TheFutureofCommunityEngagement|AnIni6alPerspec6veDr.RobinPharoahFutureAgenda

ContextThisini/alperspec/veontheFutureofAgeingkicksoffthe

FutureAgenda2.0globaldiscussionsthataretakingplacethrough2015.Itisanini/alviewtobeshared,challenged,builtuponandenhanced.

Ini/alPerspec/vesQ42014

GlobalDiscussionsQ1-32015

InsightSynthesisQ42015

SharingOutputQ12016

EngagementMind-setPublicsectorbodieswillincreasinglyseecommunityengagementasa‘mind-

set’thatneedstositacrosstheorganisa/onratherthanasasub-setofac/vi/esundertakenbyspecificteams.

NewStandardsBeSerdataandpublicappe/teforchangewillleadtonew,standardisedwaysofmeasuringtheeffec/venessofcommunityengagement,mostlikely

focusedondemocra/candcivicpar/cipa/onandadequacyofrepresenta/on.

DigitalTransforma6onDigitalcommunica/onstoolswilltransformcommunityengagement,providingnewmethodsofpar/cipa/onandcommunica/onbutalsoreshapingthelandscapeof‘communi/es’thatpublicsectorbodiesmustengagewith.Digitalexclusionsand

communi/eswillnotpreciselymirrorcurrentones.

TransparencyandAccountabilityCi/zensandservice-userswillexpectfulltransparencyfrompublicsector

bodies.Organisa/onswillincreasinglybeheldtoaccountforfailingtoactonengagementexercises,forcingthemawayfromlegacy‘/ck-box’cultures.

Re-definedVCSRoleTheVCSwillnolongerhaveamonopolyofaccesstocommuni/esandwillincreasinglybecalledontodeliverspecialisedornicheengagementservices

ratherthanactas(self-?)appointedcommunitymouthpieces.

CommissioningEngagementWithpublicsectorbudgetsdeclining,andin-houseskillsandcapaci/esdecreasing,commissioningwillincreasinglybeseenasapotentvehiclefordeliveringpublic-sectorvalues.CommissionedserviceswillhavetodemonstratebeSercommunity

engagementskills.

GeJngDownandDirtyEthnographicthinkingandface-to-faceengagementwillbeseenastruerto

thespiritofengagementthaninvita/onstocountyhallsorremotelyadministeredsurveys.Officerswillberequiredtoleavetheirdesks.

FreeingtheFrontlinePublicsectororganisa/onswillincreasinglyunderstandthevalueoftheirfrontlinestaffasacommunityengagementassetandseektobeSeru/lise

theirabilitytoreachintocommuni/es,homesandlives.

OldTensionsinNewContextsOldtensionsbetweenlisteningandrespondingtocommuni/esvs.informingandengagingaroundtop-downini/a/ves,willpersist.Co-crea/onanddigital

commsdonotsolvetheinherent‘problems’ofpluralistdemocracy.

RedefiningCi6zenandStateCommunityengagementwillcometodefinetherela/onshipbetweenci/zensandthestate.Boundarieswillbecomeblurredandpowerwillbecomemore

andmoredecentralised.

NewGovernanceStructuresChanginggovernancestructuressuchasdevolvedcityandregionalgovernmentswillgivenewpowersandmandatestoallowlocalauthori/estodeveloplocallyrelevant

communityengagementstrategies,commissioningacrossnewboundaries.

FacilitatorsNotProvidersWithbudgetsforservicedeliverydeclining,localgovernmentbodieswillincreasinglyshi_awayfromdirectservicedeliverytowardsfacilita/onof

community-deliveredservices.

PurposefulLeadershipLocalgovernmentbodiesbecomeincreasinglyci/zen/consumer-focusedandoutcomeoriented,leadershipwilllookmoretowardsci/zendemandthan

poli/caldiktatforguidance.

NetworksnotCommuni6es‘Networks’cometoberecognisedasbeingmoreimportantthan

‘communi/es’indefiningci/zens’iden//es.Thevoiceof‘networks’willbemorediverseandmorevocalthancurrent‘communi/es’.

CommunityFragmenta6on,DecliningRepresenta6onPowersoflocalauthori/eswillcon/nuetodecline,whilepopula/onsbecomemorecomplexandfragmentedduetomul/plyingnetworkandcommunica/onchannels.

Neworganisa/onswillemergetofillrepresenta/ongaps.

ThirdSectorConsensusSociety’scon/nuingdependenceonthethirdsectortotakeonroles

tradi/onallyprovidedbythestatecallsforthesectortobeSerdefineandco-ordinateitscollec/veapproach,impactandneeds.

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