1. Creating a culture of community engagement

2. Today’s workshop Agenda Welcome / introductions Introducing Subiaco
The Subi story
Think2030 – engagement in action
Questions?
One officer to three person team
Bringing the organisation on the engagement journey
Our community engagement handbook
Activity – your choice
Success stories
Challenges and hurdles

3. Introducing Subiaco Subiaco Population Institutions Area Transport
Organisation
Councillors
Institutions
Transport
Local community
Service satisfaction
Inner western metropolitan Perth
Total area of 7.1 square kilometres
Sixth smallest local government area in Western Australia
3km from Perth CBD
Subiaco Oval
University of Western Australia
Two public hospitals (and three public and private hospitals on its borders)

4. The Subi Story Background Change of CEO, change of culture
Organisational context – leadership
Strategic Management Plan prepared ‘traditionally’ in 2009
Community engagement framework – who?
Legislative context – eastern states
Council decision to undertake visioning February 2010 to establish a community plan
The City of Subiaco had its first real introduction to community engagement in 2009, when the community provided feedback that it viewed the now-superseded Strategic Management Plan as not its own, but rather the Council’s and the City Executive’s plan.
More community focussed in terms of involvement

5. Council resolution – February 2010
The Subi Story
Council resolution – February 2010
That Council endorse:
the adoption of a community engagement approach by the city
the implementation of community visioning process for the development of a community plan
Whole of organisation approach
Council resolution re visioning and CE approach to work:
The City of Subiaco had its first real introduction to community engagement in 2009, when the community provided feedback that it viewed the now-superseded Strategic Management Plan as not its own, but rather the Council’s and the City Executive’s plan.
That Council endorse the adoption of a community engagement approach by the city.
That Council endorse the implementation of community visioning process for the development of a community plan.
Recognising the opportunity to change and improve the way the City does business, the CEO advised that the organisation would adopt and implement a community engagement approach across the
organisation, and undertake a ‘visioning process’ with the community to develop a true community plan (which would become the Strategic Community Plan). Visioning is a process by which the community imagines the future it wants and how to achieve it. This approach and process was formally endorsed by Council in February 2010.

6. The embodiment of community engagement
The Subi story
The embodiment of community engagement
Director Community Development: project sponsor
Project manager and coordinator were seconded from the community development team
A year later, a project officer came on board
Think2030 was a whole of organisation project
Stage one began in July 2010
From the inside out – whole organisation involvement
The visioning process was titled ‘Think2030’ and was to be a whole of organisation project, involving all the different branches of the City. The Community Development Director was given the role of
project sponsor, while a Project Manager and Coordinator were seconded from the community development team. Collectively they assumed responsibility for running the project, the first stage of which began in July 2010.
It was agreed from the beginning that the visioning process was to embody the philosophy, principles and practices of community engagement in all aspects of the project.
So, team creation done. Visioning the priority

8. Questions? The Subi Story
With Think2030 as the catalyst for a significant cultural shift, community engagement has been at the heart of changing policy, processes and procedures at the City of Subiaco.
Think2030 gave the community the knowledge, and consequently the expectation, that they could have a say in decision-making that really made a difference. Feedback from Think2030 participants was that they enjoyed the activities, but also appreciated the educational aspects and knowledge shared around various issues affecting the city, such as the impact of Directions 2031, and the state
government’s local government reform agenda.
Furthermore, it opened up the ways in which they could have their say, giving many in the community, who were previously eclipsed by the so-called ‘vocal minority’, their own influential and vitally important voice.
Think2030 has been the driver and catalyst for a complete transformation in how the organisation engages with the community on specific projects and initiatives. The recent introduction of an
engagement handbook and toolkit for staff, which replaced the outdated consultation policy, has benefitted from the legacy of Think2030, achieving high levels of acceptance and understanding
from staff.

9. From an officer to a three person team
Cementing our position
New team created
Based in the Office of the CEO, alongside the communications team
Working closely with the CEO and executive leadership team, ultimately executive position
Key value and underlying belief of engagement being a way to do business, an approach to how we work

10. Bringing the organisation on the engagement journey
Step by step
What now? Think2030 is over....
Staff focussed, not just community
CEO briefings
Changing the way some decisions were made, eg values project

12. The engagement handbook
The recent introduction of an engagement handbook and toolkit for staff, which replaced the outdated consultation policy, has benefitted from the legacy of Think2030, achieving high levels of acceptance and understanding from staff.

13. The engagement handbook
Training
– the ‘why’ of community engagement
Why are we here? Why do it?
Do I need to do it? Is there a decision to be made?
Ask the community? Are you mad??
Why it works?
Benefits for the organisation
Benefits for the community

14. The engagement handbook
Training
– the ‘how’ of community engagement
How to prepare for engagement
How to plan for engagement
How to design and do engagement
How to evaluate engagement

15. Having a champion “Mr Tindale, who has been Subiaco
chief executive since 2008, said he
hoped his legacy was strengthening
community engagement”
Western Suburbs Weekly, 7 January 2014

16. Get together and discuss
Workshop
Get together and discuss
Challenges in your organisation
Similarities
Identifying gaps

17. Success stories Success stories Think2030 stage three
Playground installations
Pocket parks
Activity Centre Structure Plan

18. Challenges and hurdles
Roundabout
Bunnings redevelopment
Structural reform
Car park number 12

19. Questions
Questions ?