Communication stemming from a clear, compelling narrative is an effective way of sharing council and place identity, building trust and encouraging community engagement.
Council and place narratives, although linked, are two different things. Ideally, creation of the council narrative would be first, followed by the place narrative:
- Council narrative is that of your organisation and the services it provides. It encapsulates the values of the organisation, the ‘beating pulse’ of who you are, what you do, how you do it, your ambitions and what you are saying
- Place narrative is about the place or places that the council serves. As well as the people who live in, work in and visit these places
Both council and place narratives should acknowledge the past, the present situation and future ambitions. Both will also be developed from research and conversations with people internal and external to the council.
The following resources and case studies offer practical models and approaches to creating council and place narratives:
Council narrative Place narrative Council and place narrative case studies