Relationship to KConnect
Cross-Cutting Workgroup: Community Engagement
Success Measure: All
Approach: Creative, Courageous
We are excited to introduce our co-created Shared Policy Agenda and Advocacy Framework, which resulted from more than a year of collaboration with community members, stakeholders, and policy experts. This framework has been designed to drive meaningful change by centering the voices of those with lived experience and fostering a collaborative approach to equity.
Why Co-Creation Matters
Policies have a profound impact on the well-being of our communities. However, policies are often developed without the direct input of those most impacted. We set out to change that by engaging diverse community leaders in co-creation and consensus. By listening to and valuing their insights, we aimed to create a policy agenda that truly represents our community’s needs and aspirations.
The Power of Collaboration
Central to our approach is the belief that those who experience issues firsthand are best positioned to inform solutions. During the development of the Shared Policy Agenda, we brought together multiple cross-sector community partners to inform and shape our priorities. Once policies were identified, we reconvened and collaboratively developed actionable advocacy steps that the Network can operationalize in the coming year.
From Policy to Action
A policy agenda is only as effective as the action it inspires, which is why we developed an advocacy framework that outlines specific steps to turn our policy priorities into reality. This framework is a three-part approach that includes connection through stories, data, people, and purpose.
Why This Matters
A shared policy agenda fosters alignment between our stakeholders, allowing them to work collaboratively towards our universal goal of a just and equitable Kent County.
Policy and advocacy are essential to dissolving the root causes of inequities that impact our community and beyond. KConnect was designed to impact policy and equip the network in its advocacy efforts.