Use the Engagement Methods Tool to find the right tool for your community and stakeholder engagement project.
Public Hearings are a well-established engagement method often used in government, planning, and policy processes. They offer a formalised space for individuals, organisations, and interest groups to voice support, concerns, or objections to a proposal in a way that is documented and considered in decision-making. Typically facilitated by an independent chairperson or panel, Public Hearings […]
Town Hall Meetings are public forums where community members gather to hear from decision-makers, ask questions, and provide feedback on policies, projects, or local issues. Traditionally held in large halls or community spaces, they have evolved to include hybrid and virtual formats. They often feature brief presentations followed by open Q&A sessions or breakout conversations. […]
Social networking site based on users’ professional expertise.
A Referendum is a formal, structured process that enables eligible voters to make a binding decision on a specific issue — typically by casting a “yes” or “no” vote. Most commonly used in constitutional or high-level policy matters, referenda are administered by electoral commissions and involve strict legal and procedural frameworks. In a local government […]
Live Polling is an interactive method used to gather real-time feedback from participants during a meeting, event, or online session. Using tools like Slido, Mentimeter, or Poll Everywhere, facilitators can pose multiple choice questions, word clouds, or open text prompts, with results visible instantly on a shared screen. Live polling energises sessions, boosts participation, and […]
Kitchen Table Conversations are informal, small-group discussions held in relaxed settings — often around someone’s kitchen table, at a local café, or even virtually. These conversations are typically led by trusted community members (hosts), who invite a small group of peers to explore a particular issue using a prepared set of prompts or questions. This […]
Crowd Funding is a participatory fundraising method that engages individuals to contribute small amounts of money — usually online — to collectively fund a specific initiative or cause. Often hosted on dedicated platforms like Chuffed, GoFundMe, or StartSomeGood, crowd funding campaigns use storytelling, images, and clear goals to inspire people to donate and share the […]
Community Working Groups are small, focused groups of community members brought together to provide input, advice, or co-design support on a specific project or issue. Often established by councils, agencies, or community organisations, these groups operate over a defined time period and are guided by clear terms of reference. They allow for in-depth dialogue and […]
Collective Action refers to coordinated efforts by a group of people working together to address a shared issue or pursue a common goal. It is often grassroots in nature and may involve community-led campaigns, rallies, clean-up days, public art projects, or advocacy initiatives. The power of collective action lies in its ability to mobilise people […]
Collaborative governance is a participatory approach to decision-making and problem-solving that brings together stakeholders from various sectors—government, private, non-profit, and community groups—to address complex societal challenges or achieve shared goals. This model emphasises inclusivity, transparency, and consensus-building to foster sustainable solutions and improve public outcomes. Key Features of Collaborative Governance Multi-Sector Engagement: It involves collaboration […]
Dotmocracy, also known as dot-voting or idea rating, is a method for group prioritisation to help progress ideas or action.
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 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.
An online series of posts about an engagement project or issues, which the community can share and comment on.
Advertisements paid for in print, broadcast or online mediums. Can be used to promote projects, engagement activities or to meet legal obligations.
Research involving a community of practice trying to solve a problem through action. Communities act as “co-researchers”.
Deliberation and decision making is undertaken by decision makers in view of the public, such as in a public gallery or by video streaming, to enhance transparency and accountability.
A small group discussion hosted by a facilitator about a focussed topic.
A meeting organised by either the organisation or community with presentations and questions asked by the crowd.
A fair or festival involving food and entertainment, as well as activities around an engagement topic, project or proposal. Designed to make engagement topic more appealing and to reach audiences who would not normally attend workshops.
A form of discussion where participants agree to suspend judgments to fully explore a question and seek shared meaning.
Widely publicised telephone or email hotline that and provides one-to-one responses to community questions or complaints.
Large numbers of people who are selected to be representative of the population and be a part of a panel that deliberates on a range of issues over a set period of time. Surveys are distributed during the time to understand community attitudes, feedback, issues and behaviour. Can track changes as well.
Presentations and discussions with community or stakeholder groups. Can vary widely from informing to gathering feedback, ideas or options.
Process where the community works with an organisation through its budgeting process.
Media releases, pitches or briefings provided to journalists to publish free editorial on engagement projects or issues.
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 program to educate the community about a topic, project or proposition. Education campaigns can be designed to raise awareness, generate understanding or support behaviour change.
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.
Consumers and users work works with designers to codesign products, services or processes
