Jax Wechsler

Working as Sticky Design Studio (my consultancy) in late 2018, I supported Rekindling the Spirit, an indigenous run NGO based in Lismore to conduct community consultation with Tenants of a Lismore social housing estate using Co-design practices. The idea behind this program is to take a Strength-Based approach where community define what support they want from NSW State Government (through their Place Plan) in order to create sustainable community development and improvement of life outcomes for Estates tenants.

Our approach utilised Systems Thinking, Asset-Based Community Development and Co-design practices. Some of the activities conducted included:

• Building co-design capability with Rekindling the Spirit constituted an important component of this program.
• Co-design Workshops were conducted with Rekindling the Spirit staff, Service Providers who provide services to the community, and Social Housing Estate Community members.
• Establishment of a Residents working group and a Service Provider working group.
• Data Synthesis sessions with Rekindling the Spirit staff
• Development of an engagement plan, including definition of learning objectives and engagement activities with specific cohorts
• Development of a Systems Map including some hypothesis for change

After this initial phase of work, Rekindling the Spirit are continuing Community consultation