Better practice guide for inclusive engagement

This is the first step of engagement.

Share what is negotiable, and what is non-negotiable in the work. This prevents misunderstandings and potential disputes. It also respects people’s time.

To plan your engagement, you can use our Engagement plan template.

Before you begin engagement, it is important to reflect with your team on:

• what you understand about the community
• your assumed knowledge
• unconscious bias
• what has been overlooked in past engagement.

Reflection will help you unpack your assumed knowledge about the community or project. It can then guide your research and help you reflect throughout.

The next step of community engagement is to research:

• the community or audience you want to engage
• other engagement being done with the community in the sector
• existing data and information from your organisation or others
• existing advisory groups or forums
• stakeholders and organisations who have a trusted relationship with community.

This is sometimes considered optional, but it can have a big impact on the success of your engagement. Dedicate the time at the start. Some resources that can help you learn more about your audience include:

• Community profiles
• Language data maps
• ABS Community profiles

Many communities are over consulted. This happens when they are asked the same questions by different organisations.

You can ‘stack’ your engagement with other organisations in the sector if they are:

• collecting similar information
• engaging the community on the same problem
• engaging the same community on different problems.

What this could mean in practice is regular, scheduled engagement. You might plan quarterly meetings with a specific community group instead of engaging as projects or issues arise.

If you ‘stack’ your engagement, it can build your relationship with that community without burning them out. It also helps you and your stakeholders achieve the same goal or identify an opportunity for co-design.

If you work in a large organisation, you could keep track of engagements with the community in a calendar. This can help you ‘stack’ engagement over time.

This should include:

• the background of your project
• the aim of your engagement – why are you engaging? What do you want to learn?
• which organisations work with this community with contact details
• existing data and research
• the level of influence community can have on the outcome
• how you will engage, for example surveys
• how it is inclusive and accessible, for example creating translations
• cross-community impact
• how you will measure progress
• how you will evaluate the project and report on the outcome
• how you will close the loop with community.

Keep your plan open to changes. This will allow you to assess the best information you have and adjust the plan accordingly. If you are involving community in every step, this is likely to happen.

For help creating your plan, consult the Public Engagement Framework 2021-2025.

Plain language is an internationally recognised way of writing that puts the reader first. It is a technique used across many sectors including health, legal and government.

It is not just about simplification, but about clarity. It considers:

• what readers want and need to know
• readers’ level of interest, expertise and literacy skills
• the context in which readers will use the document or service.

Source: International Plain Language Standard.

Regardless of your audiences’ literacy levels, plain language can help you engage the most people.

Plain language word tips

Plain language format tips

For more tips on accessible writing, visit the Australian Government Style Manual.

Audience checklist

How does your audience:

• relate to government or institutions?
• find your information?
• like receiving information?
• know what you want them to do?

This can give you time to:

• learn more about their needs and priorities
• identify key stakeholders
• understand the different types of community leaders (formal and informal)
• ensure under-represented groups are included as well as established leaders. For example, young people, people with disability or women
• manage risks
• determine accessibility requirements
• allocate funding and resources appropriately.

When you involve community early, you must be realistic about their scope of influence. This means communicating clearly about:

• what can be influenced in the approach
• how power can or can’t be shared in decision making
• how they can change the outcome.

If it is an option, you could give the community a ‘list’ and ask them to select the issues they want deeper engagement on. People want to be consulted when an issue is relevant and important to their world.

Often, we only engage on an issue when it is important to us. This can make people feel unheard.

Doing engagement poorly can often be worse than not doing it at all.

Standard approaches may not work for everyone. This includes surveys, focus groups, interviews and roundtables.

If community is not engaging, they might not care about the issue. This might be an opportunity to reflect on the problems you are addressing, and what matters to community.

To design your engagement, you can use our Checklist.

You can also create a Social story. This can be a useful tool for engaging people with disability, neurodivergence and young people.

When we pay (or reimburse) people, it shows we value their time, resources and expertise. Community and lived experience are recognised forms of expertise.

You can learn more in our Payment guidelines.

One of the most important parts of community engagement is the final step – closing the loop. This means that you get back to the community with:

• how you will use their insights
• the next steps
• how their engagement influenced the decision/outcome/approach.

Closing the loop with community strengthens relationships. It shows them that you care about their feedback and respect their input. It also shows community that you can follow up on what you have promised.

There are many ways you can close the loop. You could:

• ask participants to confirm if their feedback has been accurately recorded
• schedule regular emails
• keep the community updated through key stakeholders or leaders
• involve community in your evaluation
• publish and share the results of your project
• provide a report on how their insights have been used.

You can find an example of how to close the loop at Homes Victoria.

Co-design, or co-creation, is a collaborative process. It involves sharing power, knowledge and decision-making with community from the start.

Solutions are designed with the people who will use or be affected by them. This ensures solutions are relevant and meet real needs. Before you begin, you can check if co-design is the right tool for your engagement.

Co-design can help you:

• build trust
• build stronger relationships
• manage power imbalance
• hear underrepresented voices in community
• avoid consultation fatigue.

When people help shape your project, they are more likely to:

• feel ownership
• be satisfied with and engaged in the outcome
• understand your working environment
• benefit from future engagements with your organisation.

Being part of co-design also means that the community member can:

• use their knowledge, expertise and experiences to create solutions
• build their own capacity
• develop new skills
• add their engagement to their resume for future work opportunities.

• Understand co-design principles and practice.
• Set expectations for the scope of the project.
• Engage external partners to design and lead a culturally safe process.
• Define everyone’s roles.
• Build development opportunities into the co-design process. This could be teaching community members new skills or growing their professional networks.
• Have funding to pay people for their time
• Be clear about what community can expect from their involvement. If they identify a need that you didn’t know about, how will you respond?
• Set up clear channels of communication.
• Use existing connections to community and leaders.
• Schedule enough time. Co-design is usually a longer process but can be more efficient in the long term.

To recruit participants, you need to prepare a brief. The brief should include several key areas:

Community can be involved in:

• identifying the problem and what success would look like
• making decisions
• identifying, testing and scaling solutions
• ongoing monitoring of outcomes.

In this process, you might establish unique ways of monitoring success. For your organisation, it may look like a report or publishing data. For the community, it may be:

• attendance at a town hall
• use of a service
• education and employment opportunities
• independence
• safety
• community pride.

It can be more meaningful to co-define success with community members from the beginning. This will strengthen your investment of time, resources and funding.

To learn about co-design with multicultural young people, see the Centre for Multicultural Youth’s Good Practice Guide.

When you recruit for your advisory group, you should:

• be clear on the purpose of the advisory group
• clarify the scope of the role and representation – will they give advice or make decisions? What projects will they work on?
• explain the time commitment – including if work or reading is expected outside of meetings
• encourage applications from people with relevant or lived experience to the work they will do
• tell people what they will be paid
• share what support will be available
• write the position description in plain language aiming for a reading level of grade 8
• promote the recruitment through organisations that work directly with the community.

You should also explain that some projects may have distressing topics. This is important if those applicants have lived experience of the issue. It is important that they feel comfortable and ready to share their story.

As part of the application process, you could ask:

• what motivates you to join this group?
• what do you want to achieve in this role?
• do you feel ready and safe to participate?
• are you comfortable listening to the experiences and views of other members? They may be distressing to hear.
• what type of support do you need to participate?
• do you have any legal or privacy considerations that might impact your ability to join?

Other people in your organisation or in the sector may want to work with your advisory group. They may want advice for their own projects. In those cases, it is important that you set boundaries, so the group is not over-consulted. You also want to make sure the projects they work on have tangible results.

To manage engagement requests with an advisory group, see Engagement request.

Self-determination is the most fundamental of all human rights. It is grounded in the idea that people have the right to control their own destiny.

It is central to self-determination that First Nations people are decision-makers on issues that affect their communities.

Self-determination looks like systems and services designed by community through a transfer of:

• power
• funding
• resources.

In practice, self-determination is guided by principles including cultural integrity, decision-making, empowerment and investment.

Other ways you can use the principles of self-determination to guide your engagement are to:

• allow time to build trust
• support truth-telling (but not relying on communities to relive trauma)
• create opportunities for First Nations people to build on their strengths and capacity
• create opportunities to listen to feedback
• address trauma and supporting healing
• use place-based approaches.

By transferring power, you can deliver policies and services are culturally safe, relevant, accessible and responsive.

Colonisation has an ongoing impact on First Nations people. You will need a trauma-informed approach.

First Nations peoples have a significant amount of knowledge and understanding regarding their own communities. They are best placed to develop solutions. Where possible, they should lead the conversations with a focus on respectful and deep listening.

Avoid being a ‘box ticking’ exercise. We must respect First Nations peoples time, resources, cultural knowledge/responsibility and connection to Country. If your engagement relates to a statewide project or service, engage diverse First Nations mobs and language groups.

When you plan your engagement with First Nations stakeholders:

• identify appropriate contacts from the specific First Nations mobs and language groups you wish to engage
• plan for early and repeated engagement (do not presume what they need or present a finished product)
• set clear expectations of roles and the level of influence stakeholders will have. This supports a greater understanding of each other’s priorities, expectations and available resources
• identify and be prepared for engagement activities that may require more time and resources
• ensure agreed processes for managing disputes
• be aware of existing differences or disputes between Traditional Owner groups
• have ways to collect feedback and measure for progress and evaluation.

Your evaluation should be culturally appropriate. Consult information about Indigenous evaluation.

When appropriate, remunerate First Nations peoples fairly and consistently. This should be appropriate to the time spent in sharing their cultural knowledge and participating in activities. See Payment guidelines.

Make sure you get permission from the artist before using First Nations artworks or language. This respects First Nations people as custodians of their culture, and their intellectual property.

Communities can have different cultural communication styles. It is important to use culturally aware, strengths-based respectful language. Avoid acronyms to describe community – this is a colonial practice.

There are non-traditional ways of communicating that can be powerful. This includes:

• music and dance
• audio and video
• storytelling.

Storytelling is a powerful communication tool. It makes your messages more compelling, culturally respectful and informative.

It is not just entertainment. For First Nations communities, it is a method to teach and learn, and to preserve language, culture and identity.

You can also:

• hold discussions rather than use written communication. This continues the rich history of oral traditions in First Nations communities.
• meet people where they are, and where they feel comfortable.
• call people rather than email for outreach.
• communicate or promote through First Nations community radio and media.
• offer different options to engage in culturally safe and accessible ways rather than just online.
• open the conversation by asking "what's on your mind?", to understand community priorities before delving into the specific agenda.

For any communication, do community testing. It confirms that your content is accurate, respectful and appropriate. You can also use your community testing to share your message and build trust.

According to the 2021 Census, 50 per cent of First Nations Victorians are under the age of 25. See the Young people section for more tips for this age group.

For translations and interpreting services, visit the Indigenous Interpreting Project.

An acknowledgement of Country is an opportunity to show respect for Traditional Owners. It recognises the continuing connection First Nations peoples have to Country.

Victoria has a strong and proud First Nations history. It comprises of complex ownership of land stewardship systems stretching back many thousand years.

Anyone can provide an Acknowledgment of Country. It is recommended to give one when you engage First Nations people. A heartfelt and specific Acknowledgement of Country is encouraged.

Where possible make sure you identify the relevant Traditional Owners for your Acknowledgement of Country.

Generally, this will be the Traditional Owners of the land in which your event occurs. Learn the Traditional Owners of where you are. If you are unsure, just ask.

If there is not a formally recognised Traditional Owner group for the place your event will be held you should Acknowledge the Traditional Owners generally at the beginning of the event.

For online events you should Acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands in which you are joining from and extend that Acknowledgement to Traditional Owners from where other participants are joining from.

For further guidance, visit First Peoples State Relations.

If you are doing in-person engagement, you can also display Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags to indicate a safe space.

When you engage with LGBTIQA+ communities, you can:

• introduce yourself with your pronouns, ask for others’ pronouns and include space for pronouns on name tags. It is good practice to do this regardless of the community you are speaking to
• use inclusive language
• provide gender neutral facilities, like toilets
• coordinate with trusted community members to lead conversations
• display the Pride flag
• be aware of diverse family structures, like rainbow or chosen families
• ask people what would make them feel safe and welcome.

When you use LGBTIQA+ people, messages or imagery to promote a service, program or agenda, it does not mean it is genuinely inclusive.

An example of this would be asking LGBTIQA+ people to appear in the images for your campaign. This can be paid work that community members are invited to be part of. It should also represent real inclusion at the heart of the campaign, not just pictures.

For more helpful information, you can visit Minus 18, Queerspace, Rainbow Health Australia and the Better practice guide for including trans and gender diverse talent in your campaigns.

Language is powerful. For LGBTIQA+ communities, it can shape belonging, access and the confidence to live openly and safely.

It can also provide people with the ability to describe their identities and experiences. We should be mindful of this and be aware of inclusive language in context.

For example, older LGBTQIA+ people may not use the term queer or consider it a slur, while many young people use it.

You can learn more about this in the LGBTIQA+ inclusive language guide.

Think about which community you want to engage with, and why.

There is no one ‘multicultural community’ so it is important to be specific. You could look at the majority cultural communities of a particular council area. Or you might want to reach people with limited English proficiency or people of a particular faith.

Once you have identified the communities you want to reach, you can build partnerships with:

• representative community organisations
• community leaders
• ethno-specific organisations
• local council groups.

These groups have influence in their communities. They can provide you with reach beyond translations.

You should also be aware of prayer times and significant cultural or religious holidays. This may impact your ability to engage.

Multicultural communities have diverse needs that traditional processes do not always meet. If you do not reach them, many Victorians will not be able to participate in your engagement.

Consider:

• using plain language aiming for a reading level of grade 8
• sharing your message via WhatsApp, local community radio, places of worship or ethno-specific media
• working with facilitators who are part of community or the same gender if the topic is sensitive
• offering practical support like childcare, free transport and paying people for their time
• scheduling engagement outside of business hours with safe and accessible transport
• hiring familiar venues that are culturally safe, like a place of worship or cultural centre.

For more advice, consult the Better practice guide for multicultural communication.

Be aware that some topics may become distressing. See People who have experienced trauma.

You should also consider the specific needs of engaging multicultural and multifaith women. See our section on Women.

Book interpreters to arrive early and brief them. If there are sensitivities around the topic:

• you can request that an interpreter is a specific gender
• you can also request an interpreter from a different area to where your engagement is being held. Otherwise, the interpreter may be someone they know, and they may not feel comfortable speaking openly in front of them.

Remember not everyone can read in their language. Use pictures, videos, voice messages or conversations to share information.

Community leaders are critical friends when engaging with multicultural and multifaith communities.

It is important to have a broad idea of who a community leader can be. Leaders can include women, young people and underrepresented voices within a community.

For example, if you are working with multifaith leaders, you should consider intersectionality. Involvement with a diverse group of multifaith leaders can build trust and improve engagement from community.

If you do your research on the community, you can identify community leaders. This can help you reach isolated and underserviced groups. It can also help you avoid engaging the same voices every time.

Bicultural workers can play an important role in identifying hierarchies within community. They can work in schools, hospitals and for government. They can help connect you with marginalised or isolated groups.

Refugees and people seeking asylum have often newly arrived in Australia. To engage with them:

• choose venues that people already visit, are local to them and are culturally safe
• use clear, respectful and trauma-informed language
• be careful of body language or gestures that may be offensive or misunderstood in certain cultures
• engage on issues that are relevant to them
• ask people directly about their needs
• pay people for their time
• provide free childcare if in-person
• have support referrals on hand should a distressing topic come up. You can also engage specialist facilitators or psychologists.

It is also important to understand their visas and what they can access. Is your service only available for Australian citizens or permanent residents?

If you are representing government in your engagement, it is important to:

• reassure people that it will not impact their immigration outcome
• be clear about how their information will be used and shared
• be clear about how their privacy will be protected.

Older Victorians have different accessibility needs that intersect with other communities. This is important to consider as it will help you reach the most amount of people.

To include seniors, you can:

• consider using large text in digital and print materials
• use plain language, aiming for a reading level of grade 8
• have a phone contact (as well as email and in-person) on all promotional materials
• have clear instructions, tips and a digital support person for online engagement
• understand that some older people might process information slower than others.

For in-person engagement, you can:

• consider scheduling the event in the morning
• ensure your venue for in-person engagement is accessible for people with walking aids
• ensure your venue is near public transport or arrange private transport
• use a microphone
• request a venue with hearing loop facilities.

To participate, someone might have to take time away from work, caregiving and an otherwise busy life. If we do not include them, we could be missing out on valuable information. This is why it is important to offer compensation.

You could offer to cover:

• transport
• time (payment or a voucher)
• accommodation (for longer engagement or remote locations)
• childcare (or include it for free during the engagement).

Local council is an important stakeholder. They can help you arrange transport, meeting spaces or childcare.

To recruit participants, you can also engage:

• Neighbourhood Houses
• Men’s Sheds
• LGBTIQA+ organisations
• libraries
• community health centres
• disability support services.

You might consider engaging nearby to these organisations.

For online events, you should include a question about access. You can ask what support someone needs to participate. They might say:

• free WiFi
• a computer
• printed materials
• captioning or an Auslan interpreter.

There are many events that can give a person trauma. These experiences can include:

• car accidents
• bushfires and floods
• long term financial insecurity
• sudden illness or death in the family
• crime, abuse or violence.

When we engage with people who have experienced trauma, we want to make sure we have a trauma-informed approach. This means we understand that trauma can impact their abilities, behaviours and responses.

A trauma-informed approach considers:

• where engagement takes place (safe, familiar environments with known people are best)
• who facilitates the conversation (trusted people, specialist facilitators, organisations or services)
• topics of discussion (know when something might be triggering to talk about and give people support).

You must also be clear about what the community can influence from the start.

To create a safe space, you can:

• invite people to have a support person attend
• have a psychologist, counsellor or allied health professional available at the session
• be prepared for people to disclose current experiences of family or sexual violence
• refer people to appropriate counselling services afterwards
• offer a follow up session if required
• give plenty of opportunities for breaks
• offer a separate quiet space for reflection.

It is best to consult with people directly, to find a place, time and day that works. This will ensure it is accessible and works for when people are available.

The session should be structured in a way that gives people power and ownership of decisions. A trauma-informed facilitator can help with this approach. This is important if people disclose experiences of or use of family violence.

Victim survivors of family violence will need to:

• be given a choice to share their story or experiences
• work with a trusted person or service to share information
• have practical support information on hand for those who need it
• have a separate space or multiple breaks during engagement if the topic is distressing
• know who to go to during and after the session for support
• feel empowered throughout the engagement.

People who have experienced family violence may not have felt empowered in the past. It is essential that they have agency throughout engagement.

A key concern for victim survivors is privacy and safety. Be aware that they might need to:

• leave with short notice
• keep some personal information private
• have flexible engagement options if they do not feel safe in some locations.

Emergencies can cause a range of emotions in people. This includes shock, disbelief, exhaustion and confusion. An emergency can influence a person’s ability to think and process information.

When engaging with people who have been through an emergency or disaster:

• ask people how regularly they want communication
• only provide necessary, accurate and relevant information
• keep information short and repeat it frequently
• use plain language aiming for a reading level of grade 8
• use positive or strengths-based language wherever possible. For example, use ‘survivor’ or ‘affected person’ rather than ‘victim’
• provide information in various formats. This includes printed material that people can read later, newsletters or town halls
• provide one contact point to direct people to, for example a website, hotline or contact person.

For more advice, visit the Australian Red Cross.

Think about accessibility early. You must provide suitable facilities for in-person engagement. You could start by checking if:

• the venue is accessible, including ramps, lifts, microphones and bathrooms
• the venue is quiet, and has appropriate lighting
• there is access to disabled parking and public transport options
• interpreters or support workers can be brought on site
• someone can meet and greet participants at the door, or outside if possible
• food and drink is physically accessible including providing straws
• childcare or support workers can be arranged, and there are parent’s rooms, to help carers participate.

For some in-person engagement, we recommend completing a social story. A social story is a short, descriptive narrative about the event. It can be helpful for everyone, especially people with intellectual disability, neurodivergence or low literacy. Be as detailed as possible, and include:

• who will facilitate the session
• who the support people will be
• what the location looks like including the room setup and what the evacuation plan is
• what you will talk about.

You can use our Social Story.

You can also:

• offer name tags
• use interpreters and closed captions
• be very descriptive and talk about what is being shared on screens for people with vision impairment
• assign numbers to tables so people can share their name and table number at the start of the session
• have scheduled and regular breaks, including from sitting or standing
• ensure instructions around service animal needs are clearly addressed (where to have water, where to go to the toilet or where to find a low-sensory space).

When directing people to bathrooms, exits and quiet/prayer rooms, you can:

• have clear signs
• announce facilities that are available and location of exits
• put clips on tables that point to the exit
• describe where they are in detail at the start of the session for vision impaired people.

Use strength-based language when talking about people with disability. This puts people first. You can do this by using neutral language to describe someone’s disability. For example, someone might use a wheelchair, not be ‘wheelchair bound’.

Be respectful and ask how people want to be referred to. For example, someone might prefer to be called deaf rather than hearing impaired. People who are neurodivergent could also prefer to be referred to as having a disability.

You can learn more about inclusive language at Inclusive Victoria: State Disability Plan 2022 to 2026.

To recruit people in regional and rural areas, you can:

• work with local and grassroots organisations
• use existing, familiar spaces where programs and activities take place in the local area
• use existing community networks to share information
• remove barriers to engaging including travel time and access, internet connection and social isolation. Many people also have employment and caring responsibilities.
• write in plain language aiming for a reading level of grade 8.

Research the community that you are visiting or engaging with. This includes the Aboriginal land it exists on, the history of colonisation in the area and cultural information.

Some veterans may have experienced trauma during or after their service. They may need to:

• feel respected and not pressured to share personal stories including about their service
• engage through trusted services or advocates
• have flexibility to leave or pause the session if needed
• know who they can speak to for support during and after the session
• know that stepping away is okay and that their wellbeing is the priority.

There are ways you can engage women, many of which have been mentioned in this guide. You could offer different and flexible ways to engage. This includes:

• different times of day
• as part of an existing forum, activity or group
• online engagement or at familiar venues
• a facilitator who is the same gender
• a women-only engagement session if topics may be sensitive
• options like surveys, interviews and anonymous feedback.

You can reach out to stakeholders who work with women to help your engagement. This includes women-only ethno-specific organisations, health and wellbeing organisations and peak bodies.

Finally, women are often leaders in their communities in unique ways. Their opinions and experiences are valued and respected. Redefine what you think a community leader looks like. They might:

• run smaller community events like cooking classes or support groups
• lead a local ethno-specific organisation
• head a committee that has influence.

Where possible, provide opportunities for the women you engage to gain new skills and connections. This could be through networking, training, leadership programs or mentoring opportunities.

When you engage young people, you can:

• consider the age group you wish to engage with and what competing commitments they may have (such as school and work)
• co-create your approach and communication materials
• ensure cultural and psychological safety
• include regular breaks after 45-60 minutes
• engage with them separate to elders in the community. Speaking up in rooms with community elders present may not be considered culturally appropriate
• focus on clear, positive and honest messaging
• send information in advance where possible so people feel prepared
• ensure content is appropriate for this audience and that they can influence change
• provide skill development opportunities
• get informed consent, including information about their rights
• work with influencers, youth organisations and community services to help reach your audience and ensure underrepresented young people are included
• address the power imbalance of engaging, especially if you represent government. Show that their insights are valued and unique.

Your engagement also must by consistent with Victoria’s Child Safe Standards.

For more advice, consult the:

• Young Voices toolkit
• Youth Engagement Resource platform
• Wayipunga resource for First Nations young people
• Inclusive Organisations Good Practice Guide
• How to ask someone about their access needs.

While these tips can apply to all young people, it is important to consider them when engaging with those who are at-risk.

For at-risk young people:

• use peer-based or youth-led models where possible. Young people are more likely to trust and engage with peers
• work with organisations or people they already trust, such as youth workers or school staff
• have mental health and social support available as part of the engagement
• keep in-person engagement short, interactive and relevant
• use storytelling, music, art or digital media to engage
• give options for how to engage, for example text rather than email. This is also inclusive of young people with insecure housing
• offer safe, non-judgemental spaces to engage. This could be online, drop-in centres or youth hubs
• provide or reimburse transport and food
• provide incentives like vouchers where needed
• be consistent and follow through with results of the engagement.