Improving community engagement to make better decisions

The Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee has found the framework is not consistently applied to all engagements conducted by Victorian Government departments and agencies.

It follows an 18-month probe which gathered 133 submissions, involved three days of public hearings and held two online community roundtables on how engagement could be improved.

‘The Committee was provided examples of thoughtful and inclusive engagement. However, we also heard that when engagement is rushed, narrowly framed or poorly communicated, it can undermine trust and lead to disengagement,’ Committee Chair Ryan Batchelor said.

‘We must strengthen the practical application of the Public Engagement Framework and ensure that engagement is undertaken early, transparently and with clear purpose.’

The Committee’s urging the state government to mandate the application of the framework for all departments, agencies and their consultants or contractors when conducting engagement.

It’s also calling for them to publicly report on their adherence to the framework when conducting engagement and provide training for department staff undertaking community consultation to ensure they are aware of the framework’s principles, so they work more closely with communities to make better decisions.

‘Consultation should not be a ‘tick box’ exercise, it is an integral part of the policy making process that strengthens public trust and helps build more cohesive communities,’ Mr Batchelor said.

Overall, the Committee makes 28 recommendations and 63 findings which primarily address the following key themes:

• The purpose of engagement
• Identifying who to engage and when
• Participation that works for everyone
• Engagement feedback

‘I would like to thank the community members, advocacy organisations, local governments, academics and departmental representatives who shared their experiences with us,’ Mr Batchelor said.

‘Their insights demonstrated a belief that when government listens, everyone benefits.’

The full report is available to read on the Committee’s website.