From the CEO June 2018 – let’s change the beat!
Callin’ out around the world – come and join the pledge!
A year of engagement – what could it look like? Dancing in the street?
This is an invitation, across the world – a chance for the folks to meet.
There’ll be celebration and recognition – a chance to change the beat.
Adapted from ‘Dancing in the Street’ (The Mamas and the Papas)
Have you thought about what an International Year of Engagement could look like? This is our opportunity, as practitioners and leaders of community and stakeholder engagement, to showcase quality engagement around the world.
So how would we celebrate an International Year of Engagement?
We asked this question at the NZ Symposium in Wellington recently. There were a lot of ideas in the room: 365 days of engagement activities; IAP2 to introduce a new Core Values Awards category for projects contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); a famous spokesperson (Obama, Oprah or Prince Harry); a ‘togetherness’ project…
We would love to hear your thoughts.
As a reminder – IAP2 and UNESCAP* are partnering to promote systematic, quality engagement of stakeholders and the public, to help governments and others who lead and design engagement processes to develop structured, well-planned and meaningful engagement.
A year focusing on engagement could promote action on three fronts:
- Build awareness and focus attention on other aspects of an enabling environment – for example: legislation, institutional mandates, education
- Build capacity for engagement, benefitting from proven methods; and
- Mobilise engagement and public participation to support the 2030 Agenda and achievement of the SDGs
As IAP2 Australasia is committed to advancing the practice of community and stakeholder engagement through education, advocacy and building partnerships, we are working to collaborate with partners to submit a proposal for an International Year of Engagement and Public Participation.
Please join us at: www.yearofengagement.com
All organisations and individuals will be acknowledged and presented in a proposal document to the United Nations as supporting a focus on engagement.
Other IAP2A news
The Call for an International Year of Engagement is certainly keeping us busy, but there is lots of other great work going on that I wanted to share with you.
As you will have seen we have launched ‘Pitch for the Practice’ a participatory budget project for IAP2 members. Applications close on Sunday 17 June – so be sure to get yours in.
Kylie Cochrane, IAP2 Australasia Director and presiding Chair of IAP2 International was recently interview on ‘The future of government and public participation’ – check out the podcast here.
Our local networks, which are member-driven with support from the IAP2A team, are providing great opportunities for members to share and learn. In Brisbane recently, over 80 people attended to listen to Tess Bishop – Deputy Director-General, Department of the Premier and Cabinet. Tess shared her experiences in ‘influencing the decision-maker’ in a couple of really interesting case-studies. In Melbourne this week, we have over 80 people registered for the ‘When the Auditor comes knocking’ lunchtime event, discussing the VAGO Better Practice Guide for Public Participation in Government Decision-Making. I’m expecting the North Queensland, Sydney and Wadonga events to be equally well-attended. Check them out on our website.
The Open Government Partnership (OGP) recently released a Participation and Co-creation Toolkit, which includes the IAP2 Spectrum as a guide for the levels of engagement in developing an OGP Action Plan.
We are holding a one-day F2F workshop with a number of our IAP2A Ambassadors later in June to discuss the purpose of the Ambassador role and the Ambassador program. It will be great to have these wise heads in the same room – and I am looking forward to the day.
In amongst all of this, the Leadership team are finalising their Business Plans to support the achievement of the IAP2A Strategic Plan to 30 June 2020. We look forward to sharing these with you once they have been approved by the Board.
“If you talk about it, it’s a dream.
If you envision it, it’s possible.
But if you schedule it, it’s real.”
Tony Robbins
Come-on – join us in the Call for an International Year of Engagement – let’s change the beat!
*The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) serves as the United Nations’ regional hub promoting cooperation among countries to achieve inclusive and sustainable development, through its research and analysis, policy advisory services, capacity building and technical assistance to governments.