Report on Community Engagement: Skills, Challenges, Benefits Analysis

This report provides a comprehensive overview of community engagement, emphasizing its role in fostering collaboration and mutual benefit between organizations and communities. It explores various activities within community engagement, including professional and curricular approaches, and highlights the key pillars such as building connections, acting with humility, developing understanding, affirming dignity, and pursuing justice. The report delves into the different types of community engagement, such as advocacy, community-based research, direct engagement, and project-based initiatives. It also details the skills acquired by workers and volunteers, including problem-solving, teamwork, and communication, while also addressing the challenges they may encounter, such as conflicts and management difficulties. Furthermore, the report underscores the significant benefits of community engagement for personal and professional development, including networking opportunities, enhanced self-confidence, career advancement, and the acquisition of valuable skills. The report concludes by summarizing the importance of community engagement for individual growth and societal impact.

Running Head: Community Engagement
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Community Engagement
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Executive Summary –
Community engagement is the process which involves collaboration with other organization,
institution and other community for mutually benefits and it helps them to meet new
knowledge and skills. There are various activities which are involved in community
engagement as professional community engagement and curricular community engagement.
There are various pillars of the community engagement which helps the workers or
volunteers who are engage in community services or who are involves in community to
increase or enhance their personal and professional skills and the pillars of community
engagement also helps the community in achieving their goals and objectives. With the
engagement in community, workers may learn various skills as communication skills,
listening skills, leadership skills, problem- solving skills, career development and planning
and organizing skills as they has to work with diverse group of people in community and it
give opportunity to workers to gain new knowledge, skills and techniques. Workers may also
faces some challenges while working in other community as arisen of conflicts among
members of community due to their diverse background and difficulty in the collaboration
and management with the team members. Community engagement also benefits to the
personal and professional development and employability of workers and volunteers who are
engage in community services as it offers opportunity to them to advance their career, create
interactive and social skills and development of their career.

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Table of Contents
Introduction –.............................................................................................................................3
Community engagement theory –..............................................................................................3
Types and approaches of community engagement –.................................................................5
Skills and challenges of workers and volunteers in community engages services –.................6
Benefits of community engagement to personal and professional self- development and
employability –...........................................................................................................................7
Conclusion –...............................................................................................................................7
References –...............................................................................................................................9

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Introduction –
Community engagement is the process, which includes collaboration with various different
community groups while working to address various issues which impact the success of those
groups (Attree, 2011). Community groups can be connected by the geographical locations of
institutions and by special interest. In other words, community engagement refers as
collaboration between institutions that provide higher education to their students and their
larger communities with mutual agreement, so it helps the institutions to meet new and
different knowledge and resources (Moore, et al, 2016). There are various activities related to
community engagements as professional community engagement and curricular community
engagement, so these activities help the institutions or organizations in various ways such as
town hall meeting, transparent and credible reporting, effective decisions making and it also
helps the organization in achieving their objectives and goals. So, community engagement
helps the education institutions and other organization in various ways as increasing
efficiency of the firm, developing more innovative products or services and helps in decisions
making process of the organization (South and Phillips, 2014). The report consists of theories
of community engagement which includes its pillars as building connections, acting with
humility and developing understanding between both groups, types of community
engagement, its challenges which are faced by workers and its benefits to personal as well as
professional self- development.
Community engagement theory –
ACU (Australian Catholic University) believes that their community with community or
engagement with community is a part of their mission and their value for community
engagement as advancing in their mission in providing the products or services, wellbeing of
communities and their people and increasing the dignity. Community engagement is not for
short term relationship rather than it is about long term relationship with various communities
for their development (About ACU engagement, 2019). There are various pillars of
community engagement and these are:
1. Building connections – It is the one of the pillars of ACU community engagement.
They build positive or effective connection with communities and the largest
community groups, so it helps the organization in developing proper understanding, in
realising the fullness of dignity for the organization and achieving their goals and

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objectives. Due to the development of effective relationship and partnership with
other community groups for mutually benefits, organization, community and other
institutions can increasing their growth for long period of time. Building connection
with others also helps in building personal and professional skills of an individual
such as develop creative or innovative idea, making better decisions, build
confidence, communication skills, resolving conflicts and advance career of an
individual and accessing various opportunities (Watson, et al, 2011).
2. Acting with humility – Community engagement helps in developing sustainability and
capacity in the organization or other related institutions through humility because
humility allows the company to collaboration with community while working and
with the sense of equality. It can also help in minimizing the differentials of power
related to the aspects of work for the community. Humility is a necessary for proper
understanding and respect for human. So, the approaches related to humility as
humble approach, non- judgemental approach and non- moralistic approach
importance to the autonomy and it also facilitate in consciences between community
and the personal responsibility. It also helps in building individual personal and
professional skills as building trust and confidence, development of leadership and
other related skills of an individual, influencing skills and building relationship with
others.
3. Developing understanding – It is one of the pillar of community engagement. It
includes listening to others clearly, reflecting with one’s intellect and one’s heart for
developing the understanding of beliefs, needs, desires, expectations, dispositions of
the people with whom organization has to do work. So, with the understanding of
above elements, organization can develop their business and achieve their goals and
objectives. Development of understanding about others also helps in building personal
and professional skills such as development of innovative ideas and better decisions
making (Mcllrath and Lyons, 2012).
4. Affirming dignity – It is another pillar of community engagement which helps the
organizations and other related institutions in achieving their goals and objectives.
The dignity of community means working with their members to ensure the
provisions and protection of fundamental rights of human. It also helps in the
development of abilities of people as they realise purpose and self- worth.

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5. Pursuing justice – It is another pillar of community engagement as company works
for the purpose of social justice through the development of the above pillars of the
community engagement. It also helps in building personal and professional skills of
people as they can achieve social justice through engagement with community and
others (What is community engagement, 2019).
Types and approaches of community engagement –
There are various types of community engagement such as passive participation, participation
through consultation, interaction engagement, functional engagement, community based
research, advocacy, self- mobilisation, project based community engagement and direct
community engagement (Palavicino, 2011).
1. Advocacy & Community Engagement – Advocate refer as an activity by people to
influence decisions within economics system, political system and social system. It
includes activities as public speaking, various campaigns and publishing research.
Through community engagement and involvement, an individual can develop
advocacy. Advocacy supports to the organization that are related with community as
their needs are raised by the members of the community, increase awareness about
existing policies, research on previous policies, analysing blockages and share
strategies (Advocacy through community engagement, 2019). It allows the individual
to enhance their voices, share ideas, writing ability and other skills related to issues in
public interest such as organize information campaigns and draft legislation which
helps the community in various ways.
2. Community- based research – It is another type of community engagement. It is an
engagement approach which includes equitably members of the community,
representatives of organizational, researchers and other related person to the
community. Its main is to enhance knowledge and understanding of phenomenon and
to apply the knowledge for social change, so it helps to the members of the
community. A large number of private and public national initiatives have interested
in the community- based research engagement to the community in the public health.
By following this type or approach, organization may also faces some challenges.
3. Direct community engagement – This is another approach of community engagement,
which directly related to other community groups. Direct community engagement
described as directly relations and interaction with other community or largest

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institutions. This is the best methods of community engagement as it helps the
organization and community in various ways (Boucher, 2016).
4. Project- based community engagement – This is another approach to community
engagement. It includes engagement with other institutions and community group for
specific purpose or project and for specific period of time. Under this method,
organization or community can do research through geographical information
technologies (Kim, 2017).
Skills and challenges of workers and volunteers in community engages services –
Skills of workers which they can learn from community engage services are the following:
1. Problem solving – When workers and volunteers engage in community services then
they will face various challenges because every workers have different character and
come from different culture, so they learn how to solve various problems.
2. Career Exploration – They have opportunities to face new roles and responsibilities
while engage in community services, so it will help them in their professional
development (Connor, 2009).
3. Team work – The workers who engage in community services that require high level
of partnership and collaboration, so they can learn how to work in team and how to
quickly solve any problems while they are working in a team.
4. Communication skills and listening skills - From the community engage services they
can increase their listening and communication skills.
5. Leadership – While working in a community, workers have great responsibility; they
should have motivation skills and delegation towards their team and work, so it helps
them in enhancing their leadership skills.
6. Planning and organization skills – As community services have many parts, so
workers manage how to solve with proper planning, so it will help them in enhancing
their planning and organizing skills (Hardina, 2012).
Challenges of workers and volunteers which they may face in community engage services are
the following:
1. Arisen of conflicts – As all members who are involved in community comes from
diverse background, so there may be arisen of conflicts among the team members of
the community.

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2. Difficult to manage – The workers and volunteers who are engage in community
services may faces difficulties in the management of teams and community.
3. Increasing stress and exhaustion - In the community engagement services, there is too
much stress and exhaustion for the workers and volunteers who are engage in the
services related to community (What are the challenges of community engagement,
2016).
Benefits of community engagement to personal and professional self- development and
employability –
1. Community engagement helps the volunteers and workers who involved in
community engage services in offering opportunities related to networking with
others as community engagement allows people to meet new people who come from
diverse background, so it will help them in developing their social and relationship
skills with other members of the community.
2. Community engagement also offers opportunity to their team members in building
their self- confidence and to try, practice and experiment new skills and techniques in
a risk free environment, so it will help to the workers in the development of personal
as well as professional (Marsh, et al, 2017).
3. It also helps to the workers and volunteers who engage in community services to
advance their career and community engagement can also provide career experience
to the workers. So, community engagement helps the workers and volunteers to the
personal and professional self- development and employability.
4. It also benefits to workers in enhancing their skills and knowledge as communication
skills, listening skills, problem solving, planning and organizing skills, leadership
skills and decision making skills, so it will help them in their personal and
professional development and their employability (Marais and Perkins, 2012).
Conclusion –
Hence, community engagement refer as involvement and participation in the community or
participate with other community group for mutually benefit. There are various pillars of
community engagement such as building connection, acting with humility, developing
understanding, affirming dignity and pursuing social justice while can be achieve through
engagement with community group and other related institutions and the above pillars also

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helps in enhancing personal and professional skills of the workers who are engage or involve
in services related to community engagement. There are different types and approaches of
community engagement as advocacy community engagement, community- based research,
direct community engagement and project- based community engagement. Out of the above
types and approaches direct community engagement is an important because it is related to
directly with the community with whom organization and other institutions engage in
community services. Workers or volunteers who are engage in community services may learn
or enhance their skills as communication skills, listening skills, planning and organizing
skills, problem- solving skills, leadership skills and it also helps in their development of
career but they also may faces some challenges as conflicts may be arise among team
members and difficulties in managing their team. Community engagement also benefits to
workers to the development and employability of personal and professional skills and
practices.

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References –
ACU (2019) About ACU Engagement [Online]. Available from:
https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/community-engagement/about-acu-engagement [Accessed
13/04/2019]
ACU (2019) What is community engagement? [Online]. Available from:
https://www.acu.edu.au/about-acu/community-engagement/what-is-community-engagement
[Accessed 13/03/2019]
Attree, P., French, B., Milton, B., Povall, S., Whitehead, M. and Popay, J. (2011) The
experience of community engagement for individuals: a rapid review of evidence. Health &
Social Care in the Community, 19(3), pp.250-260.
Australian Institute of Family Studies (2016) What are the challenges of community
engagement? [Online]. Available from: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/community-
engagement/what-are-challenges-community-engagement [Accessed 13/04/2019]
Boucher, N. (2016) Direct Engagement with Communities and Inter professional Learning to
Factor Culture Into End- of- Life Health Care Delivery. American Public Health Association,
106(6), pp.996-1001.
CAP (2019) Advocacy through community engagement [Online]. Available from:
http://childprotectionforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/advocacy-through-
commmunity-engagement.pdf [Accessed 13/04/2019]
Connor, A. (2009) 18 Rules of Community Engagement. United State of America: Silicon
Valley Publications.
Hardina, D. (2012) Interpersonal Social Work Skills for Community Practice. New York:
Springer Publishing Company.
Kim, M. (2017) Project- based community participatory action research using geographic
information technologies. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 42(1), pp.61-79.
Marais, D. and Perkins, J. (2012) Enhancing employability through self- assessment.
Procedia - Social and Behavioural Science, 46, pp.4356-4362.

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Marsh, G., Ahmed, I., Mulligan, M., Donovan, J. and Barton, S. (2017) Community
Engagement in Post- Disaster Recovery. New York: Routledge.
Mcllrath, L. and Lyons, A. (2012) Higher Education and Civic Engagement: Comparative
Perspectives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Moore, T., McDonald, McHugh, H. and Wes, S. (2016) Community engagement: A key
strategy for improving outcomes for Australian families [Online]. Available from:
https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/sites/default/files/cfca39-community-engagement.pdf [Accessed
13/04/2019]
Palavicino, C., Echeverria, N., Estevez, G., Reyes, L. and Behnke, R. (2011) A methodology
for community engagement in the introduction of renewable based smart micro grid. Energy
for Sustainable Development, 15(3), pp.314-323.
South, J. and Phillips, G. (2014) Evaluating community engagement as part of the pub health
system. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 68(7), pp.692-696.
Watson, D., Hollister, R., Stroud, S and Baboook, E. (2011) The Engaged University:
International Perspectives on Civic Engagement. New York: Routledge.