Creating Structures
3. Identifying Issues and Setting Goals
Turning Community Concerns into Achievable Campaigns
Every community faces challenges, but not every challenge becomes a campaign. The difference lies in how an issue is understood, defined, and organised into action.
This topic teaches how to listen carefully to your community, identify what truly matters, and set achievable goals that create visible and lasting results.
The Community Organising Handbook provides three key tools for this stage: the Issue Selection Checklist, the Campaign Planning Worksheet, and the Goal Setting Template. Together, they help your Association move from general concerns to focused strategy and clear, measurable outcomes.
1. Listening to the Community
Listening is the first act of leadership. By understanding the hopes and concerns of the Heritage Australian community, your Association builds trust and shared direction.
The Community Organising Handbook shows how to use listening sessions and relational meetings to connect personal stories to community purpose, turning dialogue into action that strengthens both our people and the wider community.
Practice:
- Use the Issue Selection Checklist to record what community members care about most.
- Hold informal listening meetings, encouraging people to describe their experiences rather than just opinions.
- Look for patterns in what you hear. The issues mentioned most often are usually those with the strongest potential for action.
- Summarise your findings and share them back with members to confirm what matters most.
Trainer’s Reflection:
When we listen properly, people often raise the same concern in different ways.
By comparing those stories, we begin to see the real issue behind the frustration.
Listening turns problems into purpose and helps the community take ownership of the next steps.
2. Choosing the Right Issues
Not every concern can become a campaign. Some issues are too broad, others too small, and some are outside the group’s control.
The Community Organising Handbook explains how to select issues that are specific, actionable, and capable of building participation.
A good campaign issue meets three criteria:
- It matters deeply to people.
- It can be influenced or decided at a local level.
- It creates opportunities for visible progress.
Practice:
- Review your notes using the Issue Selection Checklist and narrow the list to one or two achievable issues.
- Use the Campaign Planning Worksheet to analyse who has the power to make the change and what allies could support your effort.
- Ask: Will success on this issue strengthen the Association’s credibility and attract new members?
Trainer’s Reflection:
When we apply the checklist to what people tell us, our focus becomes sharper.
Instead of feeling pulled in many directions, the group begins to agree on what matters most.
Choosing one clear issue gives everyone a reason to act together.
3. Setting Clear and Measurable Goals
Once an issue is chosen, it needs to be turned into a defined goal.
A clear goal describes the change you want, who can make it happen, and how you will measure progress.
The Community Organising Handbook provides a Goal Setting Template to make this process simple and transparent.
Practice:
- Write a goal statement using the template’s format: We want [specific change] by [decision maker or authority] so that [intended outcome or benefit].
- Break that goal into smaller milestones that can be reached within weeks or months.
- Record these in the Campaign Planning Worksheet so everyone understands the next steps and timeframes.
Trainer’s Reflection:
When we set goals this way, our meetings become focused and our message becomes clear.
People understand not only what we are doing, but why it matters.
Each small step forward builds confidence for the campaign.
4. Keeping Campaigns Focused and Achievable
Campaigns that try to do too much risk losing energy and direction.
Good organising means knowing when to stop adding new ideas and focus on what will make the biggest difference.
The Community Organising Handbook encourages Associations to review each campaign regularly, using the Campaign Planning Worksheet to track progress and make adjustments.
Practice:
- Schedule a short review at the end of each month to check whether the campaign is still aligned with the Association’s goals.
- Use the Worksheet to update what has been achieved and what needs further action.
- If momentum slows, plan a small public activity or communication update to rebuild visibility and motivation.
Trainer’s Reflection:
During long campaigns, it is easy to get distracted by new ideas.
Reviewing progress using the worksheet keeps us on track.
Staying focused ensures that every action contributes directly to the result we want.
Summary
Identifying issues and setting goals turns community frustration into organised action.
By listening carefully, selecting achievable issues, and setting clear, measurable goals, your Association creates campaigns that build confidence and credibility.
The Community Organising Handbook provides all the tools needed to guide this process, helping you plan strategically and act effectively at the local level.
This topic prepares you for the next stage: 4. Planning Campaigns and Actions, where you will learn how to move from preparation to visible public impact.