Effective engagement builds trust between government and the community.
It helps the government better understand what communities need, encourages public discussions, and can lead to new ideas and practical solutions.
Good engagement can also help when budgets and resources are limited, by making the best use of public input and maximising public value.
Community engagement can be designed in four key stages: prepare, plan, engage and evaluate. Read the stages below and use the resources to design your engagement project.
The 4 community engagement design stages
Prepare your basics before you start detailed planning, to ensure you deliver a clear, consistent message that will help you reach your objective.
Ask yourself:
- why are we engaging
- who are our stakeholders
- why are we involving these stakeholders and how much influence will they be able to have on decision-making
- what past decisions or actions have led to this engagement project?
Tools to help you prepare
Successful community engagement gives everyone in the community a chance to be involved. Think about who may be affected by your topic and how different people may want or need to participate. Your communication and engagement approach should support participation across all parts of the community.
Ask yourself:
- who need to be involved?
- what information and data do we need?
- which engagement tools will work best for the stakeholders we’re working with, while still meeting our data needs?
- what will we do if we need to change our approach part way through the consultation?
- what can we learn from similar engagement projects in the past?
Take time to understand the community you are engaging with. Speak with local government, community organisations and others who know the community well, to better understand the demographic features of the community, and how your topic may affect them.
Some people may need additional support to participate. You may need to seek advice from subject matter experts, representatives or advocates to ensure your engagement activities are accessible and inclusive.
Tools to help you plan
Better Together engagement plan template (DOCX, 3.2 MB)
Co-design with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples (PDF, 3.3 MB)
South Australian Multicultural Charter (PDF, 400.5 KB)
State Disability Inclusion Plan 2025-2029 (Inclusive SA)
Guidelines for portraying people with disability (PDF, 114.0 KB)
SA Youth Action Plan 2025–2028 (Department of Human Services)
As you implement your plans, you may need to adjust them to the reality of the engagement, as it progresses.
Engaging with the community is not just about letting people share their thought and opinions. It also involves reporting back on how what they have shared informs the final decision. The engagement activity isn’t finished until this loop is closed.
Ask yourself:
- have we clearly communicated the purpose and details of this engagement?
- what can or can’t be changed?
- which engagement activities can we approach creatively?
- are there any limitations, and how can we work within or around them?
- what are the potential risks, and how can we mitigate against them?
- have we heard from the community leaders and key people in the groups we’re engaging with?
- who is actively listening to the community during the engagement process?
- how can we show stakeholders their time and input is valued?
- how and when will we report back to participants and show how their feedback was used?
Tools to help you engage
Better Together consultation summary report template (DOCX, 3.2 MB)
Evaluating the finished engagement, including documenting anything learned throughout the process, helps improve future engagement efforts.
Providing a summary report to the lead team, relevant managers and executives can help the agency review and improve its approach to engagement activities and stakeholder relationships.
Tools to help you evaluate
Related resources
The complete Better Together engagement toolkit: