M4: Learner Manual

There are many different kinds of community meetings, as we’ve seen in the sections above but the thing they all have in common is that all of them are of concern and interest to all the members of the community.

Any business conducted at meetings of the community and in the community is that community’s business. Some community members will be more interested and involved in community matters than others but every community member is entitled to know what is happening. It is the responsibility of those who initiate, facilitate, organise and conduct meetings to make sure that everyone in the community has the opportunity to know what is happening.

No organisation, group or individual has a right to keep information secret where it concerns or affects any community member and this only undermines community cohesiveness. This applies to individuals and organisations within the community as well as those coming from outside.

Receiving feedback and acknowledgement in timely and appropriate ways is vital to the process. Whether community members contributing their skills and knowledge to their own community organisations or to organisations from outside, lack of feedback may lead to:

·       Lack of trust in the individual and organisations concerned.

·       Unwillingness to provide information or work with that person/group again.

·       Misunderstandings, rumours and negative conflict within the community.

While it is important that everyone has access to information about meeting outcomes, there may be some people or groups who need to know more quickly. This may be because they will need to take action to progress the projects detailed in meeting outcomes, or that the outcomes will require or enable them to take action on related matters. This means that there may be a time frame and a priority list for sharing of meeting information.

The community organisation must have set policies and procedures in place for dissemination of information to the community. These will include appointing a person to share the outcomes of community meetings. If the meeting has been initiated or facilitated by an organisation within the community, then this role will most likely be assigned to one or more Board members or staff of the organisation.

If the role is focussed on liaison with the community and it might be an additional role of staff or a special role of Board members. For example, an organisation might have a Publicity Officer who takes on this community liaison role. If it is a ‘one-off’ community meeting, then the person or people responsible for initiating it must find a way of sharing outcomes with the community.

When people and organisations inside the community don’t fulfil their obligation to share outcomes with everyone who wants it, community members are able to let them know that they disapprove. They may be able to exert pressure on those concerned to provide the information.