Effective Community Engagement Checklist

This guide provides a five-step checklist for utilities to engage underserved communities in the clean energy transition, focusing on identification, inclusive participation, accessible input processes, co-design of programs, and data-driven progress tracking.

• Utilities are advised to identify historically underserved communities by combining quantitative data from state agencies, nonprofits, and advocates with direct conversations with community members and advocates to understand household-level burdens. The criteria for defining these communities should be measurable and accessible to allow for progress tracking.
• To ensure effective participation and input, utilities should offer resources that account for the value of a participant's time and the materials needed to attend meetings. Engagement processes should be designed using outreach methods identified by the community, partnerships with trusted advisors, and educational materials that are linguistically and culturally relevant.
• The checklist recommends that utilities partner with community members and organizations to co-design programs and define what success looks like for communities in need. Progress should be documented by identifying data gaps and sharing metrics with community groups, businesses, and peer utilities.

APA

RMI (n.d.). Effective Community Engagement Checklist. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2022/06/RMI_Community_Engagement_Checklist_with_Discussion_Questions.pdf

Chicago

RMI. Effective Community Engagement Checklist. n.d. https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2022/06/RMI_Community_Engagement_Checklist_with_Discussion_Questions.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Effective Community Engagement Checklist |url=https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2022/06/RMI_Community_Engagement_Checklist_with_Discussion_Questions.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmindeffective, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Effective Community Engagement Checklist}}, institution = {RMI}, url = {https://rmi.org/app/uploads/2022/06/RMI_Community_Engagement_Checklist_with_Discussion_Questions.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }