Use the IAP2 Australasia Methods Matrix tool to find the right tool for your community and stakeholder engagement project.
Citizens working with organisations to contribute to scientific research with the aim to increase scientific knowledge.
Multi-criteria decision analysis aims to allow groups to determine and agree on a set of criteria and weightings to apply to their decision making on challenging issues. Complex problems would often have conflicting criteria, for example factors such as high costs, might be in conflict with environmental benefits. Working together to decide on how how […]
A bundle of mini methods that support groups work towards long-term strategic thinking and problem solving.
Similar to an opt-in e-panel except members are randomly-selected to avoid bias.
Community members opt in to be part of an online engagement panel.
Online forum where invited or self-selected participants contribute to an online discussion about a topic or project for a set period of time.
Online software that engages the community in an interactive way.
Deliberative democracy processes are methods where a representative sample of the population, usually chosen through random selection, meet and deliberate over a few days.
A forum where a representative sample of the community deliberates on a topic, issue or proposal. Forums last at least 2 days.
A structured group of community or stakeholder representatives that meet regularly and operate under a Terms of Reference. Can vary from members providing their own feedback or ideas, to members acting as a conduit between the broader community and organisation.
Research involving a community of practice trying to solve a problem through action. Communities act as “co-researchers”.
Social networking site based on users’ professional expertise.
Can include dedicated websites for an engagement project, a central hub for all of an organisation’s engagement activities, or a specific page on an organisation’s corporate website.
A method for hosting a meeting, conference or summit which is focused on a particular purpose or topic, but which has no formal agenda set.
One-on-one discussions to explore and understand community or stakeholder needs, perspectives, insights and feedback, and to build relationships.
A structured method to explore specific, complex issues, and where participants work in small groups.
Gathering ideas, services and content, from online users, rather than from staff or suppliers. Crowdsourcing can including asking for solutions to a problem, seeking funding for a project such as a start-up (crowdfunding) developing creative content or graphics, or to gather information. Can include a competition or incentive.
Citizens edit and shape documents and reports through a series of circulating documents.
A public information session incorporating a series of displays or stations staffed by technical experts, engagement professionals or the project team.
A future planning process where participants undertake a series of sessions on the past, present, future, common ground, and action planning. Designed to develop a shared vision for the future.
A highly-structured method involving a representative jury or panel of non-expert citizens who deliberate during a chaired public hearing held over 2-4 days where they hear evidence from a range of different experts. Jury members decide who to call in as expert witnesses. Participants make recommendations or decisions.
A large-scale 2-3 day event where a large number of diverse people come together to consider information, engage in dialogue, participate in interactive activities and make recommendations.
A representative sample of citizens are randomly selected to form a citizen’s jury which deliberates on a problem or opportunity. The jury hears evidence from witnesses, in front of a public gallery, before adjourning to deliberate and make a recommendation or decision.
A structured process for decision making that focuses on building on strengths (“what works well”), rather than focusing on problems and limitations.
