Engagement and Communications
Engagement
Project Groundwater values the social aspects that can influence flood resilience just as highly the technical ones. This means that understanding the communities we are working with, and collaborating with them, is key.
By working closely together with communities to increase awareness, share understanding, and co-create solutions, we hope that people will feel more invested in the solutions the Project develops to tackle future groundwater flooding in the future.
2023 saw the Project reach out further to communities, to deepen its understanding of their experiences, and to continue to build strong relationships. Delivered by our engagement partner Groundwork South, this included exploring how the engagement process could be more collaborative, and developing better insight into the stakeholders and communities we need to work with.
This work was informed by a Community Readiness survey delivered at the start of the year. From December 2022, until the end of March 2023, 416 face to face and online responses helped to further understand local communities’ perspectives and knowledge of groundwater flooding. The survey also helped to improve the Project’s understanding of communities’ willingness, and ability, to engage with the project.
Fiona, Senior Community Engagement Officer, at the Newbury Show, stood in front of the Project Groundwater stand
The survey was used to inform the development of targeted engagement plans for each local community and the results benefited the wider Project too. In July 2023, a workshop for all Project workstreams shared the results, identified interdependencies between each other’s work and how these might influence future engagement opportunities. This collaboration between, and support for, other workstreams has continued. Groundwork South is continuing to work collaboratively with the Monitoring, Modelling and Alerts workstreams to provide community feedback and input into the flood risk maps produced to ensure that the maps are accurate, useful and clear.
Activities undertaken throughout 2023 include a review of the Engagement Strategy, flooding talks, information stands at community events, and interviews and focus groups to test Project ideas.
Engagement recording software Participatr has been used throughout the year to record engagement with stakeholders and communities. This has allowed Project team members and communities alike to keep track of activities and discussions and to understand and evidence how their engagement and collaboration has informed the direction of the Project.
Several key process documents were also developed collaboratively in 2023 by the Engagement and Communications workstream. Together, these will ensure partners understand key processes for managing enquiries and requesting assistance with engagement activities and are aware of incident protocols and our equality impact assessment. The team also drove forward the first draft of a Working Paper examining the theoretical position of resilience, community resilience, innovative community engagement and its links with social value.
Maelle (left) and Caitlin (right), Project Managers for Community Engagement, stood on either side of Piers Brown from the Smarter Water Catchment Project at the Chesham Tracking the Impact Event
Communications
In 2023 we set out to deliver the following strategic actions. Working in close collaboration with colleagues across the Project workstreams, these included setting up our communications channels, developing PR campaigns, publishing research and keeping our partners updated.
Build our channel mix
We set up the main communications channels for Project Groundwater:
Deliver fresh and engaging content. Publicise key programme achievements.
In September, to celebrate the official public launch of Project Groundwater, we issued our first press release. Highlighting the dissemination of a Community Readiness Survey, the release was picked up by four news websites, including the Bucks Free Press. Project partner and spokesperson Mary Long-Dhonau OBE, FloodMary, appeared live on three separate radio channels to promote Project Groundwater.
Our social media use has been growing steadily through 2023, with posts, blogs and videos boosted by advertising. Content was focused around five engagement and communications campaigns:
- Community Readiness Survey
- Marlow Flood Fayre
- Groundwater Alerts System
- Mental Health Partnership Proposal
- Flood Stories
Impressions on LinkedIn
Post reactions on LinkedIn
Reposts
Impressions on Facebook
Impressions on Twitter
Retweets
Launch a campaign to engage communities
In September 2023 we launched Flood Stories, a campaign to focus our content gathering, and with a particular focus on community testimony. Our first film, featuring a 2001 flood resident was produced and edited for launch at November’s FloodEX.
Continue to build and nurture relationships
We work hard to keep our partners engaged through updates and face to face meetings. We have maximised digital interaction to build our networks and new relationships, in particular via LinkedIn, which has delivered speaking opportunities as well as new connections.
Publish research papers
We have supported plans to publish the paper on community resilience by suggesting a non technical summary and podcast to promote it to a wider audience.
Seek out events and speaking opportunities
Alongside our work growing awareness in our communities, we have maximised opportunities to grow our presence within the water and flood management industry. We delivered speeches at two leading conferences this year, Flood and Coast 2023 and FloodEx 2023. Presentations from Jed Ramsay, our Project Leader, were recorded and shared across our communications channels to help build our reputation as a leader in the field.
Continue to ensure colleagues have the latest information
We present to partners at a quarterly communications and engagement working group
We also issue updates, news and shar information via our Project Groundwater newsletter
Jed Ramsay speaking at FloodEX November 2023
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