| Effective Term: | 2025/05 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Innovation, Science & Sustainability |
| Unit Title: | Connecting with Stakeholders and Communities |
| Unit ID: | DLGLM1007 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (DLGLM1000) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | Nil |
| ASCED: | 080301 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
Connecting with stakeholders and communities is a critical component of local government. In modern democracies it is essential that elected local government officials involve local communities in the decision-making process. This unit will examine some of the key theories, concepts and practices that are central to community engagement and the decision-making processes of local government. The unit provides students with the opportunity to understand the techniques and appreciate the practical skills required to design, deliver, and evaluate community engagement. Student will be asked to critically assess the key practices and challenges faced by local government officials as they attempt to connect with stakeholders and communities. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | |  | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Identify concepts and arguments which inform contemporary public engagement practices in a local government context, including engagement strategies and techniques that can be used to facilitate constructive dialogue. |
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| K2. | Explain organisational and legislative requirements in the context of engaging with local communities and other stakeholders. |
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| K3. | Discuss policy in Australia relating to indigenous communities, including Traditional Owners permissions and cultural connections, and Reconciliation Action Plans, and their implications for local government. |
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| K4. | Discuss policy in Australia relating to multicultural policies and practices and their implications for local government. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Examine the techniques, strategies, challenges and benefits of community and stakeholder engagement, particularly with diverse communities, community and business groups and Traditional Owners. |
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| S2. | Examine key steps involved in planning and implementing relevant outcomes-based community engagement and stakeholder consultations, including the use of social and mainstream media. |
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| S3. | Reflect on the implications for local government of building understanding and relationships with Traditional Owners. |
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| S4. | Reflect on the implications for local government of working with multicultural communities. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply an understanding of public engagement, its role, and its practice in connecting with stakeholders and communities to design and justify an approach. |
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| A2. | Critically analyse the most effective methods of stakeholder and community engagement. |
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| Unit Content: |
Topics may include: - Community engagement theories
- Community engagement practices
- Community engagement skills
- Engagement with indigenous communities
- Multicultural considerations
- Identification and evaluation of the public engagement process
- Conflict resolution
- Ethics and transparency issues
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| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students will demonstrate high-level skills to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups Students will be required to display (in person and/or online) high-level skills in-person and/or online in: • Effective verbal and non-verbal communication via a range of synchronous and asynchronous methods • Active listening for meaning and influencing • High-level empathy for others • Negotiating and demonstrating extended conflict resolution skills • Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students will demonstrate the ability to apply leadership skills and behaviours Students will be required to display skills in: • Creating, contributing to, and enabling collegial environments • Showing self-awareness and the ability to self-reflect for personal growth • Inspiring and enabling others • Making informed and evidence-based decisions through consultation with others • Displaying initiative and ability to solve problems | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complex and ambiguous environments, using their imagination to create new ideas Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically on complex problems • Synthesising, evaluating ideas, concepts and information • Proposing alternative perspectives to refine ideas • Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts through deep inquiry • Proposing creative solutions in problem solving | 1 - Yes | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students will demonstrate the ability to work proficiently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks Students will be required to display high-level skills in: • Finding, accessing, collating, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and appropriately and securely sharing complex digital information at a high-level • Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media • Using digital tools appropriately to conduct research • Contributing proficiently to digital teams and working groups • Participating in and utilising digital learning opportunities | 3 - N/A | FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students will demonstrate the ability to think ethically and sustainably. Students will be required to display skills in: • The responsible conduct of research • Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in multiple global economic environmental and societal contexts • Demonstrating commitment to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen • Generating research solutions which are sustainable,ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable • Extending lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others • Demonstrate extended actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life. | 1 - Yes |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | | 1. | K1, K2, S1, S2, A1, A2 | Group/individual presentation and or task | Presentation/essay | 20 - 40% | | 2. | K1, K2, K3, K4, S1, S2, S3, S4, A2 | Written report | Written report relating to issues with connecting with stakeholders and communities. | 60 - 80% |
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