Community Participation

Index by Content Type

Practical

• Active Sydney - Resources and Links for Social Change
  - An on-line interactive forum for information and inspiration about social change in Sydney
• Australian Federal Government Committees and Inquiries – Making a Submission
  - The Australian Federal Government also has a number of Committees in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, providing an opportunity for organisations and individuals to make representations to Parliament and to have their views placed on the public record.
• Beyond Public Meetings: Connecting Community Engagement with Decision-Making
  - This new book, by five internationally recognised experts in the field of community engagement, challenges myths and assumptions associated with community engagement and provides organisations, including all layers of government, with a comprehensive guide to why and how communities can be engaged to make better decisions.
• Citizenscape - Resources and Guides for active citizenship from Western Australia
  - Citizenscape provides a wealth of practical information on citizenship-related organizations, activities, resources and projects.
• Citizen’s Handbook (Canada)
  - A quick online guide to community organizing which aims to encourage the emergence of more active citizens - people motivated by an interest in public issues, and a desire to make a difference beyond their own private lives.
• Commonwealth Foundation's Citizens and Governance Resources
  - The Commonwealth Foundation aims to promote increased participation in decision-making at local, national, regional and international levels, by citizens and their organisations.
• Community Building Toolkits from Making Connections, Denver
  - The Block Party Toolkit and Story Circle Toolkit present positive and powerful ways for people to connect and to address issues facing their neighborhoods.
• Community Engagement - reference list
  - References, resources and www links, developed by Community Engagement Division, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Queensland.
• Community Engagement in the NSW Planning System: Handbook and Website
  - A single, comprehensive, easy to read source of reference for practitioners in the NSW planning and development system who are keen to improve the quality of community engagement at local, regional or State levels.
• Community Engagement – Queensland Government
  - An online source of reference for community engagement practitioners in the private and public sectors who wish to build their professional knowledge and work more productively with communities, especially in Queensland.
• Consultation and Engagement Resource Website
  - The Victorian Local Governance Association has developed this website with the aim of providing local governments with the information, tools and support to consult effectively with their communities.
• Consulting culturally and linguistically diverse communities
  - "Why Didn't You Tell Us? Because You Didn't Ask" is a guide for South Australian Government Agencies on consulting with culturally and linguistically diverse communities which contains information useful to everyone consulting these communities.
• Discovering Democracy - Civics and citizenship education
  - These kits are intended to stimulate and give some direction to discussion on civics and citizenship education.
• Effectively Engaging with our Communities
  - Community engagement can take many forms and cover a broad range of activities. The Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment has developed a three-part kit to assist people seeking to engage with various communities.
• Event Starter Guide
  - The NSW Premier's Department has recently released an "Event Starter Guide" to assist community event organisers with general information on a wide range of topics such as safety and security, health, traffic and transport, communication, volunteers, fundraising and sponsorship.
• Guide to Using Citizens Juries Handbook - Lyn Carson, Editor
  - Part of a series of Consult Your Community Handbooks, provides practical information and case studies at state and local level of Citizens’ Juries in NSW.
• Ideas for Community Consultation - Principles and Procedures - Dr Lyn Carson and Dr Katherine Gleber
  - This draft two-part report into community consultation presents ideas for achieving better community consultation, as a strategic arm of the plan making system in NSW.
• NSW Parliamentary Committees and Inquiries – Making a Submission
  - One of the ways parliamentary committees investigate an issue is to call for submissions from the public and any relevant organisations, providing everyone with a valuable opportunity to have their say.
• Premier's Memorandum on Best Practice Principals for Youth Participation 2007
  - The Best Practice Principles for Youth Participation seek to encourage and support young people to participate in Government decision-making, in implementing the NSW State Plan, and in providing input to the development of programs and services that impact on their lives.
• Residents Feedback Register Handbook – Dr Lyn Carson, Editor
  - This Guide, prepared for Planning NSW by Dr Lyn Carson, is part of a series of Consult Your Community Handbooks. It introduces and provides practical information on Residents’ Feedback Registers.
• Resources for Community Participation from IAP2
  - The International Association for Public Participation has produced resources that give a variety of techniques and strategies to enhance people’s participation in decision making.
• Taking Participation Seriously – a practical resource kit for involving children and young people
  - A kit providing practical advice on how to involve children and young people in activities, events, decision-making, meetings, boards and committees.
• URP Toolbox
  - The URP Toolbox is designed to enhance community participation and consultation processes. The toolbox profiles over 60 community involvement tools, from public meetings to kitchen table discussion, Samoan circles and consensus conferences.
• WA Collaboration - Civil Society Partnerships
  - The WA Collaboration is an historic partnership of leading civil society organisations in Western Australia committed to a just and sustainable future.
• access2democracy – an online resource on eDemocracy
  - Access2democracy is a not-for-profit, Non Governmental Organization (NGO) established in Athens and New York which aims to promote and enhance democratic values, institutions and processes through the utilization of the new Information and Communication Technologies

Case Studies

• Citizens' Jury Process - Wollondilly Shire Council
  - A public participation case study based on the Wollondilly Shire Council Social Planning Community Panel (Citizens' Jury) Process
  - written by Max Hardy, Twyford Consulting and Sandra Ruecroft, Wollondilly Shire Council.
• The Pipeline Project in Remote NSW
  - A public participation case study involving a small community under threat of having its water supply pipeline replaced with water tanks - written by Max Hardy.
• The survival of vegetation remnants on private land
  - The Friends of Oolong (FOO), a southeast New South Wales and ACT bush environmental organisation, are trying to stop the sale of these areas to landholders by promoting the survival and protection of vegetation remnants and the links between them.

Related Reading

• Centre for Popular Education Research and Resources
  - The Centre for Popular Education at UTS studies and supports popular education that serves the interests of people who are marginalised, or/and are engaged in advocacy, social action or community development activities.
• Engaging Communities – Presentations from the Brisbane conference
  - In August 2005 the Government of the State of Queensland, Australia with the support of the United Nations, hosted the first International Conference on Engaging Communities.
• Giving Circles Provide Opportunities & Challenges for Fundraisers
  - A new study has found that while giving circles have much to offer charities, in some cases the funding relationships can be uneven and have yet to reach their full potential.
• Making it meaningful:Government/community sector relations – Dr Margot Rawsthorne & Fiona Christian, August 2004
  - A research report prepared for Western Sydney Community Forum, in relation to the development of a compact between the NSW Government and non-government organisations.
• Maximising Civil Society’s Contribution to Development and Democracy
  - Civil society is led by organisations - including NGOs, community groups, labour unions, professional associations and faith-based organisations - which are made up of people who come together to work towards those interests, values and purposes we commonly refer to as the ‘common good’.
• Pro Bono Australia
  - Pro Bono Australia is Australia’s portal for the Not for Profit sector. It is unique in this country and has been established since November 1999.
• Public Sector Transparency – an online report
  - This Special Report on Public Sector Transparency from the Development Gateway website illustrates current international trends in advancing transparency through civil society, government and the media.
• The Reith Lectures 2004 - Climate of Fear
  - The Reith Lectures aim to advance public understanding about significant issues of contemporary interest. The 2004 lectures are delivered by Wole Soyinka.
• Ways to make a Community Stronger, Wiser, More Resilient and Engaged
  - Twenty-six approaches to creative dialogue for positive social change