WWF-UK and CAG Consultants are working together in partnership to develop an impact assessment tool, which can be used to measure the impact community engagement has on changing and maintaining sustainable behaviour.

What is the community engagement and sustainable development project about?

WWF-UK's Sustainable Communities Unit (SCU) has worked on the assumption that community engagement promotes more sustainable lifestyles.

The Community Engagement and Sustainable Development project aims to explore whether being involved in community engagement leads to people making long term behaviour changes. The tool that will be produced will provide an evaluation framework for community engagement projects working within the context of sustainable development. The SCU will be able to use the results of the project to demonstrate to government and others the case for direct community involvement in sustainable development issues.

What will the project deliver?

In partnership with CAG Consultants, the SCU are working to develop a practical tool which can be used to evaluate community engagement's impact on changing and maintaining sustainable behaviour.

The aims of the projects are to:

• produce a stand alone evaluation tool for community engagement practitioners;
• undertake wider research to assess in what circumstances community engagement influences behaviour change;
• influence practice by producing guidance on community engagement to promote more sustainable behaviour; and
• inform and influence community engagement policy.

Getting involved with WWF-UK

WWF-UK are currently inviting organisations to take part in the wider research phase to provide evidence that will enable us to evaluate the impact of community engagement on long term behaviour change. This wider research phase will begin in October 2006.

For more information, please visit the community engagement website: www.wwf.org.uk/community-engagement