This document outlines a workshop on community engagement in floodplain management. The objectives are to understand how to use community engagement, practice engagement methods, design an engagement plan, and communicate flood information non-technically. The program includes briefing, community profiling, engagement methods, choosing methods, designing plans, and non-technical communication. Community is defined as a locality, sense of belonging, and social network. Community engagement allows community feedback to influence decisions. Engagement approaches discussed include participatory mapping, oral histories, surveys, listening posts, and World Cafes.

1. Workshop - Community
Engagement in the
Floodplain Management
Process
Neil Dufty

2. Workshop objectives
 To understand the potential use of community engagement in
the floodplain management process
 To practise a range of community engagement methods
suitable to the floodplain management process
 To design a community engagement plan
 To communicate flood information in non-technical terms for
a community audience.
Molino Stewart 2

3. Workshop program
 Briefing
 Community profiling
 Our experiences
 Practise six engagement methods
 Choosing appropriate engagement methods
 Designing community engagement plans
 Non-technical communication
Molino Stewart 3

4. What is a community?
 Community as a locality
- At-risk population (residents, businesses, vulnerable people etc.)
- Others indirectly impacted
 Community as a shared sense of belonging
 Community as a social network
Molino Stewart 4

5. What is community engagement?
 "There is no widely accepted definition of
community engagement and the meaning can vary
in different contexts."
 “Community engagement allows community
members to actively contribute to Council decisions
and actions by creating an inclusive environment in
which community feedback is embraced, considered
and acted upon.”
Molino Stewart 5

6. Location in the disaster
management cycle
Molino Stewart 6

7. Managing the Floodplain Guide
Molino Stewart 7
“Public consultation is an important element of
understanding and managing flood risk. It can facilitate:
 understanding of flood behaviour by tapping into
community knowledge on historic floods
 informing the community of the flood threat they
face and how and when to react to this threat
 developing sustainable floodplain management plans
that have broad community support.”

8. Community engagement
requirements
 Flood studies – one phase
Collect data, flood experiences
 FRMS & P – three phases
1. Flood issues, experiences,
calibrate maps, possible options
2. Review selected management options
3. Public exhibition of draft FRMS & P
Molino Stewart 8

9. Why do people engage?
Molino Stewart 9

10. Failure?
Molino Stewart 10

11. Engagement approaches
Molino Stewart 11

12. Taking it to the streets
Molino Stewart 12

13. Community profiling
Data sources include:
 Census statistics
 Prior social research e.g. community surveys conducted by local councils and
other organisations
 Social research and community engagement for the project
 Insights from local council community development and engagement staff
 Insights from local emergency agency staff including volunteers
 Social network analysis – this can be done at a rudimentary level by
investigating community groups and other networks listed in the local
council’s community directory.
Molino Stewart 13

14. Using census data
Molino Stewart 14

15. Social atlas
Molino Stewart 15

16. Your experiences and needs
Molino Stewart 16

17. Participatory mapping
Molino Stewart 17

18. Oral histories (aka flood stories)
Molino Stewart 18

19. 1955 Maitland Flood Oral History
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20. Community surveys
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21. Listening posts
Molino Stewart 21

22. Crowdsourcing
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23. World Cafes
Molino Stewart 23

24. Horses for (water) courses
Molino Stewart 24

25. Community engagement plan
Molino Stewart 25

26. Non-technical communication
Molino Stewart 26

27. De-brief
Molino Stewart 27