The aim of this Colaboration is to scope, identify, and test the conditions, resourcing and tools required to expand Doing Co’s model of scalable, place-based approaches to community-led placemaking and active citizenship into South Australia.

Participation is essential to building vibrant, connected communities where children and families can thrive. Through Minderoo Foundation’s Activating Civic and Community Participation project, Doing Co was engaged to deliver a practical learning project exploring what enables people to participate in civic and community life, what gets in the way, and what is needed to build stronger participation, agency and ownership over time.

Drawing on Doing Co’s place-based approach to local government and community building, the work was delivered in three stages. The first was a discovery phase to identify four South Australian local government areas with the right conditions to participate in a pilot, including community leaders, council staff and elected members who were open to learning, collaboration and change.

The second involved delivering and evaluating a pilot program in one local government area, capturing insights, challenges and opportunities for further development.

The third focused on evaluating and synthesising the learnings to inform the ACCP project and contribute to the broader evidence base for effective, place-based interventions.

Importantly, the collaboration embodied a wayfinding approach. Rather than prescribing a fixed model or predetermined outcomes, Doing Co was given the trust and flexibility to explore, learn and adapt - identifying the conditions, relationships and practices that enable meaningful change, and the opportunities to build on and scale what works.