Managing community expectations locally during times of growth and change

In the past, communication from local governments mostly related to essential services or to support disaster management.

But as our communities grow in size, diversity and complexity, councils must navigate impacts of ‘cost-shifting’ amidst growing community pressure to deliver services beyond what councils traditionally have provided. While councils aim to deliver more timely, fit-for-purpose policies, initiatives and services, their communication and engagement approach needs to keep pace.

Managing community expectations of what can be delivered, how it can be delivered, by whom and when can result in difficult conversations with concerned residents and ratepayers.

Here are some tips councils can use to create a better environment for having those difficult conversations and managing expectations while their communities grow.

Front-up to hard chats

Faced with increasingly difficult decisions regarding allocation of finite resourcing and funding within their growing communities, more councils are realising the need to have uncomfortable conversations with their residents and ratepayers.

Conversations across communities with diverse viewpoints on critical social issues such as housing affordability, population growth and infrastructure delivery can easily become divisive. Communities and individuals may not be receptive to new ideas and there may be an unwillingness to entertain views and opinions when they are not shared or have been politicised. And because this is happening at a local level, the discomfort can be tricky to manage.

But navigating these public conversations about difficult subjects is critical in local government now more than ever.

Community engagement and communication that is respectful of diverse opinions and inclusive of all voices enables governments to better understand the needs and expectations of their community so councils can plan for and manage growth more efficiently.

Tip: Engagement may also include well-considered and properly executed research that leaves assumptions and bias aside, and listens to all voices, not just the loudest ones.

Manage expectations

According to councils’ peak body, the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ), councils are experiencing pressure from communities to deliver services that were traditionally delivered by other levels of government or through the private sector.

Strategically developing messaging and communication that clearly explains increasingly complex policy and planning can go a long way towards managing growing expectations around the types of services that council can realistically deliver within its available resources.

Tip: Councils can explore alternative engagement methods within their communities that can encourage residents to have their say on how they want to see their rates and other funding allowances spent within a finite envelope.

Build and maintain trust

Trust is as fundamental to effective engagement and communication within communities as it is to good governance. A council that has established respectful and inclusive engagement and consistent and transparent communication with their community is more likely to be trusted, paving the way for more difficult conversations when they are required.

Conversely, the absence of trust makes it more difficult to collaborate on planning and decision making and to find common ground during times of disagreement and conflict.

Tip: Building and maintaining a dialogue within communities about matters that are of interest to them is one of the best ways to establish and maintain trust in local government. This creates a better environment for respectful discussion and greater collaboration, ultimately leading to better outcomes.

Encourage respectful listening

One of the key challenges to having respectful and productive community conversations is the lack of time to engage with the community. Too often communication and engagement programs are designed to suit the proponent, and not the receiver of the information. It’s not rocket science to know that better outcomes are achieved if engagement is tailored to the needs of the recipient, delivered in a format that is accessible and at a time and place that suits them. Anything less undermines the program, reduces the chance of active participation and erodes trust.

Tip: Being more receptive to other viewpoints doesn’t mean that you have to share the viewpoint – it simply means more respectful listening. To engage in more respectful listening, provide opportunities for inclusive engagement that works for the participants and equip team members with active listening skills and resources.

Communicate simply

Keep it simple. Policy doesn’t have to be complex, but it can be. Good communication enables people to understand the policy or program if they are to engage with it, comment on it or support it. The greatest policy or initiative in the world may fail if it is not understood.

Information delivery considers the message; it needs to be simple and clear in a language appropriate for the intended audience and delivered through a medium or channel that is accessible.

Tip: Messages need to stand out from crowded platforms or channels so consider alternative means of communication such as through images, diagrams, flowcharts or video.

Put yourself in other shoes

Take a step back and look at the issue from a different perspective. As communities grow, people may be resistant to the changes that growth brings including new ideas and policies. There may also find it difficult to support viewpoints they don’t share. And when people are not receptive to information, they are unlikely to offer support or agreement. Approaches to engagement and communication during growth and change need to consider the audience and the receiving environment.

Tip: In addition to respectful listening, engagement needs to include management strategies that consider alternative viewpoints and how these can be considered and addressed.

Prepare for reaction

People are often resistant to change if they don’t fully understand yet how it will impact their lives, their families, their budgets or their way of life. This can lead to confronting or heated conversations. Communication is not set and forget. An engagement activity is not a one-time only tick-box exercise. Where there is complexity or a need for behaviour change management, allow time and be prepared for response and reaction.

Tip: Nobody likes surprises, so undertake scenario modelling, prepare response materials as meticulously as the public-facing materials, arm internal stakeholders with the information, tools and skills they will need to deliver and respond to any reaction.

In summary, growth offers many opportunities for communities including economic and social development, however it can also be a challenging time to communicate and engage with communities.

Phillips Group has collaborated with councils throughout Queensland and in New South Wales to help shape and deliver campaigns, projects and programs. We can support councils’ teams to maximise their communication and engagement impact, especially on complex projects. For further information, reach out to Managing Director, Helen Hutchings or Manager, June Reynolds today.