Foreword
Place-based approaches are important. They provide communities with the flexibility to make decisions that are in the very best interests of the people living there.
For several years now we have been working on some place-based approaches and have been able to use that experience to pull together this very valuable resource.
It brings together a wealth of information and tools to help and assist anyone interested in place-based approaches and explores in some detail the many and varied parts of approaching social change in this way. They are certainly not the only way to make social change but have been successful in overcoming systemic barriers in many areas.
We support place-based approaches because they provide an opportunity to generate new ways of working: cross-community, cross-sector and cross-government; they promote experimentation in devolved decision making and public service innovation; and support empowering people in communities to be involved in their futures.
We are certainly not experts in this but want use this toolkit as a vehicle to promote the experiences of others to support the development of place-based approaches throughout Queensland.
This work would not have been possible without the support of the Queensland Department of Communities and the Queensland Family and Child Commission. It is with this support that we have been able to test and learn about place-based approaches.
I hope you will find something in our Place-based approaches for community change that will support your journey.
Mark Henley
Former Chief Executive Officer
QCOSS
Acknowledgements
QCOSS acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the original inhabitants of Australia and recognises these unique cultures as part of the cultural heritage of all Australians. We support the right to self-determination. We pay our respect to the Elders of this land; past, present and future. This guide and toolkit was written by QCOSS.
Its development was partly funded by the Queensland Family and Child Commission as part of the Strengthening our place initiative.
Queensland Department of Communities, Disability Services and Seniors also partly funded the development of this guide to build capability and support the community and industry to actively engage in place-based approaches in Queensland.
We would like to thank the many people who provided feedback and ideas in the development of toolkit, including the Queensland and Australian Governments, people leading and evaluating place-based approaches in Queensland, citizens, community development workers, and academics.
