Explanation:
1. Your opinion is important
Community engagement is a vital part of many projects and the benefits are well documented, such as better outcomes for all stakeholders, community ownership and lower project costs but more importantly, decision makers genuinely want to hear ideas and feedback.
Most community engagement these days is no longer about spreading information and telling people what is being done, but is a two-way street between decision makers and stakeholders. Regardless of your qualifications, everyone knows what they like or dislike and has an opinion about what needs to be done and where priorities should lay.
2. More perspectives
Community engagement is often heavily one-sided, and engagement projects can be inundated with input from only those community members who have a strong opinion. Without other perspectives being aired, decision makers might not make the best decision for the community as a whole simply because of a minority of loud voice.
If your opinion differs from the more popular opinions, decision makers want to hear from you so they get a balanced understanding of the community's views and enhance the value of the final decision. The more views gathered in the process of making a decision, the more likely the final product will meet the needs and address the most concerns possible and If you fear repercussions of going against a vocal group, engagement can often be done anonymously.
3. New information
Decision makers recognise that the community that uses the space that it's planning for have an intimate and unique relationship to the area that they don't. Because of this knowledge, community members can provide new information on a project that has yet to be considered.
Public involvement brings more information to the decision, including scientific or technical knowledge, knowledge about the context where decisions are implemented, history and personalities. More information can make the difference between a good and poor decision.
4. Community ownership
When the community is involved in a project, they have ownership of it and the decision making process, which is key to a successful project outcome, even if not all individuals necessarily agree with the outcome.
5. It feels good
When a project is finalised and you can see the fruits of your labour, it feels good knowing that you were involved in something that benefits the community.
6. A numbers game
For public agencies with political leaders, the total number of people engaged is important. Engaging higher numbers gives the elected representatives confidence in their decision.
