IBAC: Community Engagement Strategy.

Background

The Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) partnered with The LOTE Agency to develop an inclusive and comprehensive engagement strategy. The objective was to enhance IBAC\'s connection with diverse Victorian communities, particularly those from multicultural, LGBTQIA+, disability, and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. This collaboration aimed to address barriers to trust, access, and understanding of IBAC\'s anti-corruption mandate while fostering long-term relationships and effective engagement frameworks.

Our Services

• Internal Co-Design Workshop: Conducted a collaborative workshop

with IBAC staff to evaluate existing engagement efforts, identify gaps, and brainstorm innovative strategies for improvement.

• Community Consultations: Facilitated 13 in-depth one-on-one

interviews with leaders from priority communities, ensuring nuanced insights and intersectional perspectives were captured.

• Engagement Framework Development: Proposed a multi-tiered

engagement framework based on the IAP2 Public Participation Spectrum, with short- and long-term strategies tailored to diverse communities.

• Culturally Tailored Recommendations: Delivered actionable

recommendations for inclusive communication, stakeholder engagement, and decision-making processes to support IBAC's strategic goals.

• Data-Driven Insights: Highlighted the importance of robust data

collection and evaluation to improve outreach, measure impact, and allocate resources effectively.

Impact

This project set a strong foundation for IBAC to foster meaningful relationships with diverse communities and improve its engagement efforts. Key outcomes include:

• Establishing a co-designed engagement strategy in collaboration with

internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment with IBAC's long-term objectives.

• Collecting critical insights through one-on-one interviews with

multicultural and intersectional community leaders, addressing sensitive and nuanced topics such as police corruption.

• Delivering a scalable engagement framework, enabling IBAC to

transition from project-based consultations to sustained and collaborative engagement practices.

• Recommending culturally sensitive outreach approaches, including

multilingual communication strategies and accessibility measures, to ensure inclusivity.

• Strengthening IBAC's focus on transparency, trust-building, and

accountability through proposed advisory groups and open communication tactics.

Demonstrated Experience

• Co-Design and Stakeholder Collaboration: Partnered with IBAC to

facilitate workshops and consultations, ensuring strategies reflected community and organisational priorities.

• Multilingual and Inclusive Engagement: Tailored recommendations

for diverse linguistic and cultural communities, addressing specific barriers to participation.

• Data Collection and Analysis: Provided robust methodologies to

capture and evaluate community insights, driving evidence-based decision-making.

• Culturally Sensitive Approaches: Designed frameworks to foster

trust and accessibility across intersectional community groups.

Conclusion

The LOTE Agency's partnership with IBAC exemplifies the impact of co-design and inclusive strategies in addressing systemic barriers and fostering trust. By centring community voices and prioritising cultural relevance, this collaboration has enabled IBAC to build a roadmap for long-term engagement, accountability, and transparency with Victoria's diverse communities.