Social Needs Communications

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A social needs-focused approach to communication and community engagement involves working collaboratively with, and supporting, groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity (i.e. place), special interest (i.e. needs), or similar situations that address issues affecting the well-being of those people (i.e. civic voice).[i] The social needs approach can be a powerful vehicle for bringing about environmental and behavioural changes that can improve the health of the community and its members. Community engagement practice employs a range of tools and strategies to ensure success, and it places a premium on fostering and enhancing trust as a critical element in long-term, sustainable engagement and effective governance.[ii]

Key principles of community engagement include:

Participation
Sensitive planning and preparation
Collaboration and shared purpose
Impact and action
Sustained engagement
Participatory culture.[iii]

A community engagement approach needs to give communities a sense of collective ownership of the communications interventions that it enacts, by involving people directly in both the design and the delivery of communications activities. Communication is a critical though often overlooked component of community engagement. It involves finding the time to communicate and express issues and ideas that are of concern to a community in a way that fosters ongoing formative dialogue. This process starts with having adequate appropriate information to hand, and improving the quality or efficacy of communication between strategic stakeholders, establishing trust, value, and a shared vision for developing a local service ecology that meets the needs of the whole population.[iv]

Community engagement, then, is a strategic process that requires dedicated resources such as time, funding, and people with the necessary skills to action and implement. Any community-focussed communication process is typically ongoing, and requires participation of community members in projects that address their issues.[v] Meaningful community participation extends beyond physical involvement to include generation of ideas, contributions to decision-making, and sharing of responsibility. Obtaining meaningful community participation and having a successful, sustained initiative require that engagement leaders respect, listen to, and learn from community members.[vi]

A social needs-focused approach to community engagement has several benefits, including:

Improved health and well-being of the community and its members.[vii]
Mobilisation of resources and influence systems to bring about environmental and behavioural changes.
Increased likelihood that projects or solutions will be widely accepted.[viii]
Creation of more effective solutions by drawing on local knowledge from a diverse group.
Creation of local networks of community members.
Creation of several opportunities for discussing concerns.[ix]
Increased trust in community organisations and governance.
Identification and understanding of differing values and priorities.[x]
Identification of the range of stakeholders involved in the intervention.[xi]
Improved communication between strategic stakeholders, establishing trust, value, and a shared vision for developing a local service ecology that meets the needs of the whole population.[xii]

Overall, a social needs-focused approach to community engagement can lead to more effective and equitable solutions that are practical and sustainable, and that meet the needs of the whole community. Best practices for community engagement in addressing social needs include:

Respect the right of all community members to be informed, consulted, involved, and empowered.[xiii]
Work collaboratively with and through groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting the well-being of those people.[xiv]
Mobilise resources and influence systems to bring about environmental and behavioural changes.
Foster and enhance trust as a critical element in long-term, sustainable engagement and effective governance.[xv]
Involve communities in both the design and delivery of interventions to give them a sense of collective ownership.[xvi]
Identify and understand differing values and priorities.
Create local networks of community members.
Create several opportunities for discussing concerns.
Improve the quality or efficacy of communication between strategic stakeholders.[xvii]
Establish a shared vision for developing a local service ecology that meets the needs of the whole population.[xviii]

Best practices for community engagement involve working collaboratively with communities, respecting their right to be involved, and fostering trust and communication. It is also important to identify and understand differing values and priorities, create local networks of community members, and establish a shared vision for developing a local service ecology that meets the needs of the entire population.

In crafting a social needs strategy for community-focused communications, various elements come into play. The objective is to foster a framework that not only promotes inclusivity and engagement, but also caters to the diverse needs within a community. Below are the key facets of developing such a strategy:

Understanding Community Needs and Interests:

Community Assessment: Conducting a comprehensive assessment to understand the unique needs, interests, and concerns of the community. This could be achieved through surveys, focus groups, and engaging with community leaders and representatives.
Identifying Key Issues: Identifying the issues that resonate most with the community, which will help in tailoring communications to address these areas.

Inclusive Communication:

Accessible Platforms: Utilising various communication platforms — radio, video, blogs, social media, and photography, to ensure accessibility and inclusivity.
Language and Tone: Adopting a language and tone that is easily understood by a broad spectrum of the community, respecting cultural and linguistic diversities.

Engagement and Participation:

Community Participation: Encouraging active community participation in communication processes, thereby promoting a sense of ownership and engagement.
Feedback Mechanisms: Establishing channels for feedback to ensure that the communications strategy remains responsive and adaptive to community needs.

Capacity Building:

Skill Development: Offering training and resources to enable community members to contribute to, and engage with, the communications processes.
Supporting Community Media: Supporting and developing community media initiatives that are driven by the principle of Do-It-Yourself (DIY), decentralisation, and non-professionalism.

Monitoring, Evaluation, and Adaptation:

Performance Metrics: Developing and employing metrics to assess the effectiveness of the communication strategy in meeting the social needs of the community.
Adaptive Strategies: Being prepared to adapt the strategy based on feedback and evaluation outcomes to better meet the community’s evolving needs.

Collaboration and Partnership:

Cross-Sector Partnerships: Forming partnerships with local authorities, public bodies, and other stakeholders to leverage resources and expertise in executing the communications strategy.
Promoting Social Growth: Ensuring that the strategy aligns with broader social and developmental objectives, to foster personal and communal growth.

Ethical Considerations:

Transparency and Accountability: Upholding transparency and accountability in communications, to build trust and credibility within the community.
Respecting Privacy and Individual Rights: Being mindful of privacy concerns and individual rights while engaging with the community and disseminating information.

This comprehensive approach ensures that the social needs strategy for community-focused communications is robust, inclusive, and poised to foster meaningful engagement and social growth within the community. Through a blend of thorough understanding, inclusive communication, active engagement, and ethical practice, such a strategy can significantly contribute to enriching the community’s social fabric.

Tailoring community engagement to address specific social needs involves the following:

Identify the social needs of the community: Before engaging with the community, it is essential to identify the specific social needs that need to be addressed. This approach requires a thorough understanding and identification of the community’s social needs, achieved through methods such as surveys, focus groups, and dialogues with community members. A community sentiment analysis is a good starting point for pinpointing these needs. In undertaking this analysis, it’s possible to define how different forms of communications can be tailored to address specific issues, promoting a more meaningful and effective engagement. Furthermore, this tailored approach allows for the development of communication strategies that resonate with the community, fostering an environment of inclusivity and trust.

Plan and design the engagement process: The engagement process should be planned and designed to meet the specific social needs of the community.[xix] The level of participation to be achieved, stakeholders to be involved, and communication strategies should be identified.[xx] This approach facilitates a more in-depth understanding of specific social needs within each community, achieved through a thorough analysis and engagement with community members.

Incorporating a social needs-based approach ensures that the communication strategies developed are not only relevant, but also address the unique challenges and opportunities within the community. Moreover, co-production work, which involves collaborative efforts between communication planners and community members, further augments this approach. Through co-production, community members have an active role in shaping the communication strategies, thereby ensuring that the strategies are grounded in the real experiences and needs of the community.

Involve the community in the design and delivery of interventions: To give the community a sense of collective ownership, they should be involved in both the design and delivery of interventions.[xxi] Through this approach, the participation, and involvement of community members in the design of development strategies are significantly enhanced.

By engaging the community in the analysis process, not only is a more accurate understanding of social needs achieved, but a sense of ownership and investment in the resultant strategies is fostered among community members. This inclusive approach ensures that development strategies are tailored to the real and expressed needs of the community, thereby improving the relevance and effectiveness of these strategies.

Use appropriate engagement methods and techniques: Different methods and techniques can be used to engage the community, depending on the social needs being addressed.[xxii] The appropriateness, strengths, and weaknesses of each method should be considered.[xxiii] This approach facilitates a nuanced understanding of the diverse needs within a community, forming a solid basis for the design and implementation of engagement strategies.

Through social needs analysis, a conducive environment is created where participative engagement methods are tailored to align with the identified social needs, ensuring that the communication strategies are both relevant and impactful. The integration of such methods promotes a collaborative atmosphere, encouraging community members to actively partake in discussions and decision-making processes. This active participation fosters a sense of collective ownership and enhances the overall effectiveness and resonance of the communication strategies deployed.

Foster trust and communication: Trust and communication are critical elements in long-term, sustainable engagement and effective governance. It is essential to establish trust, value, and a shared vision for developing a local service ecology that meets the needs of the whole population. This approach, grounded in thorough analysis, enables a clear identification of the varying needs and preferences within a community, which in turn informs the design of communication strategies.

By aligning communication efforts with the identified social needs, the relevance, and acceptance of these strategies among community members are enhanced. Moreover, the transparency and inclusivity inherent in a social needs analysis approach foster a sense of trust between communication facilitators and the community. The resultant communication, tailored to address the collective and individual needs within the community, thus stands a better chance of achieving its intended objectives.

Mobilise resources and influence systems: Community engagement involves mobilising resources and influencing systems to bring about environmental and behavioural changes that will improve the health of the community and its members.[xxiv] Through this approach, a clear understanding of the community’s social needs is attained, providing a robust basis for aligning resources and organisational systems to address these needs adequately. The subsequent communication strategies, informed by a precise social needs analysis, facilitate a more coordinated mobilisation of both human and material resources.

This alignment ensures that the available resources are utilised efficiently and directed towards areas of genuine need within the community. Moreover, the insights garnered from a social needs analysis can aid in refining organisational systems to ensure they are responsive and adaptable to the community’s evolving needs. The resultant synergy between mobilised resources and optimised organisational systems amplifies the impact of community-focused communication and fosters an environment where the benefits are inclusively shared among all community members.

Tailoring community engagement to address specific social needs involves identifying the social needs of the community, planning and designing the engagement process, involving the community in the design and delivery of interventions, using appropriate engagement methods and techniques, fostering trust and communication, and mobilizing resources and influence systems.

Adapting community engagement to address social needs in different cultural contexts involves the following:

Understand the cultural dynamics of the community: To build relationships, identify ways to effectively collaborate, and build respect and trust, it is essential to understand the cultural dynamics of the community.[xxv]
Identify the social needs of the community: Before engaging with the community, it is essential to identify the specific social needs that need to be addressed.[xxvi]
Plan and design the engagement process: The engagement process should be planned and designed to meet the specific social needs of the community. The level of participation to be achieved, stakeholders to be involved, and communication strategies should be identified.[xxvii]
Use appropriate engagement methods and techniques: Different methods and techniques can be used to engage the community, depending on the cultural context and social needs being addressed.[xxviii] The appropriateness, strengths, and weaknesses of each method should be considered.[xxix]
Foster trust and communication: Trust and communication are critical elements in long-term, sustainable engagement and effective governance.[xxx] It is essential to establish trust, value, and a shared vision for developing a local service ecology that meets the needs of the whole population.
Mobilise resources and influence systems: Community engagement involves mobilising resources and influencing systems to bring about environmental and behavioural changes that will improve the health of the community and its members.

Adapting community engagement to address social needs in different cultural contexts involves understanding the cultural dynamics of the community, identifying the social needs of the community, planning and designing the engagement process, using appropriate engagement methods and techniques, fostering trust and communication, and mobilizing resources and influence systems.

Successful community engagement initiatives involve engaging communities, listening to adults and children as they identify problems, proposing solutions, and acting upon them.[xxxi] They also involve leveraging existing community assets and resources, training community members to provide basic health care services and education, and involving community members in all aspects of research.

[i] https://aese.psu.edu/research/centers/cecd/engagement-toolbox/engagement/what-is-community-engagement

[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK374115/

[iii] https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep22-06-01-005.pdf

[iv] https://granicus.com/blog/why-is-community-engagement-important/

[v] https://www.unicef.org/tajikistan/social-and-behaviour-change-community-engagement

[vi] https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/communityengagement/pce_useful.html

[vii] https://aese.psu.edu/research/centers/cecd/engagement-toolbox/engagement/what-is-community-engagement

[viii] https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/communityengagement/pce_useful.html

[ix] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10449002/

[x] https://aese.psu.edu/research/centers/cecd/engagement-toolbox/engagement/why-community-engagement-matters

[xi] https://store.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/pep22-06-01-005.pdf

[xii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK374115/