Choosing the Right Tool
Choosing a tool or combination of tools for engaging your community is a critical step in the engagement planning process. It is important that you know what you are asking from the stakeholders when you decide to use a specific engagement tool. You should only choose tools that are suited to the purpose of your particular engagement.
The selection criteria will vary according to the:
- Project context (i.e. project goals, objectives and anticipated outcomes).
- Community context within which your project sits (i.e. your community profile and the social and political context).
- Project parameters (including the project size, budget, timeline and resources allocated).
- Project teams (i.e. skills of team and availability of the members).
| Tool Checklist |
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The following table matches the tools to the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum. A bracketed tick indicates the tool that best fits the engagement type (inform, consult, involve, collaborate or empower).
You will also notice the ‘diverge’ and ‘converge’ columns in the table. A diverging tool is one that is predominantly focussed on generating ideas and information. A converging tool brings information together and enables decisions to be made or a solution/recommendation to be identified. Some tools can be both diverging and converging, while others are more specific and focussed on either generating ideas or making decisions.
This table is intended as a guide only and focuses on matching decision-making processes to your purpose of engagement. The table can also be used for individual decision-making. For example, technical assistance in a group situation is more about informing, while for an individual this information is often empowering for their own decision-making (e.g. extension dairy advice to a farmer).
Engagement Tool Classifications
