Community Engagement

Community engagement should be culturally relevant. We use communication tools, time, space, and relationships to inform people. Residents give their input and participation in projects, processes, and programs. People connect by geography, interests, or likeness. They come together to address issues affecting the collective wellbeing.

Co-Creation

Co-creation is a mindset and approach. It's about working together with the community to tackle specific challenges. Co-creation uses an active and ongoing participatory process. It assumes shared power, responsibility, accountability, and decision-making with community members. We center on those most harmed by inequality.

Co-creation involves engaging with community members on strategy at the earliest possible moment. We rely on their experience and expertise to identify and frame problems. Residents inform work plans and policies to create solutions.

What's the Difference?

With engagement, the community's influence is often limited. The public is not involved in the initial stages and planning. They have a role later in the process. 

All co-creation involves community engagement. But not all community engagement is co-creation.

With co-creation, the community is a thought partner from the beginning of a process. They guides our initiatives, goals, methods, and analyses. This creates accountability for all to stay on track with our shared goals.

About the Equity Cabinet

The County’s data consistently reveals that Black and Indigenous people are the two groups with the most egregious and sustained histories of oppression in the United States. Black oppression originates in enslavement and Indigenous oppression originates in genocide and displacement.

These groups are most negatively impacted on every measure of well-being. We will have an explicit focus on these populations through the Equity Cabinet’s composition and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Provide ongoing analysis of the County’s policies, practices, and procedures to ensure that decision-making supports the County’s intention to address the root causes of disparities and distribute resources using equity and racial justice as primary factors for defining objectives and measuring progress.
• Support evaluation of the County’s progress on the Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan and pro-equity policy agenda.
• Advise on enterprise-level work and partner to transform county-wide practices that currently hinder equitable and racially just outcomes (e.g., budgeting, contracting, capital planning, hiring and promotion). 
• Collaborate with all levels of County government to ensure effective engagement and partnerships with Black, Indigenous, and communities of color

Expected Activities

• Participation in monthly meetings, periodic workgroups, and review of meeting materials (approximately 3-5 hours per month). Cabinet members will be compensated for their time. 
• As community engagement will be central to the Cabinet’s work, the Cabinet will (once COVID-related restrictions are lifted) hold at least four community-based meetings each calendar year and one meeting in unincorporated King County.