Understanding People and Communities

Build Trust. Drive Better Decisions

Hands-on workshop for public participation professionals

About This Course

The “Understanding People and Communities” course is designed to help public participation and engagement professionals build deeper, more meaningful connections with the communities they serve. You’ll gain practical tools to better understand the people involved in your processes and strengthen the way you plan and deliver engagement.

This course explores how culture, values, diversity, equity, and lived experiences all shape engagement outcomes. It introduces clear strategies for reducing barriers, building trust, and applying a values-based approach that centers people first.

Key Benefits

Whether you’re new to the field or growing your expertise, this course provides a strong foundation for more inclusive and impactful engagement.

Build stronger relationships with participants and stakeholders
Learn how to identify and reduce barriers to participation
Improve your ability to plan and deliver inclusive engagement processes
Apply proven tools to map community values, identities, and perspectives
Strengthen your cultural awareness and humility
Align your work with IAP2’s globally recognized Practice Framework

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Why Take This Course

Understanding people is essential to good engagement. This course goes beyond demographics and dives into why people care, how they experience issues, and what makes participation feel meaningful.

You’ll learn to:

Recognize the cultural, historical, and social factors that influence participation
Uncover what matters most to communities and how to respond
Design processes that are truly inclusive and equity-centered
Work more effectively in diverse and sometimes challenging contexts

If you’ve ever struggled to reach the right people, faced disengagement, or felt unsure how to build trust, this course will give you the insight and skills to do better.

Still not convinced? Read why you need to understand people, prior to engaging.