Peter Eckerline said the benefits of community engagement are many and varied. They include improved decision-making, increased trust in community organizations and governance, and better uptake of services. To be effective, community engagement must respect the richness and variety of a community's cultural and social environments. It must also be rooted in the principles of consultation, participation and collaboration.

Community engagement enables public decision-makers to tap into a rich array of perspectives, including scientific, technical, historical, and cultural insights. Ultimately, this improves the quality of public decisions. When a wide range of voices is heard, decision-makers can be more confident in their ability to meet the needs of everyone involved. This increases trust among stakeholders, which can help build stronger relationships and reduce future conflict.

Communities that engage in a variety of different forms of community engagement have fewer wicked problems than communities that do not. These communities are more likely to be able to address their own issues and have more trust in their governments, which can increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Strong community leaders often use participatory decision-making (PDM), a strategic approach to engaging with the public that incorporates feedback from the entire community in all aspects of the process. This builds trust in both the decision-makers and the process and helps people understand and support the final choices made.

Trust is critical to the success of any engagement project. It's the social license to operate - building trust, understanding and connection so that your efforts are more likely to be accepted in the community. Getting it right starts at the outset of the engagement process. 

You'll need to be sure that you have a thorough understanding of the community, including its culture, economic conditions, history and context. You also need to be aware of broader trends and issues that could affect your community, such as migration or the rise of social isolation. Keeping up with these trends can help you design a more inclusive and relevant project.