar on 4 November. This brought online our Mind-Set seminar, previously delivered to live groups. A range of people from New Zealand and Australia participated. Feedback has been encouraging and we’ve learned a lot that we’ll use to enhance our future efforts.
We’re keen to make further use of online webinars as a business engagement and training tool. We understand that our clients often have limited time and ability to travel to out-of-office presentations and believe that webinars are a timely and cost-effective way to connect.
Our webinar planning includes a mix of free and paid services tailored to meet clients’ needs.
We’d welcome ideas for webinars between one and two hours duration that you think could be useful for your community engagement challenges. Please email us at admin@engagementworks.co.nz.
Community Engagement Basics Online
Our Community Engagement Basics training course is currently being adapted for online delivery. We’re responding to feedback for self-paced learning that people can either do during quiet periods at work or in their own time.
The course comprises nine sessions, with a series of online videos of varying length. The videos will be supported by printed course outline notes, training material and may include some bonuses like our Toolbox document and Good Practice Guide.
The nine sessions covered are:
- What is Community Engagement?
- Why is community engagement important?
- Legal Compliance and Community Engagement
- The Engagement Mind-set
- Who is “the community”?
- What’s in a community engagement toolbox?
- Engaging online
- Planning for community engagement
- Building and implementing a Community Engagement Plan/Strategy
Pricing for the course is still to be finalised but will be very competitive and affordable.
If you’re interested in learning more about Community Engagement Basics Online please email us at admin@engagementworks.co.nz.
Our Blog
Our latest blogs look at:
- recent controversy in New Plymouth after the District Council decided to establish a Māori ward and how some planned community engagement may have helped. http://www.engagementworks.co.nz/our-blog/agonising-over-maori-wards
- Social licence to operate and how this is linked to community engagement strategies and delivery. http://www.engagementworks.co.nz/our-blog/engagement-grows-your-slo
Significance & Engagement Policies
Councils throughout New Zealand are busy preparing their Significance and Engagement Policies in readiness for the 1 December 2014 deadline set out in the recently amended Local Government Act.
This is an issue we have been actively involved in over the past year, selling 29 of our significance and engagement resource kits to councils as well as providing training and consultancy services. We are able to provide independent assessment of draft and final policies. If you are interested, please contact us at admin@engagementworks.co.nz.
We’re taking an active interest in draft policies as these appear on council websites as part of consultation processes.
Gisborne District Council has produced what we think is an excellent draft significance and engagement policy that may provide useful perspectives to other councils who are still building theirs. You can find it here: http://www.gdc.govt.nz/draft-significance-and-engagement-policy/