18‐20 July 2011
Queensland’s Health Community Councils: effective strategic partnership or missed opportunity? Paul Burton Urban Research Program Griffith University
[email protected] July 2011
Theory Practice Suggestions
Theory: Why bother with community engagement?
Developmental & instrumental benefits
Developmental: valued as citizens educated about issues understand own views express identity become more sociable
Instrumental: better decisions more legitimate decisions
Practice: Queensland HCCs.. what are they supposed to do?
Established 2007 36 HCCs in 16 districts Up to 8 members Ideally one GP Supported by District
“..to provide a community perspective..to the delivery of public sector health services in the district”
“..provide an opportunity for community members to participate in decisions about health services..”
Plus... Quality, safety & effectiveness Community education Reporting to Managers and Ministers
Griffith research: Worked with three HCCs in Metro South Health District, in South East Queensland Examined documents Interviewed HCC members (but not District staff) Part of Logan-Beaudesert Health Coalition
Findings: Some positive links with local groups & with District staff But...little impact on policy and unsure of role
“I think we were a bit unsure about this community engagement thing...”
“..the HCC isn’t set up in any capacity to influence policy.”
“I have really seen meaningful no meaningful response by the health system to anything we have done.”
This is not uncommon in any research on community engagement and public participation
Suggestions: More effective engagement requires answers to three key questions
Who gets to participate? If not everyone, who will you select?
On what terms? Where on Arnstein’s ladder do you want to sit?
At which scale? the more local, the more meaningful the more strategic, the more influential
There are no a priori right answers to these questions, but you should have an answer
And finally...
Queensland’s HCCs (that we looked at) cannot be described as effective strategic partnerships, but (another) missed opportunity
Why does this matter?
A waste of scarce resources, especially the time and efforts of the participants
It makes the next initiative even harder
