Once a partnership is established, partners can serve as trusted messengers before a disaster occurs. Local partners play key roles in community institutions and may be trusted by the public more than government agencies. Community engagement is a continuous process with communication, accountability, trust building, and reciprocity.
Community engagement cannot happen without good communication. While providing accurate and timely information about emergency and disaster programs is always the goal, it is essential to create space for true two-way communication. Two-way communication involves listening and learning before tailoring a response. It also requires providing information through mechanisms and timelines that work best for the community.
Inclusive communications are essential for breaking down barriers to access and use of resources. View Appendix B: Identify and Address Barriers to Community Engagement to learn how effective communications and engagement can reduce barriers.
Guide for Developing Inclusive Communications
- Co-develop communications with communities.
- Reflect what you have learned about the community.
- Be concise, understandable, and accessible.
- Respect and reflect people’s lived experiences.
- Be community-centric, not emergency management-centric.
- Recognize the community’s information needs and challenges.
- Create communications that meet the community’s language needs, including translating documents into languages spoken in the affected communities.
- Be collaborative with other emergency management components and other governmental entities.
- Tailor communications and share through various platforms to reach the widest audience.
- Coordinate messaging with trusted messengers, including sports coaches, religious leaders, school board members, the private sector, local government officials and other local spokespersons.
- Ensure documents are available in multiple accessible formats.
- Respond to community feedback to provide materials that meet accommodations needs.
Engagement Recovery Snapshot: Martin Pena Channel Drainage Improvement: A Whole Community Approach
The Caño Martín Peña, a 3.75-mile waterway in Puerto Rico's capital, has been polluted due to the discharge of sewage from thousands of homes and buildings in the area. The lack of adequate sewer and stormwater systems has led to floods that expose over 26,000 residents to untreated water during rainfall. Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 caused severe damage, with over 70 residential structures destroyed and 1,000 homes with partially or completely destroyed roofs. In 2004, eight communities formed the G8 group to address the crisis in the Caño Martín Peña area. The Martín Peña Channel Enlace Project leads these community organizations. The organization aims to develop a comprehensive plan to coordinate dredging and channeling works with government entities.
The G8, along with FEMA, the government of Puerto Rico and other federal agencies, collaborate to support their efforts. FEMA staff employed data and insights provided by community leaders to better comprehend the needs of the community. They worked closely with community leaders to gain a holistic understanding of community needs and provide the best possible assistance. One of Enlace's primary accomplishments is the allocation of funds from federal agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and FEMA, to execute the Caño Martín Peña ecosystem restoration project and the dredging of the Caño.