Compliance isn't enough if you want to build trust

Written by Shanna Crispin

Trust in Australian Local Government remains comparatively strong, but changing community expectations suggest that it cannot be taken for granted. 

According to OECD research, half of all Australians say they have high, or very high, trust in Local Government. The biggest thing contributing to that? The fact that people feel they have a say in decisions that affect them.

But that expectation isn’t static – people are expecting more political agency, as confirmed by Joel Levin, Principal Consultant of Aha! Consulting – experts in engagement and facilitation.  

“Communities are definitely expecting to be engaged more, and they have shorter patience with bureaucratic processes. There is also an increased tendency for community opposition and strong advocacy tactics emerge far more quickly,” Joel shared.  

People are increasingly wanting influence over decisions, not just information.

The risk with the status quo is twofold. First, engagement processes are often designed to satisfy minimum requirements rather than maximise participation. Second, organisations frequently fail to demonstrate how community feedback influenced the final decision. 

Looking at feedback methods first. Some areas of Local Government tend to look towards the path of least resistance.  

Planning legislation establishes minimum notification requirements, but minimum compliance does not necessarily equate to meaningful engagement. 

Local Governments that simply tick the compliance box are missing opportunities to genuinely engage with the public and build trust through open dialogue. 

Secondly, many Local Governments are lagging behind community expectations to understand how feedback has been taken into account. 

As people’s expectations of involvement increase, it’s becoming even more important to close the feedback loop by transparently communicating how decision-making was influenced by the feedback process. 

Not only is this good practice, but it is better in the long run.  

“Genuinely incorporating feedback into decision-making leads to better quality outcomes, increased trust and, in time, more willingness to let Local Governments make the next decision on its own,” Joel explained. 

While communities may not expect every decision to go their way, they increasingly expect to understand how decisions are made and to have confidence that their views were genuinely considered. 

Local Governments are at the coalface of community views. They need to take that role seriously by committing to transparent engagement and ensuring community feedback is genuinely incorporated into decision-making. 

Not doing so risks the erosion of trust as demands for political agency increase.