A communication and engagement plan can help guide successful community engagement. Develop a communication and engagement plan at the beginning of the planning process, and review and update it in each of the seasonal stages.
Creating a communication and engagement plan could include the following steps:
- Review the planning activities with the planning team and determine which ones require communication or engagement. See the Communication and Engagement Plan Example below for an idea of activities that might require communication or engagement.
- Make a list of the key people to communicate with throughout the planning process. Determine what their role will be. See the Identifying Key People Worksheet to get started.
- Think about how the community normally communicates. For examples of communication methods and tools, see the Communication and Engagement Ideas section.
- Consider the expectations around communication in the community. For example:
- Is there a specific process that the community follows when gathering input (for example, approaching Chief and Council or heads of families first)?
- Are there instances when communicating in person is preferred over online (for example, when inviting Elders to events)?
- Are there specific family dynamics to consider to ensure the community feels like the plan belongs to everyone?
- Are there protocols guiding how information is shared and respected?