CLIENT: Parkes Shire Council

PROJECT: Community engagement and strategic plan

We started working with the Parkes Shire Council in NSW several years ago. When we first met, they were beginning the process of developing their local environment plan and wanted to engage their community in the design and realisation of an agreed future. What they wanted to know was, 'what could and should Parkes be in the future?'

Through our frameworks of engagement, whole system mapping and strategic communications, around 90 people, representative of each whole system group, worked together over several days to co-design the future Parkes. It was a milestone event. As a result, their community strategic plan, which guides and informs every other plan, was developed and owned by the community.

We worked further with the villages and towns on the expectations of council services and an associated rate rise. At the end of this comprehensive process, the communities of Parkes Shire agreed to a 60% rate rise to address failing infrastructure and other projects to advance their vision.

Through our work we have seen and experienced the outcomes achieved when communities, using validated frameworks and processes, have the opportunity to design their future. We call it ‘future-making’ where you have agreed purpose, direction, outcomes and the leadership has a mandate to act.