Program Overview

Community Consultation and Engagement Course

Introduction

The Community Consultation and Engagement Course is designed to equip professionals with the skills and knowledge to plan and deliver effective community consultation and engagement. This course explores the essential principles, tools, and techniques needed to design inclusive processes, manage diverse stakeholders, and achieve more effective engagement outcomes.

Course Content

The course content includes:

• Introduction to stakeholder engagement
• Engagement planning and design
• Engagement methods and tools
• Essentials of respectful feedback and active listening
• Managing difficult people and challenging interactions

Introduction to Stakeholder Engagement

• What is stakeholder engagement
• Engagement spectrum: purposes and types of engagement
• What makes for quality engagement
• How to support quality engagement within organisations
• Common engagement terms and methodologies in use in Australia
• Participation barriers, research risks, limitations and qualifications
• Where and when to start

Engagement Planning and Design

• Use of a staged, project management approach to engagement, covering:
  • Scoping/Identifying
  • Designing
  • Undertaking
  • Distilling
  • Reporting
  • Communications and Feedback
• How to select fit-for-purpose engagement methods
• Bringing your plan into action

Engagement Methods and Tools

• Clarity of purpose and method alignment (IAP2)
• About human research ethics and use of discussion guides
• Common engagement methods, including key considerations and tips related to hosting:
  • Stakeholder meetings
  • Focus groups and interviews
  • Online surveys
  • Other digital and emerging options
  • Importance of informal techniques
• Essentials of respectful feedback and active listening
• 101 of managing difficult people and challenging interactions

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this community engagement course, participants will have increased knowledge, understanding, and skills in:

• Ability to effectively plan community consultation and engagement within a project management framework
• Awareness of the key steps involved in planning and implementing relevant outcomes-based community engagement and stakeholder consultations
• Identify how to use the right engagement tool at the right time for the right audience
• Confidence to write and pitch for impact when using engagement outcomes in advice to decision makers, including elected officials

Intended Audience

This course is designed for professionals who work with communities and need to plan, deliver, or strengthen engagement processes. It is ideal for those in government, non-for-profits, community services, and project roles who want to build practical skills in consultation, stakeholder engagement, and participatory decision-making.

Delivery Style

This community consultation course will be delivered as an interactive workshop consisting of an instructor-led lecture, group, and individual activities. This training approach allows participants to work through concepts introduced by the trainer in an application-focused teaching environment.

Course Details

• Duration: One session (8 hours in total)
• Dates:
  • Fri 8 May 2026
  • Fri 21 Aug 2026
  • Fri 20 Nov 2026
• Time: 9:00 AM 5:00 PM
• Venue: UTS City Campus
• Cost: $698 (GST free)

Course Prerequisites

This community engagement course has no prerequisites and is open to all members of the public.

About the Presenter

Edwina Deakin is currently an Associate Director, Research and Advisory at the UTS Institute for Public Policy and Governance. She is the Project Manager and a lead author of the new IPPG Community Engagement for Impact Guide. Edwina has been involved in commissioning, designing, and delivering community engagement activities for over 25 years.

Related Courses

• Community Development Course Social Planning in Action
• Outcomes Focused Program Evaluation
• Public Engagement in Decision-Making Course
• Social Planning and Community Development Course