Policymakers’ perspectives on community participation in EcoHealth policy Ann Marie Crosse* [1] , Mary Jo Lavelle [1] , Martin Power [1] , Margaret M. Barry [1]

https://www.academia.edu/2997-6006/2/3/10.20935/AcadEnvSci7897 Cross-sectoral policy approaches are recognised as key to integrating global sustainability frameworks into national and local action on public health, environmental management, climate policy, and sustainable planning. However, governance structures remain fragmented and siloed, limiting capacity for inclusive, transformative responses to socio-ecological challenges. Meaningful integration of diverse community knowledge systems into socio-ecological governance and policy design is needed. Yet, local communities tend to be excluded from policy dialogue at higher levels of decision-making. This study explores how policymakers conceptualise their role in supporting community engagement on socio-ecological issues and examines the structures and supports required to embed community knowledge systems within integrated ecological and health decision-making. Employing semi-structured interviews, the perspectives of 20 senior decision-makers in Ireland, comprising representatives from the health and environmental sectors, were explored on community engagement and collaborative co-production in addressing socio-ecological challenges. Four interrelated themes emerged from the analysis concerning community engagement, policy coherence, multisector collaboration, and the use of practical support tools. The findings indicate that meaningful community engagement, knowledge plurality, and multisector collaboration are deeply interconnected. Each reinforces the other, and together with supportive policy structures, process, and practical tools, they form the basis of an inclusive approach to socio-ecological governance. Multisector platforms, grounded in inclusive, participatory approaches and supported by practical tools, play a role in translating policy coherence into actionable, locally grounded solutions. Future research is needed to explore how emerging co-produced tools (including Ecohealth Community Toolkits), frameworks, and platforms for inclusive engagement can perform in different policy and governance contexts.