Step 4 - Report on the engagement

In this guide


Step checklist

  1. Close the loop with participants
  2. Measure the success of the engagement
  3. Prepare the engagement report

How to complete this step



  1. Close the loop with participants and communities regarding the decision outcome and how input has been used to inform the final planning policy, strategy or scheme.

    Why this is important

    An important direction of the Charter is ensuring that people know how their feedback was used to influence a planning outcome.

    If your project involved a multi-stage engagement, you will have already closed the loop with your stakeholders at the end of each engagement activity and stage.

    Once the proposal for the planning instrument has been completed, you need to close the loop with your stakeholders again regarding the feedback that was received and how it has been used to inform the proposal.

    How to do it

    Refer to the Closing the loop in Step 3.

    It is a legislative requirement that the engagement report is published on the SA planning portal.

    In accordance with Practice Direction 2, an engagement report will be published within five days of the final decision being handed down by the Minister.

    The engagement report provides stakeholders with a summary of the engagement process, including what was heard and how input into the engagement has been considered.

    Tools


  2. Determine the level to which the measures of success (including the minimum evaluation criteria) have been achieved and cross-check the delivery of your engagement against the Charter principles.

    Why this is important

    At the end of the project, you must determine how successful the engagement has been. Understanding what went well in your engagement and what could have gone better will help inform future engagements.

    The information gathered as part of this step will also form part of your engagement report to the Minister and the State Planning Commission.

    How to do it

    Using the information collected, analyse how well your measures of success were achieved and how well the principles of the Charter were addressed.

    Tools


  3. Prepare your engagement report and submit this with planning instrument in question to the Minister to facilitate a final decision.

    Why this is important

    Under Practice Direction 2, you must submit an engagement report to the Minister along with the final proposed or amended planning policy, strategy or scheme.

    If the Minister considers that the Charter requirements have not been sufficiently met, they may seek advice from the State Planning Commission.

    How to do it

    Using the engagement report template will ensure that the requirements of the Practice Direction are met.

    The engagement report should outline the engagement conducted, the feedback received and how that feedback was used, or not to shape the final proposed policy or instrument.

    The engagement report must also include an evaluation of the effectiveness of the engagement that considers whether:

    • the measures of success have been achieved
    • the principles of the Charter have been met
    • all mandatory requirements have been met

    The engagement report will be published on the SA planning portal five days after the final decision by Minister on the proposed policy or instrument.

    The exception to this rule applies to new or amended State Planning Policies, where the engagement report is published five days after the Governor’s final decision.

    Tools