Idea 1: Use the 6 P’s...

The old adage ‘proper planning prevents piss poor performance’ certainly applies to community engagement activity.

Here at Slough we have a developed the following 8 staged checklist to help staff get the most out of running their local community engagement activities:

1. Set your objectives

• Do you understand the context for your engagement activities and what’s driving them? 
• Do you understand where your engagement activity sits within the Councils policy/planning cycles?

2. Set project parameters

• Have you identified all of the goals, outputs and outcomes you want to achieve?

3. Understand your community

• Have you undertaken enough research to understand the communities you need to engage with?
• Are you clear what you need to know and from whom?
• What level of engagement do you need to use with each groups?

4. Set up your engagement activities

• Have you chosen the right engagement methods/techniques to reach the groups you need to engage with?

5. Identifying and managing risk

• Have you developed plans to deal with all of the risks associated with carrying out your engagement activities?

6. Publicity

• Do you have a social media strategy and  or communication plan to advertise your  activities to the groups you need to work with?

7. Launch

8. Close, analyse and feedback

• Are you clear what methods and criteria you will use to evaluate your engagement activities and feedback to residents? 
• You’ll get the best results from your engagement process if you plan it properly.

  

Giant: 

Amanda Renn

Policy & Communications Team

Slough Borough Council

amanda.renn@slough.gov.uk

01753 875560