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PRL2002 Community Consultation and Development

Semester 1, 2022 Toowoomba On-campus
Units : 1
Faculty or Section : Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts
School or Department : School of Humanities & Communication
Grading basis : Graded
Course fee schedule : /current-students/administration/fees/fee-schedules

Staffing

Examiner:

Overview

Community consultation and development has rapidly become the principal approach by which organisations are strategically and responsively managing and coordinating their operations. Increasingly, organisations are seeking public input on matters affecting them, improving the organisation’s decision-making process. Public involvement also helps to build mutual understanding between organisations and publics, establishes organisational transparency, and builds reputational capital. While community consultation is more embedded in democratic countries – such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom – this approach is spreading globally. International organisations such as the UN and OECD, also use well-developed consultation practices. The demand for expertise in this area is high at present and this is predicted to continue into the future with the ongoing expansion of democratisation in modern communities, and particularly in Australia with the growth of large-scale infrastructure projects.

This course introduces students preparing to enter professional contexts to contemporary communication management strategies and techniques used in community relations, consultation and participation. Students will develop practical and conceptual skills in relation to the trends, issues and processes involved in consultation project planning and implementation, and the inclusion of publics in decision-making processes of organisations.

Course learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

  1. explain the broad context in which community relations and community consultation practices have developed in organisations;
  2. demonstrate academic and professional literacy skills by identifying, analysing, and applying core theoretical perspectives; underpinning organisational-public relationships;
  3. comprehend the role of community relations and community consultation in the contemporary organisation;
  4. demonstrate oral and written communication skills by preparing an assignment task;
  5. demonstrate academic and professional literacy skills by reflecting on their own learning;
  6. describe the core communicative skills and competences required for facilitating organisation-community communication (including conducting community communication);
  7. demonstrate management, planning and organisation skills by outlining processes to plan, implement and evaluate a process of community communication (and/or consultation);
  8. demonstrate problem-solving skills by identifying issues and complexities involved in organisation-community communication, and developing strategies to manage them.

Topics

Description Weighting(%)
1. An introduction to perspectives of organisations, and the nature of organisation - community communication 15.00
2. The contribution of public relations to the development of organisation-community relationships - a historical context 15.00
3. Modern developments in organisation-community relationships 15.00
4. The core communicative skills and competences required for facilitating organisation-community relationships 10.00
5. Planning and implementing organisation-community processes, including community consultation 30.00
6. Challenges, issues and complexities in organisation-community relationships 15.00

Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed

Twyford, V., Waters, S., Hardy, M. & Dengate, J 2006, Beyond public meetings: connecting community engagement with decision-making, Vivien Twyford Communication Pty Ltd, Wollongong.

Student workload expectations

To do well in this subject, students are expected to commit approximately 10 hours per week including class contact hours, independent study, and all assessment tasks. If you are undertaking additional activities, which may include placements and residential schools, the weekly workload hours may vary.

Assessment details

Description Weighting (%)
QUIZ 10
ASSIGNMENT 40
TAKE HOME EXAMINATION 50
Date printed 10 February 2023