CLE Masterclass – Communicating with purpose

Social Change Projects Communications consultancy working with organisations, campaigns and communities to create positive change Expertise in strategy development, campaigns, media, marketing, social media, writing/editing and training Our goal is to support the people who make our community more just, compassionate and sustainable Clients include the No to Homophobia Campaign, Federation of Community Legal Centres, East Timor’s Human Rights Ombudsmen, Inner Melbourne Community Legal, Tenants Union of Victoria, Australians for Affordable Housing and the Human Rights Law Centre www.socialchangeprojects.com.au www.linkedin.com/in/danielscoullar

Community legal education

Community legal education Four essential components of every CLE session: Accurate and relevant legal content Understanding of adult learning / teaching skills Effective communication skills and training materials Well-articulated purpose and a plan to achieve it Purpose and strategy is the foundation of good CLE and also of clear and powerful communication more broadly. To be effective it must be engaging (and preferably entertaining), not just educational.

Know your purpose

Know your purpose Can you clearly articulate your purpose? Start with your CLC’s strategic plan or annual plan Where does CLE fit on the spectrum of legal assistance? When you look at community need and your resources, is there a strong case for CLE to meet that need? Ask (and answer) questions like: What is the current situation/need/problem? Who experiences it? Why? How? What possible outcomes from CLE will help? How? Can we design CLE that achieves those outcomes? How will we know if it worked?

Know your participants (and their clients)

Know your participants Do your intended participants actually need what you’re offering? Do they want it? Can they put it to use? You need to take a look at the world from their point of view – and from the point of view of the people they work with. A few good ways to understand the needs, interests and motivations of participants include: Surveys, focus groups or one-on-one interviews Lived-experience representatives/trainers Evaluation forms from previous sessions Collaborative partnerships with other organisations Existing data and research from a variety of sources Capturing this knowledge in way that staff can access and add to over time

Choose your approach

Choose your approach You can ‘deliver’ CLE via lectures/presentations; interactive workshops; forums/panel discussions; games and other creative approaches; stalls/displays; online via social media; online communities or e-learning platforms; peer education; and by using publications and the traditional media to help. However, for CLE to be effective it requires some or all of the following from participants: Time out of busy lives and exclusive attention Emotional and intellectual investment Retention and consolidation of learning Motivation to act on learning Ability to successfully act on learning Desire/ability to share learnings with peers/community

Summing up

Summing up Good CLE can support systematic change, improve other service systems, help disadvantaged people navigate life’s challenges and create positive change in their lives. Doing it well enables a single community lawyer or trainer to provide assistance to many people at once – and for that assistance to keep travelling out into the community. However, it is only going to do this if the trainer can break through and make a meaningful connection with participants and then leave them with something useful to take away. At its heart, Communications is about creating and sustaining relationships that have a purpose and CLE is no different.

Daniel Scoullar 0402 596 297 / daniel@socialchangeprojects.com.au