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Community engagement and co-design principles are recognised as a way of streamlining organisational progress and development, improving public safety, and improving the living environment in communities. The process of involving the community in major decisions that directly affect them can save projects significant money and time by fast tracking processes that already have the blessing of the community they affect. These savings can be realised in avoided delays, discussion instead of court action, and innovative solutions to difficult problems. This course provides frameworks and processes for embedding engagement and co-design into organisational and project planning and public safety, and processes for facilitating effective community engagement.

The first part of the course introduces students to the historical and contemporary contexts of participation in organisations, and the development of organisational engagement with the diversity of all its publics. The second part examines a range of theoretical perspectives which provide a deep understanding of the typology, dynamics and power dimensions of engagement, particularly from a public relations perspective, with students emerging with a framework that can guide their practice. The third part focuses on models, methods and challenges of managing and conducting engagement. The fourth part focuses on the importance of scholarship of engagement - a critical component in maintaining knowledge on current issues and developing continuing professional practice.

On completion of this course students should be able to:

1. demonstrate the use the broad context in which participatory approaches and co-design have developed within organisations, and between organisations and their diverse publics;
2. demonstrate the use theoretical perspectives on citizen democracy, community-led initiatives, engagement, and critically evaluate the contribution of these theories to organisational practice;
3. describe the components of an effective model of community engagement and co-design, and the issues and challenges of developing effective engagement approaches;
4. demonstrate appropriate methods to foster engagement processes in communities with specific characteristics, and the associated benefits and challenges that these bring to contemporary organisations;
5. evaluate the various stages of community engagement through to community-led and co-design levels of interaction, and reflect on professional practice.