This Community Engagement Framework is a key component in the implementation of the Council of Australian Governments’ National Strategy for Disaster Resilience. The Framework directly supports the Strategy’s direction for a national emergency management approach based on achieving community and organisational resilience. The purpose of this Framework is to provide guidance for those working in emergency management to effectively engage with the community. It supports the Strategy by outlining a shared understanding of community engagement values, principles and practice in Australia. It is intended that the Framework will be used by state, territory and local government agencies with a role in emergency management, as well as non-government emergency management practitioners. This Framework has been developed by the Community Engagement Sub-committee of
the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee and has been informed by a national workshop of senior emergency management and community engagement professionals held at the Australian Emergency Management Institute, Mount Macedon, in September 2012, as part of a formal consultation process. It incorporates a community engagement model for emergency management, which was developed at the national workshop and draws on the internationally recognised Public Participation Spectrum of the
International Association for Public Participation (IAP2). This Framework builds on research and analysis in the Guidelines for the Development of Community Education, Awareness and Engagement Programs to reflect an ‘evolving conversation’ in education, engagement and builing disaster resilience.