Community Engagement Support for Unit 2
The delicate role of managing various stakeholder’s expectations and requirements during a community engagement project, both during the pre and post-engagement is vital if the project is to be successful while not disrupting both beneficiaries, stakeholders or students.
Having been involved in several community engagement studios,(Slovo Park 2010-2014, Informal Studio – Marlboro South, Studio AT Denver amongst others) and community development projects through various roles (student, teacher and practitioner) I have seen the important of not only developing such a plan early, but in maintaining the engagement holistically while being mutually supportive of all involved.
The broad strategy for such a project should be seen in three phases:
Pre-engagement:-
- Meeting with stakeholders and community
- Discussing and developing broad inputs, outcomes and expectations mutually
- Securing funding/support for designbuild or tangible outcomes
Engagement:
- Implementing the process rigorously and openly
- Mitigating unforeseen occurrences in both the community and the students
- Maintaining the core of the engagement
- Deciding on the form of outcomes mutually
Post-Engagement:
- Ensuring the delivery of promised outcomes
- Documenting the process
- Critically reflecting on such processes
- Closing the project out
Through my team’s experience and we have many tools, methodologies and a core approach that we are offering to share, facilitate and co-develop through this project.