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Involving your community
Involving your community in the creation of a smart place will build trust and ensure technology solutions support outcomes for your place.
Goals of this stage
Involving your community in the creation of a smart place will build trust and ensure technology solutions support outcomes for your place.
We can earn community trust and gain support for the use of smart technologies in public spaces if we:
- engage deeply to understand community wants, needs, concerns and desires
- use technology to address problems the community is passionate about
- are transparent about the use of smart solutions at all stages.
The Smart Places Customer Charter supports smart places to grow community trust. It includes 6 principles and 3 core values to apply when creating a smart place. This playbook will guide you in implementing the charter's principles.
Co-creating smart places
The first principle of the Smart Places Customer Charter is co-creating smart places. Co-creation goes beyond consulting stakeholders on a proposed solution.
To co-create, you will need to maintain continuous engagement throughout the smart places lifecycle. This includes the people in your community and those who visit your place.
We recommend deliberative or educational engagement methods. This allows people the time and space to provide thoughtful input.
Your engagement activities should be inclusive and accessible. We recommend seeking feedback from different groups like:
- First Nations people
- people with accessibility needs
- younger people
- older people
- women, girls and gender diverse people
- people with disability and mobility needs
- culturally and linguistically diverse people
- people with lower digital skills, or limited access to the internet.
First Nations people are pioneers for co-design thinking and approaches. We recommend prioritising respect for First Nations people in all smart places.
This includes respect for the rights, obligations and roles as Traditional Custodians of the land, sea and waterways.
You can do this by:
- finding ways to celebrate Aboriginal culture and heritage
- contributing to economic independence and self-determination for First Nations people.
Human-centred design (HCD) is an approach to problem solving that puts people at the centre of the solution.
In smart places, this means putting the needs of people who live, work and visit a place first. It puts the community at the centre of considering and designing smart solutions.
If possible, these people should form part of the design team. This approach will ensure solutions address community needs and have a higher degree of acceptance.
Connecting with Country Framework
The NSW Government is committed to protecting Country, community and sacred sites in the planning and design of places.
The Connecting with Country Framework helps us to develop connections with Country. Use this framework to inform the planning, design and delivery of built-environment projects in NSW.
Information and Privacy Commission NSW's Charter for Public Participation
The Information and Privacy Commission's Charter for Public Participation is underpinned by the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009. This Act aims to advance government that is open, accountable, fair and effective.
The charter provides a practical and principle-based approach for embedding public participation. It provides guidance, tools and case studies to assist with effective engagement.
International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Public Participation Spectrum
IAP2's Public Participation Spectrum helps deliver community engagement programs. It outlines the differing levels of participation required, depending on:
- the goals
- timeframes
- resources
- levels of concern in the decision to be made.
The spectrum is widely used and quoted in most community engagement manuals. IAP2 members can access a wide range of resources to support engagement skills.
NSW Aboriginal Land Council
The NSW Aboriginal Land Council is the state's peak representative body in Aboriginal Affairs. It aims to protect the interests and further the aspirations of its members, and the broader Aboriginal community.
Disability advocacy organisations
The Australian Federation of Disability Organisations (AFDO) is a cross-disability representative organisation. It is the national voice representing people with disability in Australia and a Disabled People's Organisation.
AFDO members are national and state disability advocacy organisations. They are run by, and for, people with disability and their families.
Being transparent in places using smart technology
Digital Trust for Places and Routines (DTPR) is an open-source communication standard. It aims to increase transparency and accountability for digital technology in public places.
DTPR helps to communicate:
- what technology is in a place
- how it is used
- what it will be used for
- the organisation collecting and managing the data.
It also provides opportunities for the community to learn more or provide feedback, through a QR code.
Case study: DTPR, Sydney Olympic Park
DTPR is an Australian-first trial being run at Sydney Olympic Park. It will inform communities about what smart technologies are in place and explain how the data captured is used.
Related learning
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Trust and tech in smart places
This masterclass helps place and precinct managers and councils to deliver smart solutions safely, ethically and transparently. It explores how to grow community involvement and engagement.
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2021 SmartNSW Masterclasses
Co-hosted with the Australian Computer Society, this series explored core drivers in smart places. View all 12 sessions to learn more.