Start with respect
Do not treat communities as problems to be solved. Start by recognising knowledge, context and dignity.
Community Engagement Principles
Principles for Working With Communities
respect, clarity and practical purpose.
Guiding principles for respectful, non-extractive and practical engagement with communities, stakeholders and people with lived experience.
Framework summary
Engagement should start with respect, not assumption.
These principles are designed for organisations and practitioners who want to work with people in ways that are clear, honest, useful and grounded in dignity.
- Start with respect
- Be honest about influence
- Do not extract stories
- Make participation practical
- Notice power
- Close the loop
The framework
The core model
in practice.
Use this section as a practical reference when planning, facilitating or reviewing work with communities and stakeholders.
Be honest about influence
People should know what is open for input, what is already decided and how decisions will be made.
Do not extract stories
Do not ask people to share difficult experiences unless there is a clear purpose and proper care.
Make participation practical
Consider language, timing, transport, digital access, childcare, safety and cultural context.
Notice power
Pay attention to who speaks, who is silent, who is missing and who carries the burden of explanation.
Close the loop
People should know what happened after they gave their time, insight or trust.
When to use it
Useful for
real project work.
This page is designed to help professionals apply the framework in practical settings, not just read it as theory.
Community engagement
Shape respectful consultation, forums, listening sessions and public engagement processes.
Lived experience work
Use when people are invited to share personal experience, expertise or community knowledge.
Service and program design
Test whether participation is meaningful and whether decisions are transparent.
Facilitation
Hold diverse rooms with care, structure and attention to power.
Practice note. This framework is most useful when it is adapted to the community, organisation, issue and decision-making context involved.
Practice questions
Questions to ask
before moving forward.
Use these questions to test whether your planning is clear, respectful and practical.
Are we clear about why we are asking people to participate?
Have we explained what can and cannot change?
Are we making participation easier for the people we want to hear from?
Are we asking for personal stories responsibly?
Who is carrying the emotional or cultural burden in this process?
How will we return to people with outcomes or next steps?
Common risks
What to avoid
in practice.
These risks can reduce trust, weaken participation or make the work less useful.
Using community as evidence
People should not be reduced to quotes, case studies or proof points for decisions already made.
Inviting without preparing
Poor preparation can shift the burden onto community members to explain context the organisation should have considered.
Consulting without consequence
If nothing can change, the process should be honest about that from the beginning.
Apply the framework
Need this adapted
for your organisation or project?
This framework can support planning, consultation, needs assessment, facilitation, stakeholder engagement and community-centred program work.
Useful details to include
The community, issue, program or event you are working with.
The kind of support you need: advice, facilitation, consultation, needs assessment or engagement planning.
Email:
blaise@itabelo.com
Mobile:
0402 493 675
Community Engagement Principles
Principles for Working With Communities
respect, clarity and practical purpose.
Guiding principles for respectful, non-extractive and practical engagement with communities, stakeholders and people with lived experience.
Framework summary
Engagement should start with respect, not assumption.
These principles are designed for organisations and practitioners who want to work with people in ways that are clear, honest, useful and grounded in dignity.
- Start with respect
- Be honest about influence
- Do not extract stories
- Make participation practical
- Notice power
- Close the loop
The framework
The core model
in practice.
Use this section as a practical reference when planning, facilitating or reviewing work with communities and stakeholders.
Start with respect
Do not treat communities as problems to be solved. Start by recognising knowledge, context and dignity.
Be honest about influence
People should know what is open for input, what is already decided and how decisions will be made.
Do not extract stories
Do not ask people to share difficult experiences unless there is a clear purpose and proper care.
Make participation practical
Consider language, timing, transport, digital access, childcare, safety and cultural context.
Notice power
Pay attention to who speaks, who is silent, who is missing and who carries the burden of explanation.
Close the loop
People should know what happened after they gave their time, insight or trust.
When to use it
Useful for
real project work.
This page is designed to help professionals apply the framework in practical settings, not just read it as theory.
Community engagement
Shape respectful consultation, forums, listening sessions and public engagement processes.
Lived experience work
Use when people are invited to share personal experience, expertise or community knowledge.
Service and program design
Test whether participation is meaningful and whether decisions are transparent.
Facilitation
Hold diverse rooms with care, structure and attention to power.
Practice note. This framework is most useful when it is adapted to the community, organisation, issue and decision-making context involved.
Practice questions
Questions to ask
before moving forward.
Use these questions to test whether your planning is clear, respectful and practical.
Are we clear about why we are asking people to participate?
Have we explained what can and cannot change?
Are we making participation easier for the people we want to hear from?
Are we asking for personal stories responsibly?
Who is carrying the emotional or cultural burden in this process?
How will we return to people with outcomes or next steps?
Common risks
What to avoid
in practice.
These risks can reduce trust, weaken participation or make the work less useful.
Using community as evidence
People should not be reduced to quotes, case studies or proof points for decisions already made.
Inviting without preparing
Poor preparation can shift the burden onto community members to explain context the organisation should have considered.
Consulting without consequence
If nothing can change, the process should be honest about that from the beginning.
Apply the framework
Need this adapted
for your organisation or project?
This framework can support planning, consultation, needs assessment, facilitation, stakeholder engagement and community-centred program work.
Useful details to include
The community, issue, program or event you are working with.
The kind of support you need: advice, facilitation, consultation, needs assessment or engagement planning.
Email:
blaise@itabelo.com
Mobile:
0402 493 675