find a great mix of people to be part of your project
We love helping teams and organisations reimagine and rework the ways they work in co and participatory ways with the people and communities they serve. So we made a handy checklist to help you better find people with relevant lived and living experience willing to be part of your projects and engagements.
better seats at better tables
When people come together to work on something they all care about, great things (and change) can happen. When you are recruiting people with lived and living experience for a project or engagement it’s important to find a mix of folk from different backgrounds, identities, experiences, and ideas that can best reflect the people and communities affected by your work. You’re more likely to build something effective that people want and need, that will be trusted by the community.
problem
we often meet people and teams with the best of intentions who get stuck in a few common areas
knowing where to go, who to ask and how
asking in ways that don’t give people enough time, context or information
coming at it in transactional ways - forgetting or not showing they understand the value that people with lived experience bring and the need for the project or engagement to be a worthwhile investment of people’s time and effort
As these ways of working become increasingly mainstream (for very good reason) people will be offered more opportunities to choose to be part of. This makes it even more important to be literate in co and participatory ways of working and be able to build the conditions, mindsets and skills to do this well.
The checklist below has five practical things to consider before asking people with relevant lived and/or living experience whether they’d like to be involved. So you can increase your chances of finding a broader mix of people willing to be part of your project or engagement.
(At the end of this page you can also download the checklist tool which has an extra column for your answers and actions).
| to think about | this means |
|---|---|
| What lived experience is relevant to this work or project? | Making sure that you find people who have lived experience and or expertise [1] [2] that is relevant to the work at hand. So that your work can be informed by those who have first hand experience of the challenge that you aim to address or improve. |
| What kind of representational mix is possible and needed? | Including the broadest possible mix of people, identities, backgrounds and perspectives within the constraints of your project. So that you can get a fuller picture of what is happening and needed to bring about change. |
| What is the ask? | Being clear on what you are asking people to do and be part of. So that people are clear on what’s involved and whether it will fit in with their other commitments. . |
| What would a warm and welcoming invitation look like? | Starting a friendly conversation that sets the tone for an ongoing working relationship and gives the key information needed to make an informed choice about taking part. Doing this in the context of the culture and community that you are hoping to work with. So that your invitation is kind, clear, and provides the information people need to decide if it's a good fit for them. [3] |
| Can we build conditions to set the work up for success? |
Making sure you know what conditions you will need to build in to match the level of participation [4] promised. Things like: mindsets for co-design [5] , cultural safety, trauma awareness, [6] sharing power in partnership [7], valuing life and professional experience equally and others. So that you can build meaningful and respectful relationships with the communities you serve and work in line with public participation scales and standards [8] and deliver on your public promises. |
working with and alongside people and communities in meaningful and effective ways takes thought, care and commitment,
investing time and energy from the beginning to seek out all of the voices and perspectives you will need to get the full picture will help you get the best possible outcomes for everyone in the long run.
This is what building better seats at better tables looks like and how you build lasting relationships and trust with the people and communities you serve.
Would you like support to find great fit people with lived and living experience to be part of your projects or engagements?
Better Together Collective can help. Get in touch here
Download the checklist worksheet and action tool here
Helpful references and resources that the checklist above builds on
[1] Definitions of Lived and Living Experience and Expertise
[2] Definition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Lived Experience
[3] write a warm invitation tool. Tools for Better Co-Parts. 2024
[4] Check the Essentials Elements Spectrum of Participation. Better Together Collective. 2023
[5] Model of Care for Co-design. McKercher, KA. 2020. Beyond Sticky Notes Co-design for real: mindsets, methods, and movements. Sydney, Australia
[6] A Transdisciplinary Model of Change for Trauma Responsive Design. Rachael Dietkus
[7] All of Us. A guide to engaging consumers, carers and communities across NSW Health. Six Ways of Working. Sharing Power in Partnership
[8] Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Standards