Engagement summary, Participate PAE Framework (draft)
Following community engagement in 2021 (see early engagement summary) we prepared a draft communications and engagement framework, Participate PAE, Connecting and involving you.
What we did
Engagement focused on reconnecting with participants from the first round of engagement, as well as a variety of face-to-face and online opportunities to connect with our wider communities.
Activities undertaken included:
- Reconnecting with groups from first round of engagement
- Email updates to registered Have Your Say (HYS) PAE members (4300 recipients)
- Visits to Community Centres and Libraries across PAE
- Largs train station early weekday pop-up
- Port Adelaide Plaza pop-up
- Reconciliation in the West pop-up
- Meeting with Lefevre High School student parliament group
- Primary school students visit
- Falie Reserve tree planting day
- Promotion on communications channels including social media
Additional engagement activities were designed to go to community where they are already active and overlap with other significant Council engagement activities such as the:
- Semaphore Foreshore Masterplan
- Aboriginal Cultural Centre
The Community Engagement team met with students from the Lefevre High School student parliament group who were supportive of the draft guiding principles.
A 'Student's idea pitch’ was piloted with students from Alberton Primary school where 9 ideas were workshopped and voted on by students role-playing engagement with each other and taking on the role of an elected member.
What we heard
Community and stakeholders were provided with background information and the ability to download and review the full draft framework.
The Have Your Say PAE survey was designed to inform participants with summaries of each guiding principle, what we will deliver and what they will see more of at each step.
A total of 46 survey responses, 3 questions via the Have Your Say PAE ‘send us a message’ function and 1 email submission were received.
Participants were asked what they thought of each guiding principle answering whether they 'like it', 'it is ok', 'don't like it' or were 'unsure' and to provide a comment.
Survey responses were very positive with each guiding principle rated more than 60% as ‘I like it’ and greater than 84% combined with ‘it is ok/acceptable’.
What you said about our guiding principles
This principle received the highest ‘I like it’ rating with 71.7% and 17.4% indicating ‘it is ok/acceptable.’
There was strong support for:
- proactive, clear, and timely communications and engagement using a variety of approaches and media
- a clearly defined engagement purpose, communicating what community are able to influence
- closing-the-loop by providing engagement summaries and informing community of the outcome of engagements.
- new, local, and participatory engagement approaches including more face-to-face engagement activities
Through the engagement clarity was sought on how effectiveness will be measured and when engagement should be undertaken. The draft framework addresses this through ‘our approach’ by applying the IAP2 spectrum of engagement to how we consult with our community. Specifics on implementation, monitoring and evaluation will be an important focus of the framework action plan.
There was strong support for this guiding principle with 61% indicating ‘I like it’ and 26% it is ‘ok/acceptable’.
Summary of feedback:
- people are seeking a balance of on online, traditional communication and face to face engagement
- there is a desire to ensure that people who are not online are connected with, and included
- an emphasis on supporting local and face to face engagement activities and engagement that is easy to participate in without a significant time commitment, e.g. shorter, focused ‘pulse’ surveys on Have Your Say PAE.
In the final framework the Connection guiding principle has been amended to include an emphasis on continuing to implement a variety of communication approaches across print, digital and face to face to ensure connection with our diverse communities.
There is strong support for this guiding principle with 60.9% selecting ‘I Iike it’ and 23.9% ‘it is ok/acceptable’.
Comments indicate a desire to include as many people as possible across community areas including (but not limited to) age, ability, culture, gender and location in our communications and engagements.
This guiding principle is based upon the goal that all members of our community should be able to participate in and contribute to the City of PAE’s communications and engagement activities. Some in our community will need greater support and consideration to realise this ambition. This is broadly supported in the feedback received.
A group of responses indicated a desire to see more emphasis and specific actions for communicating and engaging with people with a disability. There are suggestions for information to be presented in Auslan and to share more information and stories about accessibility, access, and inclusion.
There is a perception that the western/Port Adelaide area receives more attention in communications activities.
The finalised framework Accessibility and Inclusivity guiding principle has been amended to provide clarity that we are seeking to engage with all parts of our diverse communities through:
- Identifying and reducing barriers to participation for our diverse communities
- Creating connections and supporting participation across the many and diverse groups within our community
Feedback on the Participate PAE framework overall
Overall, there was a very strong positive response in support of the framework with 57% selecting ‘I like it’ and 33% finding it ‘ok/acceptable’ a total of 90%.
Comments indicate strong support for the guiding principles and ambitions of the framework, for greater inclusiveness and the demystifying of Council process.
A small number of respondents expressed disapproval based on a negative experience of communications or engagement, perception/view of Council, priorities, and resourcing to implement.
Student Ideas Pitch
Creating more ways for children to participate is one way will will deliver on our guiding principle Accessibility and Inclusivity. A 'students idea pitch’ was piloted with students from Alberton Primary school.
The students were introduced to the Council chambers, given a quick overview of the work Council does and set a task...to role play what it is like to be an Elected Member. Each session group or 'Council', was divided into smaller groups or 'wards'. In their wards they each identified a big idea and added some persuasive reasons to support them
A member from each ward shared their idea and the Councils voted by a show of hands to select their top idea.
The big ideas were (most votes in bold):
| Council group 1 | Dog Poop: more poop bags, pooper scoopers, bins for poop
| Lighthouse Mosaic | More Places to Party |
| Council group 2 | Environment Park | Sea Creatures / Ocean Life Event | Native Plants – Community Gardens |
| Council group 3 | Cat Park | A place to express your artistic ideas | Firework Festival |
