Deciding Matters
Best Practice Guide
Community Inclusion for Community Benefit
A co-designed resource for nature-based projects looking to deliver meaningful community engagement processes, a full list of contributors can be found in the Acknowledgements section.
Lead authors: Rachel Nixseaman, Annie Cook
This project is supported by NatureScot in collaboration with The Scottish Government and in partnership with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
This resource is open and available to all, we ask that if you are using this resource (adapted, or as is), you attribute the authors and Deciding Matters.
Introduction
Creation of this Guide was funded by FIRNS: the Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland, supported by NatureScot in collaboration with The Scottish Government and in partnership with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
This best practice guide is intended to be a useful tool and resource for anyone delivering nature-based projects and seeking to engage with communities, including (but not limited to) nature-finance projects, farming clusters, sporting estates, community green spaces and nature restoration projects.
This guide is part of a suite of resources designed to support the delivery and recognition of community engagement processes by nature-finance projects, resulting in the delivery of community benefits: meaningful social and economic benefits that promote the sustainable development of communities. The benefits themselves could be monetary (such as a community fund) or non-monetary (for example, shared ownership, access to land, etc.) in nature and could include transfer or leasing of land for community use.
The steps below have been identified through a co-design process with a range of stakeholders including developers, delivery teams, community groups, education institutes, charities, and more. Community engagement is not a linear process, these steps are interconnected and will each be revisited at multiple stages throughout project design and delivery.
Each step listed below is broken down into the following subsections:
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An overarching principle: highlighting what a project should be aiming to achieve through this step.
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Questions for project leads: a list of questions to be discussed (and answered) by the delivery team before a project commences to support delivery of a meaningful engagement process.
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Useful resources: links to external guides, frameworks, policies and examples of best practice.
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Suggested actions: a list of possible practical actions a project delivery team can undertake throughout their planning and delivery of a community engagement process. Not all of these actions will be relevant for every project but are intended to be used as a guide.
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Evidence: a list of some possible options to evidence each step. The project delivery team should work with their community to determine what measures they will be using to evidence and evaluate their own project.
During the initial planning phase, the delivery team should consider each aspect of the project, through scope and resourcing, promotion and recruitment, design and delivery, outcomes and implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
There are best practice themes which weave through each step of delivery, and so there is some overlap in this Guide; this is a conscious decision to enable users to review a single step depending on their delivery needs and find all relevant information without having to review the whole document in its entirety each time.
Best Practice Guide: Community Inclusion for Community Benefit
Deciding Matters
A starting point for new projects. Resources and guidance to support meaningful community engagement.
Scottish Land Commission
A toolkit to turn meaningful community engagement into detailed community benefits agreements.
NFCA
Certification for the validation and verifications of meaningful community engagement and delivery of community benefit.
Identify a project which is bespoke, purposeful
and location specific
Principle
Projects should be conscious of, and responsive to, a community’s unique characteristics, capacities and capabilities. The depth and scale of community participation should be reflective of scale of impact (both positive and negative) the project may have and the commitment towards community benefits.
Clear scope and project objectives should be identified and communicated to the community. Project design should be developed alongside existing frameworks such as community action plans, and cognisant of other projects and initiatives requiring community input. This is particularly important to support integrated ‘joined up’ activity, to deliver broader community benefits and to mitigate against engagement fatigue.
Questions for Project Leads
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What is the nature-based project and can you explain it in plain language?
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Where is the location you are looking to do an engagement process? What are the geographic bounds of the area?
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Who is the target community? Is this a community of interest or a community of place?
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What is the background of the community's wants and needs? Is there a history of engagement or challenges the community have faced on this topic?
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What issues or topics would you like to address through an engagement process?
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What are the project’s parameters? This may include considerations such as budget, delivery timeframes, known challenges, funding non-negotiables.
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What can realistically be changed through the participation process, and what are the parameters you are working within? If nothing can be changed, is a meaningful participation process able to take place?
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How can the community influence decision-making throughout the life of the project?
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What does the community want and need? How can the project meet this need?
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What are our key questions for the community and what type of engagement will best enable the community to explore these questions? Are the questions for communities clear and specific?
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Do you have an intended or expected outcome? If so, how will you adapt if community deliberation does not match this?
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What existing community plans and projects are taking place with similar ambitions? Where is the starting point for engagement?
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Where are the opportunities to collaborate with other local groups or individuals? For example, could the project be delivered in partnership with local community groups? Are there areas of land suitable for the community to own or manage (if they want to)? Can local businesses or groups be supported or empowered to deliver aspects of the project?
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What are you working towards? For example, a memorandum of understanding, community benefits agreement, sale of land or lease agreement. •How does the community want to be kept informed and engaged in the project long-term?
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Are there opportunities for community representatives to sit on decision-making boards or groups?
Best Practice Suggested Actions |
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Highlight the target location on a map which can be shared with the community. Identify the Local Authority and Community Council areas within which the location sits. |
Define the community (this includes geography and demographics of people) you wish to engage through the project, and what you want to engage them on. |
Identify and document, in a way that can be shared with the community, the parameters the project is working within. This may include funding restraints, landowner wishes, investor priorities, etc. |
Take time to understand local context; local policies which impact land use, historic relationships with the land, community groups with a history of engaging (or not) with local projects, etc. |
Undertake local stakeholder mapping and an asset mapping exercise to identify skills/resourcing already available and where local community structures (e.g. land management group, community council, development trusts, educational programmes, tourism board) are already in existence which can be approached for discussion around collaboration opportunities. Tap into existing funded frameworks/groups. |
Take time to build relationships with local people and groups, engaging with existing groups where appropriate, but also creating opportunities for people not associated with a local group to engage as an individual. |
Check with any available local community-led plans (e.g. community action plans, local place plans) to identify community priorities which could be addressed by the project. |
Ensure the project has been considered in relation to wider community action plans or other ongoing community projects, identifying areas of crossover and partnership. |
Provide a list of decisions and topics that community stakeholders/participants can have direct influence over. Provide a list of parameters which the community stakeholders/participants can and cannot influence and explain why. |
Ensure scope and outcomes are clearly set – directing conversations in a positive and constructive way. |
Determine with the community the level of impact (both positive and negative) the project may have on the community. Discuss this with the community to ensure all perspectives of impact are considered. |
Highlight opportunities for community wealth building (strengthening local and regional economies) through community benefits. This will support deliberation with the community and help define parameters. |
Set expectations by building into the process what to do if parties are in conflict, have complaints, and/or are dissatisfied with the process. |
If relevant, provide guidance and training to staff on effective facilitation, mediation and building consensus methods and how to manage difficult conversations where there is contention. |
Provide information on when people should expect to see change. Expectation setting – people might not see immediate benefits but will still work towards positive change for future generations. Also be clear where timelines may be unknown, for example, if it is unknown when funding will be made available. Identify where possible risks may result in not seeing any change or the community seeing less change than expected. |
Example Evidence Measures |
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Research reports on local context (historical, political, social, etc.) |
List of parameters which has been shared with the community |
Stakeholder map visuals |
Copy of relevant community plans with highlighted areas of overlap between community objectives and project aims |
Localised asset map (with relevant organisations/individuals highlighted) |
Timelines shared with community groups |
Clear key questioning for communities |
Staff experience of design and facilitation |
Map of project area and relevant local authorities and community councils |
Scottish Land Commission
Deciding Matters
UK Carbon Code of Conduct
Agile Initiative, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford
Scottish Land Commission
Deciding Matters
Ensure adequate funding and resourcing
Principle
Projects should have funding in place that enables high quality, high integrity community engagement and covers adequate planning and preparation for, as well as delivery of, community engagement. Funding should include all associated costs and provide flexibility to reflect the complexity of the projects’ scope, ambition and intentions.
Nature projects should support communities in an equitable way. Project staff need to be given adequate time and resource to engage with communities meaningfully. Community volunteers are an invaluable asset to communities but are also vulnerable to being overburdened and exploited. Expert advice and activities provided for from within the community should be fully compensated. The provision of paid jobs within the community may be the most appropriate route to meet project needs and could be an important project co-benefit for the community.
Questions for Project Leads
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Do you have realistic expectations with regards to available budget? E.g. is the available budget reasonable for light-touch consultation or full community co-production?
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What resourcing do you need to fulfil the project’s plan, e.g. how many staff do you need, how much time should they commit, what will the cost be?
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What skills are required to deliver this community engagement or participatory process?
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Are all these skills currently covered by the staff team?
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Do these skills exist elsewhere in the community?
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What direct costs might you encounter for delivering the engagement process? Direct costs may include venue hire, participant travel, catering, BSL, mechanisms to reduce barriers to participation such as printing costs, mental health support, and a gift of thanks for attending sessions. A gift of thanks is typically a monetary voucher or bank transfer to thank participants for giving up their free time. A gift of thanks is typically offered to participants who are attending workshops, participating in an interview or other type of engagement. You may also wish to provide a gift of thanks to any voluntary or community organisation who is providing delivery support.
Best Practice Suggested Actions |
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Ensure that community engagement costs are realistically budgeted for, e.g., whether you are carrying out a light touch consultation vs. community co-design |
Include all associated costs in initial funding requirements including staffing/direct delivery costs (travel, food, gift of thanks, venues, additional support for participants, resources) |
Budgets should include communications costs relative to realistic plans for promotion including media plans and advertisement of the project. |
Identify partnership opportunities to share expertise and resources across community groups and projects (geographically and topically). This could include sharing contractors or consultants across projects where possible to increase affordability. This could also include sharing resources such as project plans. |
Work closely with local organisations (including voluntary, charity, educational institutes, etc.) and/or individuals to identify suitable roles and appropriate compensation (i.e. some groups may expect consultant pay, some may expect travel and sustenance expenses). |
Create budgets which include a day rate for community volunteers and steering groups who are involved in moving projects forward. |
Identify whether an external agency should be brought in to deliver the community engagement and whether this is covered buy available budget. For example, if the project topic is contentious and requires neutral facilitators or requires more participatory design expertise. |
Utilise existing project plans, frameworks, and evaluation methods where possible to reduce resourcing pressures. |
Consider levels of underemployment in the local community and opportunities for paid roles and training within the project. |
Ensure staff are provided with time and scope to work on project legacy, including growing the project beyond initial scope and developing new directions for the project activities, where appropriate. |
Continue to review budgets and adapt where appropriate (and in line with funding guidance) to meet evolving needs of the project. |
Example Evidence Measures |
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Detailed budget breakdown |
Objectives from other community groups with overlapping aims who may share resources |
Staff timesheets and details of work undertaken and associated outputs |
Staff skills map and any gaps which may need to be addressed through external support |
Projected costs for community inclusion, including gift of thanks, removing barriers to participation, compensating local experts |
Research on local employment gaps and opportunities, either specially commissioned research, or links to used sources |
Green Finance Institute
Scottish Government
Scottish Government
Deciding Matters
Identify decision-makers and build in legitimacy
Principle
Projects should aim to engage with diverse voices, broadly representative of their community, to take part in consensual participation that has been shaped with communities and is built upon a relationship of trust and power-sharing. Local representative structures (such as land management trusts, community councils, etc.) should be utilised alongside appropriate resourcing for inclusive engagement.
Questions for Project Leads
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Who is required to “sign-off” on the decisions being made throughout the project?
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How can communities meaningfully feed into the decision-making process?
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What governance structures appropriate to the community should be in place to ensure communities continue to be or are involved as decision-makers throughout the project’s lifetime?
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Are there a range of perspectives and insights being represented through the process?
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Will the community trust a process led by the project delivery team or will the outcome be considered biased?
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Can the delivery team support effective and neutral deliberation with the community or should an external agency be brought in to facilitate?
Best Practice Suggested Actions |
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Share progress reports regularly: what has been done with the community, how have the outputs been utilised, and what other information has been relied on to make decisions? |
Consider building Community Benefits Agreements into contractual clauses, ensuring a legal obligation and established roles and responsibilities for sustainability and longevity of community benefit. |
Identify whether a neutral facilitator should be brought in. |
Be transparent with decision-making processes. Disclose relevant financial decisions which may affect communities, this may include private investment contracts including specific criteria with regards to land management. |
Utilise community engagement methods which are appropriate to the timescales provided. For example, if time is not available for meaningful co-production due to short funding periods, short land sale deadlines, etc., look to focus groups/consultation |
Create a diagram detailing the decision-making process, highlighting which groups feed into an evidence base and which individuals/organisations are required to sign-off on recommendations |
Example Evidence Measures |
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Sharing how decisions are communicated with the community |
Minutes from community meetings |
Breakdown of internal and community governance structures, how they will work together to make decisions |
Diagrams of decision-making processes |
Scottish Land Commission
Scottish Land Commission
Address imbalance through equitable and inclusive design
Principle
Projects should ensure community engagement is accessible to all, including reducing physical and social barriers to participation, and be sensitive to existing imbalances of power and resource – both present and historical. Projects should support deliberation for the identified community to reach consensus, achieving mutually beneficial outcomes where possible and addressing power dynamics in the room.
Questions for Project Leads
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What methods of engagement will be most accessible and appropriate for participants?
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What are the needs of the target community for this process? Barriers to participation may range from digital exclusion to childcare support.
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Are there groups that have historically been unable to participate due to specific unmet needs?
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Is funding available to address these needs, or how could this project address these needs? Are the costs for accessibility in community engagement included in the overall project budget?
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If you are engaging with children and/or young people do you have appropriate safeguarding measures in place?
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How will the community engagement process provide space for both loud and quiet voices to input?
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How will the facilitation team handle potential conflict during the community engagement process?
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Is the project cognizant of all legal diversity and equality requirements, including the Equality Act 2010?
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Has the project considered local context, e.g. are demographics of participants reflective of the local area and/or challenge you are addressing?
Best Practice Suggested Actions |
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Produce an accessible glossary for some jargon/terms (including the language of financiers) and minimise use of technical language where possible |
Use inclusive and positive language – use neutral examples to avoid unconscious bias. |
Have clear participation guidelines in place to support inclusion and address power imbalances during deliberation. |
Consider how to meet additional support needs participants may have, including (but not limited to) mobility issues, language barriers, the need for an advocate in the room, resources/materials in alternative formats, provision of childcare, travel allowance, etc. |
Have a range of engagement methods available to meet varied needs of community members. For example, online, offline, anonymous feedback, written, spoken, voting activities, etc. |
Consider all protected characteristics and the intersectionality of all participants. |
Identify the demographics which are present in the local area and ensure you have both diversity and representation in the participant group as much as possible (which acknowledging that not everyone in a community will be interested in participating). |
Ensure capacity, appropriate staffing, and suitable budget are in place to address the individual needs of participants. |
Example Evidence Measures |
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Show use of multiple engagement methods to reach diverse groups |
Accessible glossary of relevant terms for the project |
Conversation guidelines used during participatory sessions |
Session plans from any community engagement activities (e.g. table discussions, stalls at public events) |
Photos of activities undertaken during community engagement |
Copies of materials and resources used |
Highlight how you have adapted processes to meet specific needs of individuals |
Ecosystems Knowledge Network
Government Digital Service
Deciding Matters
Scottish Government
Deciding Matters
Communicate effectively with different audiences
Principle
Language used for projects should be specific enough to detail the activities involved but not include jargon. If technical language is necessary, a glossary of terms should be provided. Projects should develop appropriate media and communications plans, identifying the different target audiences they plan to reach, and the range of learning and communication styles those audiences may have.
Questions for Project Leads
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What channels of communication will be most effective with the different stakeholder groups?
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What terms/phrases may need to be included in a project-specific glossary?
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How can the community seek clarification if there are questions about the project?
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How will all relevant information be made available to all community groups?
Best Practice Suggested Actions |
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Use local and/or similar practical examples and case studies, for example: take a picture of the local landscape and label it with different terms; use film/audio-visual media to communicate local messages |
Stakeholder mapping – identify experts on relevant topics to support clear communications |
Interact with local groups to support regular discussions, create appropriate forums where no such local groups exist. |
Ensure community feedback opportunities are available to identify which methods of engagement are successful. |
Explore opportunities for community-led communications, such as podcasts and/or vlogs |
Utilise visual tools where possible, e.g. story-mapping |
Explore a combination of ways to communicate to the community such as letter drop, social media ads, newsletter, word-of mouth, attending groups and existing spaces such as libraries, supermarkets, etc and developing a combination of written and visual methods such as posters, images and videos. |
Example Evidence Measures |
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Channels where participants could access all relevant information |
Share links to relevant media such as podcasts, story-maps |
Communications which have been shared on different platforms with different audiences in mind |
United Nations, Department of Economics and Social Affairs
Plan accessible stakeholder recruitment and onboarding
Principle
Once a target community has been identified (community of interest or community of place), appropriate methods of engagement for recruitment should be utilised. Participants should be provided with relevant background information and a process overview to enable them to give informed consent to take part and engage meaningfully.
Questions for Project Leads
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Are there methods of sign-up for those in the community who do not have digital access?
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Who in the team is going to be a point of contact for community members who have questions or need support at this stage? How will a suitable person be identified?
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What background information and resources do the community need to fully understand this project?
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How will you ensure all participants have provided informed consent to take part in the community engagement process?
Best Practice Suggested Actions |
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Consider innovative ways to engage with people who don't normally participate in standard community engagement processes. For example, using arts and theatre activities to engage people. |
Understand a range of learning styles (e.g. visual, practical, listening, etc.) and develop a process which is accommodating of diverse participation needs. |
Use a mix of in-person and online methods of communication, ensuring people have the time to communicate in a way (and location) they feel comfortable in. |
Gather informed consent from participants to support evidence gathering and sharing of outputs publicly and/or with auditors, including consent to take part, to hold information, for photographs, for use of names, etc. |
Remove any potential burdens engaging might put on an individual – pay gift of thanks, provide transport, host sessions over a range of time, etc. |
Recognise, highlight and value different groups within the community (landowners, business owners, residents, service employees/providers, etc.) |
Create opportunities for individual conversation, utilising spaces in which individuals will be comfortable engaging one-to-one. Make use of local community spaces (e.g. pubs, community halls, local hubs). This supports relationships between the project team and the community, and provides a safe space for community members to ask clarifying questions or raise concerns which they do not feel comfortable sharing in a public space. |
Recognise that not everyone wants to be involved; celebrate and value those that do. |
Have a dedicated, public-facing point of contact for the community to speak to directly, supporting understanding while addressing concerns and building connections. |
Example Evidence Measures |
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Share online and physical sign-up routes |
Privacy and data information shared with participants |
How participant information was gathered and reviewed |
Anonymised breakdown of demographics engaged with |
Identify staff acting as direct contact for the community |
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Deciding Matters
Work reflexively and adaptively to meet community needs
Principle
Projects should regularly review progress and gather feedback from stakeholders to evaluate fairness or equity, and whether the process is accessible, democratic and inclusive and there is transparency of the outcomes. Processes should be adaptive to if and when challenges are identified to meet community needs.
Questions for Project Leads
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How regularly, and through what format, will communities be invited to engage with the project to ensure ongoing communication?
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How regularly will the project be reviewed?
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What are realistic timescales for the project’s decision-making and feedback processes?
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How will you address potential risks or challenges identified by the community?
Best Practice Suggested Actions |
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Be flexible and bring in new/other voices as they emerge. |
Schedule regular meetings with a core project management group to review progress against timelines, identify possible risks, and implement mitigation measures where appropriate. |
Regularly communicate with the community, sharing successes, achievements, challenges, etc. |
Create space for connection: shared learning events, volunteer training, etc. |
Bring people together to share understandings of restrictions, values and remove possible conflict - explore shared values and common ground. |
Create flexible plans to meet the needs of each specific community. |
Example Evidence Measures |
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Changes made to project plans |
Identified risks and mitigation measures taken |
Review meeting notes |
Centre for Deliberative Democracy and Glocbal Governance
Plan for longevity and lasting community relationships
Principle
Projects should consider how community benefit can be maximised through the project’s life from project conception, ensuring community needs are reflected at all stages. Long-term and lasting relationships should be developed with the community, making use of trusted, existing structures. Projects and communities should share knowledge and learning regularly to ensure alignment between needs and priorities. Projects should be transparent regarding outputs, outcomes and expected timelines.
Questions for Project Leads
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How will community needs be prioritised throughout the project?
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What outputs can the community expect in the short-term?
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What outputs can the community expect in the long-term?
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How will learning be shared between stakeholder groups?
Best Practice Suggested Actions |
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Identify where local advisors/consultants are available to help communities and investors build connections. Sometimes it can be beneficial to bring a neutral, third party in to provide expertise and advice that doesn't have a local connection to, or a direct vested interest in, the project. |
Where project teams are likely to change, plan for continuity for the community. |
Assign staff time to sourcing follow-up funding from inception (utilising existing funding and capacity) |
Example Evidence Measures |
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Staff time given to future-proofing |
Continuation measures if staff team changes were made |
Networking opportunities to support connections |
Embed evaluation, learning and impact
Principle
Project’s methodology, rationale and purpose of participation, as well as the rationale and evidence base for final decision-making should be transparent from the outset. Regular reviews should be undertaken to assess progress, and shared learning opportunities should be promoted.
Questions for Project Leads
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How will the process be shared with the community and stakeholders?
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What will success look like for you?
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How does the community define success?
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What qualitative and quantitative data will be captured throughout the process?
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Do you have appropriate permissions in place to contact the community for feedback and use any data they provide?
Best Practice Suggested Actions |
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Determine initial community baselines and follow-up measures of engagement with appropriate frameworks/metrics. |
Evidence wider economic impacts where possible (e.g. number of jobs brought to the area). |
Utilise and evidence best practice frameworks. |
Share progress reports, highlighting community benefits delivered by the project. |
Consider monitoring and evaluation measures of community engagement and of delivery of any agreed outcomes and/or community benefits. |
Example Evidence Measures |
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Baseline surveys undertaken at intervals |
Peer interviews from the community |
Evaluation and learning sessions hosted by the project and attended by the community |
Impact measures identified by the project and the community |
Deciding Matters
Acknowledgements
This Guide was developed as part of a co-design process funded by FIRNS: the Facility for Investment Ready Nature in Scotland, supported by NatureScot in collaboration with The Scottish Government and in partnership with The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
The following organisations shaped this Guide via a co-design process, providing insights and perspectives based on their own place-based community engagement:
The following organisations contributed as project partners:
The following organisations provided feedback and advice via consultation:
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