The Australian Centre for Excellence in Local Government (ACELG) has launched an online database of community engagement resources for staff of rural-remote and Indigenous local governments.
The ACELG’s ‘Capacity Building Strategy for Rural-remote and Indigenous Local Government’ was developed following research over a number of years into the issue of strengthening remote-rural and Indigenous councils. The strategy identifies improved community engagement as one of the key priorities.
ACELG’s research identified that rural-remote and Indigenous councils want more practical support and assistance to build their skills and capacity for community engagement.
As a result, ACELG reviewed the various community engagement toolkits, guides, manuals, templates and training courses available to local government, and assessed their suitability for rural-remote and Indigenous councils. The new online database contains information and links for a wide range of community engagement resources.
The full database profiles 96 resources, while a separate section highlights the top resources specifically selected by ACELG researchers to assist rural-remote and Indigenous local government practitioners.
ACELG has focused on practical, easy-to-use and publicly available resources that are relevant to the circumstances of rural-remote and Indigenous local governments. These are not necessarily the most comprehensive resources but those that contain useful tips, templates and guidance for staff of smaller councils, who may not have a background in community engagement and are likely to have only limited time and resources to implement engagement strategies.
The database is available at ACELG’s Innovation and Knowledge Exchange Network (IKEN) website: www.iken.net.au/communities-of-practice/rural-remote-and-indigenous-local-government/community-engagement-resources
