Email: belinda@belindacoghlan.com.au | Phone: 0414 642 921
Perth-based Community Consultation Facilitator
WHAT
is Community Consultation?
Community consultation is the structured process of engaging residents, members or stakeholders in a decision — not just gathering feedback, but genuinely informing how that decision gets made. It's used by local governments, community groups, government agencies and private organisations alike — anywhere a decision affects people who deserve a genuine say in it.
Done badly, it's a “decide, announce, defend” exercise that manufactures resentment instead of buy-in. Done well, it follows the alternative: profile the community, educate them on the issues, and participate with them in a genuine process of mutual problem-solving.
I ground my consultation design in the WA Department of the Premier and Cabinet's Consulting Citizens framework and the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Spectrum — the same evidence base that underpins best-practice engagement across WA government and the planning system.
WHO
needs Community Consultation?
Almost every organisation reaches a point where a decision needs more than an internal sign-off — it needs genuine input from the people it affects to be legitimate, defensible and workable.
Why? Because the councils, agencies, community groups and organisations I work with are usually facing one or more of the same drivers.
-
Local governments developing or reviewing a Strategic Community Plan under the Integrated Planning and Reporting (IPR) Framework
-
Government agencies, community groups or private organisations making a decision that affects residents', members' or stakeholders' rights, quality of life or environment
-
Needing input from stakeholders with genuinely different priorities or levels of influence
-
Facing a contentious issue where a box-ticking consultation would damage trust further
-
Wanting engagement outcomes that can withstand public, board or member scrutiny
Whatever's brought you here, if you need engagement that holds up to scrutiny, not just goes through the motions, I'm here when you need me.
HOW
does Community Consultation work?
I design the consultation against the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum — Inform, Consult, Involve, Collaborate, Empower — matching the method to how much genuine influence the community will have over the outcome, and being upfront about that from the start.
Before any session, I build a Statement of Intent: what's negotiable, what isn't, who's involved, and how input will be used — because managing expectations honestly is what protects trust when the final decision doesn't go every consultee's way.
The consultation cycle below draws on the WA Department of the Premier and Cabinet's Consulting Citizens framework and the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum — the established reference points for best-practice public engagement in WA.
Our facilitators draw on Technology of Participation (ToP) methods, World Café, Open Space, Walking Galleries and and digital collaborative platforms for group facilitation work. Methods are adapted to reach people who wouldn't otherwise attend a public meeting - not just the usual, well-resourced voices.
WHERE
to apply Community Consultation?
Wherever an organisation's decision needs community legitimacy to hold, that's where structured consultation earns its place — an engagement that manufactures resentment costs more in the long run than the process it tried to avoid.
Good consultation starts with a clear, honest Statement of Intent, then builds outward: decisions that carry genuine legitimacy and credibility in the community; people who feel heard, not managed; a documented, defensible process that withstands scrutiny; and stronger trust between the organisation and the community for the next consultation.
Community consultation connects naturally to my other work. It's often the engagement method behind my Strategic Planning work when a Strategic Community Plan or equivalent long-term plan is due for review, it draws on the same toolkit as my Group and Workshop Facilitation work, and where consultation surfaces workforce or psychosocial issues inside the organisation itself, that connects to my Organisational Development and WHS Psychosocial Risk Audit work.
WHY
choose me?
Every consultation is grounded in the WA Government's own Consulting Citizens framework and the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation - not a generic template. With over 25 years of organisational development and facilitation experience, including as a Technology of Participation (ToP) accredited facilitator certified by the Institute of Cultural Affairs, I bring the same rigour to community engagement that I bring to strategic planning and organisational change.
What clients say
Belinda Coghlan was contracted under OD Consulting Services to work with Pollen Strategy and undertook a substantial part (52%) of this project. “Pollen were engaged to prepare a new Strategic Community Plan for Council. Pollen undertook extensive community engagement and listened to the community. Positive feedback was received from the community and elected members on the success of these meetings and outcomes we achieved. Pollen worked very hard with Council officers and elected members to understand our priorities, community aspirations and vision. Pollen were very approachable for advice and professional at all times. They met their project timelines and gave regular progress reports to Council. I would recommend Pollen and Belinda Coghlan for similar work in strategic and corporate planning, vision setting and community engagement.”
Brad Gleeson, Planning Director, Serpentine Jarrahdale Shire, WA
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this different from a standard community survey?
Yes — a survey is one tool within a consultation. Genuine consultation is a structured process: preparation, stakeholder identification, method design, analysis and feedback, not just data collection.
How do you decide how much influence the community should have?
That's set upfront using the IAP2 Spectrum — from simply informing through to genuinely empowering the community to decide. Being honest about which level applies avoids raising expectations the process can't meet.
What if the final decision doesn't reflect what most people said?
That's where feedback matters most. Every recommendation — accepted or rejected — should come with a clear, public explanation of why, and how input was actually used.
Can this support our Strategic Community Plan review?
Yes — this is exactly the kind of engagement the Integrated Planning and Reporting Framework requires for developing or reviewing a Strategic Community Plan.
Do you only work with local government?
No — while local government is a common client, the same consultation framework applies to community groups, government agencies and private organisations planning any decision that affects the people around them.
How do you deal with people who dominate the conversation?
I'm well experienced with this dynamic. I'm upfront about respectful, psychologically safe behaviours in the room to set the tone, and my methods — including small-group and written input options — ensure everyone gets a genuine chance to contribute, not just the loudest voices.
How do you reach people who wouldn't normally turn up to a public meeting?
Through a mix of methods matched to who's affected — not just relying on public meetings, which structurally exclude the people least likely to attend.