Community Engagement

Community Engagement is the process by which citizens are engaged to work and learn together on behalf of their communities to create and realize bold visions for the future. Community Engagement can involve informing citizens about your initiative, inviting their input, collaborating with them to generate solutions, and partnering with the community from the beginning to create a desired outcome together. As Community Engagement increases, citizens move from being passive consumers of information to taking active leadership roles.

Passive approaches inform people about decisions or consult with them by asking them questions. This approach however, does not bring the public into the decision-making process.

Proactive approaches, on the other hand, give more control over decision-making to the public. They encourage the public to participate in the development of action plans that meet their needs and interests.

Engaging citizens is a critical component of any work that will impact the community in any way. It is about listening to the community’s needs and responding. Community Engagement increases community cohesion and allows for the community to have ownership over outcomes that better reflect their needs.

Strengthening Public Engagement in Edmonton

By Centre for Public Involvement

This document summarizes the state of the art in public engagement, and relates these lessons and innovations to the Edmonton experience. The first section describes the key elements of productive engagement and what it can accomplish. The following three sections focus on the techniques and assets that contribute to the practice, culture, and structure of engagement. The final two sections explore how to put all this information together in visions and plans for public engagement in Edmonton.

Ideas