What is community engagement?

Community engagement is a way of developing a working relationship between public bodies (for example, local councils) and community organisations. Good community engagement will mean that both groups can understand and act on the needs or issues of community experiences.

It involves respectful dialogue between everyone involved, aimed at improving understanding between communities and public bodies, helping them to take joint action to achieve positive change.

Why is community engagement important?

We know that outcomes improve when community priorities are part of how services are developed. Good community engagement is not an outcome in itself, but is intended to lead to better democratic participation, better services and better outcomes for communities.

When done well, good community engagement can lead to:

  • Public services that are planned, developed and delivered in a way that are influenced by, and respond to, community need.

  • People who find it difficult to get involved (for example, because of language barriers, disability, poverty or discrimination) can help to influence the decisions that affect their lives.

  • The various strengths and assets in communities and across public and private sector agencies are used effectively to deal with the issues communities face.

  • New relationships are developed between communities and public sector bodies which build trust and make joint action possible.

There is more influential community participation in:

  • community-based or community-led social and economic development activity;

  • the way public authorities design and deliver services; and

  • policy, strategy and planning processes. 

Next: What does good quality community engagement look like?