VBRRA Community Engagement Strategy

Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority’s

Community Engagement Strategy

VBRRA Community Engagement Strategy 1

Message from the Chair

We know that communities recover best when they are supported to lead their own recovery. This is what we are committed to in helping communities recover from the worst bushfire disaster in Australia’s history.

The establishment of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority occurred three days after the fires of 7 February 2009. This early action was a clear sign that the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments recognised the significance and long term effort required to coordinate and oversee recovery activities.

In my first months as Chair of the Authority, I have travelled widely, visiting as many communities as I could, to see first‐hand the impact to local areas, to listen to people’s experiences, and to learn about each place. Each community is different, and it is important for us to understand and acknowledge this.

The Community Engagement Strategy provides an overview of what we mean when we say ‘recovery’. It is not just the physical repair of buildings and homes, or the recovery of forests and wildlife, but also the return of businesses and economy, and of people’s personal and social recovery. Importantly, a sense of community and belonging needs to be re‐established and strengthened.

Working with communities and enabling communities to direct their recovery effort, and to support each other, is an important aspect to how we want to work. ‘Community engagement’ and ‘community development’ are the terms we are talking about, and the following pages describe them in some more detail.

Recovery, in all that it means, is not simple. This Strategy outlines the approach we will take to help each community recover at its own pace, and with input and involvement from a wide range of people. Our role is not simply to rebuild what has been lost, but to ensure that the process that we take to do it is empowering, collaborative, fair and equitable, and is focused on helping communities to recover well.

Christine Nixon APM


Table of Contents

Message from the Chair.......................................................................................................................... 1 Overview .................................................................................................................................................3 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................7 Vision.......................................................................................................................................................7 Strategic outcomes .................................................................................................................................7 Recovery framework...............................................................................................................................8 Strategic drivers for community engagement ......................................................................................10 Terms of Reference...........................................................................................................................10 Community development .................................................................................................................11

Community engagement ......................................................................................................................12 What is community engagement?....................................................................................................12 Why do community engagement?....................................................................................................12

The Authority’s approach to community engagement.........................................................................13 Our community engagement principles ...........................................................................................13 Types of community engagement ....................................................................................................13

Organisational context for engagement...............................................................................................15 The Authority ....................................................................................................................................15 Department of Human Services........................................................................................................15 Local government .............................................................................................................................15 Other state‐level agencies ................................................................................................................16

Strategic outcome and directions for engagement ..............................................................................17 Appendices............................................................................................................................................19 Appendix 1: Glossary ........................................................................................................................19


Overview The bushfires of 2009 affected many communities and townships across Victoria. Spanning many different Local Government areas, the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (the Authority), has a role to coordinate and oversee recovery for all communities. A number of different organisations and partners play a role in the overall recovery process including Local Government, State and Federal Government, and a range of community service organisations. This Community Engagement Strategy (the Strategy) outlines the Victorian Bushfires Reconstruction and Recovery Authority’s approach to supporting communities to recover and our work with a range of partners to do so.

While this Strategy outlines the Authority’s understanding and approach to Community Engagement to assist recovery, it is not the only such strategy in place, as many organisations that we are working with will have developed over some time their specific approach to community engagement activities. As the Authority is a new organisation, it seemed important that our approach was also developed and documented.

In addition, this Strategy does not outline in detail the roles, responsibilities and processes of all of those people involved in supporting recovery. It is focussed on providing a clear understanding of our objectives and our overall approach. A more detailed handbook will also be in place at the Authority, containing information around governance models, responsibilities and community engagement practices.

The following pages illustrate those areas of Victoria that were impacted by the bushfires in Jan/Feb 2009, which the Authority is supporting. (Information accurate at August 2009)

Map of Victoria showing fire affected areas (accompanying table on the following pages)


Table 1: local government areas, Community Recovery Committees1 and associated townships

Map ID

Local government Community Recovery Committees (CRC) Townships

A Alpine Shire Council Alpine Shire Community Resilience Committee

Mudgegonga, Havilah, Barwidgee Creek, Running Creek, Rosewhite, Dederang, Barwidgee

Longwarry Community Recovery Committee

Longwarry, Longwarry North, Drouin, Drouin West, Drouin South, Nilma

Labertouche Community Recovery Committee

Labertouche

B Baw Baw Shire Council

Jindivick Community Recovery Committee Jindivick, Neerim, Neerim East, Neerim Junction, Neerim South, Noojee

C Cardinia Shire Council Cardinia Municipal Recovery Committee Tonimbuk, Garfield North, Bunyip

D Casey City Council Casey Municipal Recovery Committee Narre Warren North, Harkaway, Narre Warren South

E Corangamite Shire Council

Corangamite Municipal Recovery Committee

Pomboorneit, Weerite

F Greater Bendigo City Council

Bendigo Community Recovery Committee Long Gully, West Bendigo, Iron Bark, Eaglehawk, California Gully, Maiden Gully

G Hepburn Shire Council

Hepburn Municipal Recovery Group Daylesford

H Horsham Rural City Council

Horsham City Municipal Recovery Group Horsham, Haven and Drung

I Indigo Shire Council Indigo Shire Drought Committee Bruarong, Yackandandah, Beechworth, Stanley

Boolarra‐Yinnar Community Recovery Committee

Boolarra, Boolarra South, Yinnar South, Yinnar

Traralgon South & District Community Recovery Committee

Traralgon South, Traralgon, Callignee, Koornalla

J Latrobe City Council

Hazelwood‐Jeeralang Community Recovery Committee

Hazelwood, Hazelwood South, Hazelwood North, Jeeralang, Jeeralang Junction, Churchill

K Mitchell Shire Council Mitchell Shire Municipal Recovery Group Broadford, Wandong, Clonbinane, Kilmore, Kilmore East, Heathcote Junction, Upper Plenty

L Mount Alexander Shire Council

Redesdale Fire Community Recovery Committee

Redesdale, Glenhope, Barfold, Baynton, Sidonia

Marysville & Triangle Community Recovery Committee

Marysville, Buxton, Taggerty, Granton, Narbethon

Kinglake Ranges Representative Group Kinglake, Kinglake West, Kinglake Central, Pheasant Creek

Melba Group Community Recovery Committee

Glenburn, Murrindindi, Limestone

Flowerdale Group Community Recovery Committee

Flowerdale, Hazeldene, Hazeldene South

Toolangi & Castella Community Recovery Committee

Toolangi, Castella

M Murrindindi Shire Council

Strath Creek Community Recovery Committee

Strath Creek, Reedy Creek

St Andrews Community Recovery Committee

St Andrews, Christmas Hills (TBC) N Nillumbik Shire Council

Strathewen Community Renewal Strathewen, Arthurs Creek

1 Community Recovery Committees (or equivalent). Accurate at the time the Strategy was developed.


Map ID

Local government Community Recovery Committees (CRC) Townships

Association

O South Gippsland Shire Council

Mirboo North & District Mirboo North, Darlimurla, Delburn

P South Grampians Shire Council

South Grampians Municipal Recovery Committee

Coleraine

Q Yarra Ranges Shire Council

Yarra Ranges Community Recovery Group Steels Creek, Dixons Creek, Chum Creek, Yarra Glen, Tarrawarra, Coldstream, Healesville, Gruyere

Gormandale & District Community Recovery Committee

Gormandale, Carrajung, Carrajung Lower, Callignee North, Willung South, Balook

R Wellington Shire Council

Yarram & District Community Recovery Committee

Yarram, Woodside, Won Wron, Devon North, Alberton

S Whittlesea City Council

Whittlesea Community Recovery Committee

Whittlesea, Humevale


Introduction

In February 2009 Victoria was devastated by the worst bushfires in Australia’s history. The scale of this tragedy was unprecedented. By the time the fires were contained, 173 people had lost their lives and many others were seriously injured, 78 communities were impacted and 430,000 hectares of land were destroyed. The long‐term psychological, social, economic, cultural, physical and environmental impacts of these bushfires go beyond the scale of anything previously seen in Australia.

The Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority (the Authority) was established by the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments to address the urgency, scale and the need for a coordinated approach to the rebuilding and recovery of communities from the bushfires. This Community Engagement Strategy outlines the Authority’s own specific strategic approach to working with affected communities during the recovery process. In doing so, it provides the context for the Authority’s long‐term planning and operating arrangements for bushfire recovery.

The Strategy is designed to build upon and complement existing disaster recovery strategies of agencies from the three levels of government: Commonwealth, State and each affected local government, along with non government organisations (NGOs). It supports the overarching objective in section 4(A) of the Emergency Management Act 1986, which requires an emergency management structure that facilitates operational co‐ordination and community participation.

Vision The Authority will:

Ensure that communities and individuals are given the opportunity to proactively participate in the rebuilding and recovery process across all stages and in doing so, are provided with real choices regarding their futures.

Strategic outcomes The primary outcome sought through this Community Engagement Strategy is:

Empowered communities with the capacity to integrate environmental, economic, social and the built environment considerations into long‐term community bushfire recovery.


Recovery framework Under the Emergency Management Act 1986 recovery is defined as “the assisting of persons and communities affected by emergencies to achieve a proper and effective level of functioning” 2. Further, recovery spans the immediate response to an emergency, recovery planning, recovery implementation and transitioning to a situation where the formal recovery processes and support are phased out. Recovery is therefore a developmental process involving assisting individuals and communities to manage the re‐establishment of those elements of their lives and society necessary for their long‐term well‐being.

The process involves cooperation between all levels of government, non‐government organisations, community agencies, private sector organisations and individuals, in consideration of the:

1. Emotional, social, spiritual, financial and physical wellbeing of individuals and communities;

2. Restoration of essential and physical infrastructure;

3. Rehabilitation of the environment; and

4. Revitalisation of the economy of the community to ensure, as far as possible, that the well‐being of a community is increased.

The fifth and overarching element of recovery is community. The Authority is using an integrated and holistic framework for recovery by incorporating all five elements, with sustainable community recovery being the central outcome. This framework, presented in Figure 1, is consistent with the Commonwealth government’s approach to disaster recovery, and a number of international jurisdictions such as New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Figure 1: Five elements of disaster recovery

This Strategy builds on the five‐element framework for bushfire recovery by adopting a set of recovery principles to inform the Authority’s strategic community engagement directions. The principles reflect those outlined in Emergency Management Australia’s Recovery Manual, 2006 and are presented in Inset 1, on the following page.

2 See Appendix 1 for our definition of community.


Inset 1: Principles of Disaster Recovery

Principles of Disaster Recovery • Recovery from disaster is an enabling and supportive process, which allows individuals, families

and communities to attain a proper level of functioning through the provision of information, specialist services and resources.

• Effective recovery from disaster requires the establishment of planning and management arrangements, which are accepted and understood by recovery agencies and the community.

• Recovery management arrangements are most effective when they recognise the complex, dynamic and protracted nature of recovery processes and the changing needs of affected individuals, families and groups within the community over time.

• The management of disaster recovery is best approached from a community development perspective and is most effective when conducted at the local level with the active participation of the affected community and a maximum reliance on local capacities and expertise.

• Recovery management is most effective when human services agencies play a major role in all levels of key decision‐making which may influence the well‐being and recovery of the affected community.

• Recovery from disaster is best achieved where the recovery process begins from the moment of disaster impact.


Strategic drivers for community engagement A number of factors drive the need for the Authority to undertake community engagement activities and practices as part of its overall bushfire recovery functions — indeed, its ability to discharge its functions is dependent on effective community engagement. These factors are referenced in the Authority’s Terms of Reference as well as the adoption of a community development approach to recovery.

Terms of Reference Under its Terms of Reference (see Inset 2 below) the Authority is charged with overseeing and coordinating the recovery3 and rebuilding program. To deliver on these Terms of Reference, the Authority must establish and maintain effective working relationships with communities, businesses, charities, local government and relevant Victorian and Commonwealth government agencies. An essential prerequisite for maintaining those relationships in the immediate and long‐term is effective communication and engagement with communities and other stakeholders involved with recovery in a strategic, yet direct and sensitive way.

Inset 2: Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference

The Authority:

1. Will report to the Premier of Victoria, and consult with the Commonwealth Government as required on reconstruction and recovery efforts

2. Is to advise governments, coordinate efforts and develop an over‐arching plan for the restoration and recovery of regions, towns and communities affected by the 2009 Victorian bushfires

3. Will work closely with the community in the process of rebuilding and recovery, and ensure that individuals and communities are consulted closely – with such consultations to be transparent and sensitive to local needs

4. Will analyse, and advise governments on, the impact of the bushfires on the communities, economy, infrastructure and environment in affected areas

5. Will coordinate activities and the work of relevant organisations to help regions, towns and individuals re‐establish their communities once it is safe to do so, in a way that is respectful of individual and community needs

6. Will ensure that services to people affected are easily available and coordinated across all levels of government and community organisations

7. Will work with communities to develop coordinated plans to deal with the effects of the disaster on local economies, communities, infrastructure and the environment. These plans should cover the immediate recovery requirements and longer term development

8. Will have overall responsibility for ensuring that communities are rebuilt and projects are delivered quickly and efficiently

9. Will work closely with all funding sources, including the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund, to ensure effective and coordinated expenditure of funds

10. Will report regularly on progress to both communities and governments

3 Throughout this document the term recovery will be used to include reconstruction and rebuilding.


Community development This Strategy is shaped and informed by a community development framework for bushfire recovery. Such an approach is consistent with national and international approaches to disaster recovery.

Community development is broader than economic development and the bricks and mortar of a community. It is about recognising and enhancing the existing capacities, values, needs and aspirations of individuals and communities and, in doing so, empowering a community to make informed decisions and manage their future well‐being. A community development framework provides the basis for working with people, not only on issues of local concern but also when developing wider recovery plans and projects and incorporates the following Emergency Manual Australia: Manual 29 community development outcomes:

• an informed community;

• access to services and facilities;

• sense of community safety;

• healthy community;

• participation in community life;

• sense of belonging;

• community cohesion;

• community identity; and

• economic and environmental recovery

The Authority is focused on working with communities first and foremost and recognising their interests, expertise and experience as the basis for recovery and development. To address issues of local concern, the Authority strives to enable communities themselves to set their own values, commitments, agendas and future aspirations. In doing so, the Authority seeks to ensure that its processes remain sustainable, fair, relevant to those directly affected, and make the best use of available community resources, experience and skills. Where appropriate, we will seek the advice of, and co‐ordinate the input from specialists such as the Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD). As well, the Authority works collaboratively with community development practitioners across Local Government Areas, to promote and assist with the achievement of community development outcomes.4

4 Community development officers have been employed by many local governments in bushfire affected areas, with most of these positions being established under a Memorandum of Understanding between Department of Human Services and the relevant Local Government.


Community engagement There are many themes and actions common to both community development and community engagement. Community engagement activities are in essence a means of working towards community development outcomes. This section outlines the concept of community engagement, and the Authority’s approach to community engagement, including the types of engagement and principles adopted by the Authority.

What is community engagement? The Authority defines community engagement as the communication, measures and processes taken to engage or interact with communities where the views and input from communities are used to solve problems or make informed decisions, relevant to the community. Community engagement covers a wide range of activities including information provision, consultation, education, relationship and capacity building and enhancing community resilience.

The terms community engagement, public participation, stakeholder engagement and stakeholder management are often used interchangeably. For the purposes of this Strategy, the more inclusive term community engagement is adopted because it refers to all people, organisations and agencies in bushfire affected communities, or who have either a direct or indirect interest in bushfire recovery.

Why do community engagement? Community engagement provides a range of benefits to individuals, communities, business, government and society more generally. These benefits are widely recognised by national and international organisations, including the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the International Association of Public Participation (IAP2) and are adopted by major corporations, government agencies and local governments. The benefits of conducting ‘good’ community engagement include:

• higher quality and innovative solutions to issues and problems;

• more effective use of resources;

• enabling an agency or organisation to gain a better understanding of local needs and issues;

• opportunities for learning by agencies and the community and through this assist with organisational and community capacity building;

• an open process to identify and resolve conflict, along with contributing to accountability and transparency objectives;

• community ownership of final decisions and hence a greater commitment to the implementation of decisions; and

• assistance with strengthening and building a sense of community spirit and identity and social capital.


The Authority’s approach to community engagement Direct engagement with affected communities is a key responsibility of the Authority. The Authority is genuinely committed to working with communities at the local level.

Our community engagement principles Best practice community engagement is underpinned by a set of principles. This Strategy is based on the community engagement principles presented in Inset 3. The Authority is committed to ensuring all areas of the organisation apply these principles.

Inset 3: Community engagement principles

Community engagement principles • Inclusiveness — the involvement of people potentially affected by, or interested in, projects or

activities, including individuals and groups from culturally diverse backgrounds. Engagement should be conducted in a way that encourages people to participate and include connecting with those who are hardest to reach;

• Commitment — engagement should be genuine and be aimed at identifying, understanding and engaging relevant communities and be undertaken as early as possible;

• Building relationships and mutual respect — development of trust through personal contact and keeping promises is a priority. Effective relationships between government, industry and community should be maintained by using a variety of communication channels as well as respecting community values and interests and exploring them to find common ground;

• Integrity — engagement to act as means through which the integrity of government and the democratic processes of government are maintained;

• Transparency and accountability — engagement should be undertaken in a transparent and flexible manner so that communities understand what they can influence and to what degree; and

• Feedback and evaluation — engagement processes should inform participants of how their input contributed to decision making.

Source: IAP2

Types of community engagement The Authority employs a range of approaches for engaging with communities5. The type of community engagement employed is influenced by the outcome sought and the degree of community input into decision making required. Depending on these factors, and combined with the stage and element of recovery being addressed, one or more types of engagement may be employed by the Authority at any point in time.

The types of engagement available for use by the Authority are:

• Inform — this relates to providing balanced and objective information on any aspect of the recovery process and assists communities to understand the problems, alternatives and preferred solutions. This type of engagement includes information gathering but does not involve community input into decision making, although it does result in having more informed communities;

5 These approaches to engagement are based on the International Association of Public Participation engagement spectrum — see http://www.iap2.org.au/resources/list/asset_id/36/cid/1/parent/0/t/resources/title/IAP2%20Spectrum


• Consult— this refers to seeking community feedback on proposed solutions, alternatives and decisions. Whilst this type of engagement allows communities to influence the direction of decisions, it may not result in direct input to decision making;

• Involve — which means working directly with the community to generate aspirations, ideas and concerns and are directly reflected in alternatives developed and decisions made. This type of engagement is similar to consult but provides for greater community inclusion in the development of options, making decisions about which option to pursue and feedback opportunities;

• Collaborate — involves a partnership with the community on each stage of a project including scoping, information gathering, developing alternatives and identifying the preferred solution. In such an approach to engagement communities collaborate with the decision maker but may not be equal partners in the process; and

• Empower — where all or part of the decision is implemented by the community and the Authority (with various stakeholders involved). This type of engagement provides for the greatest level of devolved decision making to communities. In the context of bushfire recovery final decision making rests with the State government.


Organisational context for engagement This section provides an overview of the key organisations and/or groups with which the Authority interacts with when undertaking its community engagement activities. In doing so, the Authority acknowledges the role of local and the Commonwealth governments in the 2009 recovery process and emergency management more broadly.

The Authority The Authority’s community engagement focus is at the regional and community levels. To support this, the Authority has established a dedicated Community Engagement Team, with field‐based Community Engagement Coordinators available to work with individual communities and a range of other organisations. This team acts as a ‘glue’ at the community level to coordinate a range of local recovery activities and to act as a conduit between the communities, various stakeholders, government agencies, local government and the Authority.

The Community Engagement Team is complemented by a wide range of other services and agencies providing community engagement and community development expertise and support to bushfire affected communities and individual community members.

Department of Human Services Under the Emergency Management Act 1986 the Department of Human Services (DHS) plays a major role in disaster recovery. As such it is a key agency that the Authority collaborates with particularly closely in order to deliver on its Terms of Reference. The Department coordinates and provides personal and community support for affected people, along with, and in the provision of, community information through Community Service Hubs at regional locations affected by the bushfires.

DHS supports and assists local governments in their community development programs through the provision of community development officer positions across local government regions affected by the bushfires.

Local government Each affected local government has responsibilities for disaster recovery under the provisions of the Emergency Management Act 1986 and Local Government Act 1989. These responsibilities are carried out by local government, in close cooperation and collaboration with, or with direct support by, Government departments such as DHS and other agencies and include:

• the provision of information services to affected communities through community information systems;

• employment of and support of Community Development Officers6 who work with the community to achieve community development outcomes (see above) unique to each affected community;

• supporting communities in their recovery activities through establishing and administrative support of Municipal Recovery Committees and the development of Municipal Recovery Plans; and

• assisting with the formation of Community Recovery Committees and in the development of Community Recovery Plans.

6 Community Development Officers are funded by the Department of Human Services under a Memorandum of Understanding with each affected local government and the Department of Human Services.


In addition to these responsibilities, local government plays an indirect role in recovery programs under the Planning and Environment Act 1987 for statutory land use planning, the Health Act 1958 for ensuring adequate sanitation and environmental health and under the Safe Drinking Water Act 2003 for ensuring safe drinking water.

Other statelevel agencies The Authority works in collaboration with, or with direct support from, other State government departments and agencies such as the Department of Planning and Community Development, the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development, and with Commonwealth government departments and agencies. A comprehensive list of departments and agencies involved in disaster recovery, including non government organisations and their respective role descriptions, is available in the Victorian Emergency Management Manual Victoria. It can be found on the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner’s website at http://www.oesc.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/OESC/Home/Policy+and+Standards/OESC+‐+Emergency+Management+Manual+Victoria+(PDF).

Regional Recovery Committees Regional Recovery Committees (RRC) are established under the Emergency Management Act 1986 and are coordinated by the Department of Human Services (DHS) at each regional level. Membership comprises a wide representation of local and State government groups. These Committees have the scope to work directly with the Authority and the Community Recovery Committees. They are therefore an important conduit for community input and advice to the Authority and visa versa.

Community Recovery Committees A Community Recovery Committee (CRC) comprises local community representatives and provides the opportunity and governance mechanisms for communities to directly input into the decision making processes associated with local recovery planning. Local government is responsible for establishing and resourcing CRCs. Across Victoria, thirty Community Recovery Committees or equivalent representative groups have been established to assist and participate in the overall recovery process.

A principle role of the CRCs is the development of Community Recovery Plans. The Authority through its Community Engagement Team, and with the involvement of a range of other key stakeholders, particularly local government Community Development Officers, assists the CRCs with the development and implementation of these plans. They are developed ‘by the community, for the community’ and include a wide range of projects covering the five elements of bushfire recovery. The Community Recovery Plans provide a mechanism through which the Authority understands and supports communities’ needs and aspirations. They complement and contribute to the broader State‐wide Plan which covers recovery for all bushfire affected communities in Victoria.

The Authority is working closely with Community Recovery Committees (CRCs) and providing assistance to these committees whilst they develop and implement their respective Community Recovery Plans. The Authority sees these committees and the recovery plans as a major community engagement mechanism through which it achieves its community development outcomes.

The CRCs and the Community Recovery Plans also provide a valuable channel through which the Authority is able to tap into existing community‐based groups, programs and structures such as local community committees or the DPCD Community Building Initiative (CBI), to achieve community development outcomes, and to avoid the need to ‘start from scratch’ in community development activities.


Strategic outcome and directions for engagement Delivery of this Strategy, along with supporting the implementation of the Authority’s recovery and community development frameworks, is based around three strategic directions:

• Supporting community led decision making;

• Understanding and advocating for the needs of communities; and

• Championing approaches that empower communities.

Each of these Strategic Directions is achieved through a range of actions listed in Inset 4, below. They are designed to support the high level outcome for community engagement detailed at the beginning of this Strategy.

In the implementation of this Strategy, some actions contribute to more than one strategic direction, with an overall and cumulative community benefit. Due to the Authority’s relatively new existence and the evolving nature of the 2009 bushfire recovery process, the strategic directions and actions proposed are likely to evolve over time.

Inset 4: Community engagement strategic directions and actions

Strategic direction 1

Supporting community led decision making

Achieved by:

a. actively engaging with, listening to, and supporting communities, particularly the community recovery committees, during the development and implementation of community recovery plans

b. conducting forums, workshops, meetings and other fit for purpose activities with local and regional communities to inform and assist the Authority’s recovery planning and implementation processes

c. actively supporting and encouraging communities to discuss and communicate their recovery priorities through the development of community recovery plans

d. drawing on and analysing relevant regional demographic, psycho‐social and economic research to inform engagement and community development activities

e. undertaking best practice community engagement across all stages and elements of the recovery process

f. building the skills and capacity of communities and, where appropriate, local government and other recovery agencies, to effectively participate in all stages of the recovery process and promote community resilience

g. ensuring community engagement and capacity building activities are incorporated into community recovery plan and linked to the State‐wide recovery plan



Understanding and advocating for the needs of communities

Achieved by:

a. consulting with communities and other recovery agencies to determine relevant and current information needs

b. conducting forums, workshops and meetings with local and regional communities to involve community members on issues and processes

c. seeking to continuously improve and streamline points of access to information by the community, including, but not limited to, use of appropriate websites, existing community networks and community service hubs as information points

d. establishing and maintaining processes and opportunities for feedback from the community and other recovery agencies to the Authority and directly to the Authority’s Chair on the Authority’s community engagement performance

e. actively seeking out other recovery agencies’ knowledge, expertise and insights into affected communities to inform the Authority’s understanding of community needs and aspirations

f. establishing an understanding of the roles of various recovery agencies to ensure a coordinated and consistent approach, aligned with ‘whole of government’ guidelines and policy


Championing approaches that empower communities

Achieved by:

a. developing an ongoing organisational culture whereby staff interact and engage with individuals and communities in a respectful and sensitive manner

b. leading by example and encouraging best practice community engagement within the Authority, with partnering agencies and, where necessary, enhancing staff’s community engagement skills

c. applying the seven public sector values outlined in the Public Administration Act 2004 and the human rights requirements detailed in the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006

d. taking a collaborative and consistent approach across all areas of the Authority to ensure consistency of information and operations for communities and other recovery organisations

e. developing and maintaining partnerships and collaborative approaches to recovery, particularly with other key recovery agencies, such as local government, Department of Human Services and Department of Planning and Community Development

f. facilitating communities of practice discussions and debriefing sessions for Authority and other external community engagement staff where and when relevant

g. making available to the community via the Authority’s website, its privacy information policy

h. conducting evaluation of the Authority’s community engagement approach as part of a broader adaptive management practice


Appendices

Appendix 1: Glossary Term Explanation

Community Communities can be place‐based. Under this interpretation communities are defined as a group of people who live in a particular geographical area or region, including urban, regional or isolated groups of people. Communities can also be interest‐based. In this interpretation communities are defined as a group of people who associate through shared values, interests and concerns or have a common background with other people in an area or region. The Authority is adopting both interpretations of community for its community engagement activities as well as for its recovery work more broadly. In doing this we are able to recognise and work within the diversity of needs across the different communities affected by the bushfires and to develop a recovery approach unique to each affected community and its people.

Community building

Community building is a process of increasing a community’s ability to pursue its own development and management and implement change.

Community capacity

Community capacity is the interaction of human capital, organisational resources and social capital existing within a given community that can be leveraged to solve collective problems and improve or maintain the well‐being of that community. It may operate through informal social processes and/or organised efforts by individuals, organisations, and social networks that exist among them and between them and the larger systems of which the community is a part.

Community development

Community development is a process for enhancing the social and economic well‐being of all people within a community now and in the future whilst preserving or enhancing their built and natural environments.

Community engagement

Community engagement is a process around the communication and measures taken to engage or interact with communities where the view and input from communities are part of problem solving or decision making activities

Empower Empowered communities share responsibility for making decisions and accountability for the outcomes of those decisions. The goal of this method of engagement is to place final decision‐making in the hands of the public.

Outcomes Outcomes are the intended or proposed results, consequences or impacts of an individual or organisation such as government actions within a community. They identify the purpose for the actions and provide the basis for assessing an organisation’s contributions to (government) policy goals and objectives.

Recovery Recovery encompasses more than simply replacing what has been destroyed physically. It also includes the rehabilitation of those affected individually and collectively as well as the natural and built environments and local economies. The process of recovery is a very important aspect of recovery overall.

Resilience Resilience can be defined as …. The capacity to use change to better cope with the unknown: it is learning to bounce back … resilience stresses variability, (Coles and Buckle 2004, “Developing community resilience as a foundation for effective disaster recovery” in The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Volume 19, No. 4). Resilience also encompasses resourcefulness and creativity — creative actions by organisations, individuals and communities as they respond to disasters and emergencies.


Social capital Social capital is created from the myriad of everyday interactions between people. It does not reside with individuals nor within social structures but in the space between people. It does not belong to an organisation, the market or the state though all may assist in its development.


For more information, contact the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority on (03) 9092 5875 or visit www.wewillrebuild.vic.gov.au

VBRRA Community Engagement Strategy

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Transcript of VBRRA Community Engagement Strategy