Policy links

The community engagement tool is aimed at helping to measure and understand the impact of community engagement on sustainable development behaviour and decisions. As such it links closely to key areas of Government policy. In particular it supports work towards Sustainable Communities.

The UK Sustainable Development Strategy Securing the Future outlined the aim to create sustainable communities in England that embody the principles of sustainable development at the local level:

• balancing and integrating the social, economic and environmental components of their community,
• meeting the needs of existing and future generations,
• and respecting the needs of other communities in the wider region.

It also defines sustainable communities as places where people want to live and work, now and in the future. They meet the diverse needs of existing and future residents, are sensitive to their environment, and contribute to a high quality of life. They are safe and inclusive, well planned, built and run, and offer equality of opportunity and good services for all.

In supporting Sustainable Communities, the WWF / CAG Tool also supports the work of the new cross-government action plan in England, ‘Community Action 2020 - Together We Can’. Community Action 2020 will provide a programme of support for community action on sustainable development.

The WWF / CAG research into the impact of community engagement on sustainable development behaviour and decisions is aimed at supporting these strategy areas, and providing clear new information about when and in what circumstances community engagement processes can best support behaviour and decision making change.

Who is it for? The tool is aimed at practitioners working on projects, programmes or interventions which involve community engagement processes, and which in some way aim to influence either consumer behaviour and / or organisational decisions with regards to sustainable development. >>

Adapting the Tool The Community Engagement tool has been developed through piloting with eight different organisations. The tool is therefore flexible, and can be useful in a range of circumstances. However there will always be occasion when it does not quite fit and so it can be adapted to meet your needs. >>

I'm In: what the pilot projects said about the CESD Tool
The Community Engagement and Sustainable Development (CESD) tool has been piloted by five local authorities and a community-based organisation. Here we report briefly from a selection of these pilots projects, including Bristol City Council, Durham County Council and Lewes District Council, about how they have found working with the tool so far. >>

Why choose community engagement?
This is the question that has
driven this project designed
to help local project workers
measure the effect of their
work on sustainable living. Download our introductory pamphlet. >>