Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

Lessons for Resilience

Consider how to facilitate community participation in recovery, renewal and resilience building activities
Topic:
Governance
Keywords:
Implementing recovery
Content:

Recovery and renewal strategies require community co-production to be influenced by the knowledge, skills and experience of communities. Participation depends on a number of factors. VFL find that time and convenience are crucial when it comes to community participation in recovery, renewal and resilience plans and actions. Measures to facilitate community participation should address the needs of all community members, so as to ensure accessibility, and not reinforce inequalities. Consider whether:

  • Local planning and government meetings, forums and workshops are conveniently located and accessible:
    • Select locations and venues that facilitate access for all members of the community. Consider access constraints affecting disadvantaged groups, which may be physical, geographic, economic, or faith related. E.g. provide online access, transport, refreshments, accessibility for people with disabilities
    • Select venues/online forums where different groups within the community already congregate (e.g. different religious groups, women)
  • The timing of activities fits with the commitments of the community members who will be participating. For example, work schedules, household responsibilities, school timetables of children and parents (particularly women), farmers' seasonal calendars:
    • Carefully consider people's time, and seek feedback from the community on times that are suitable
    • Draw on appropriate local volunteers to offer childcare where physical meetings are held
  • Socio-cultural issues which might prevent some people from participating have been considered:
    • Identify potential barriers related to language, literacy levels, ethnicity, gender discrimination, etc.
    • Provide expert facilitation and translation services, or organize separate meetings with women, people with disabilities, specific ethnic minorities and other groups to facilitate their participation
  • Report back to participants on the outcome of their community participation and how thinking/planning has changed as a result of their contribution
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