Be clear about who you want to engage with and why
There are many democratic institutions in Northern Ireland (local Councils, local and regional service providers, government departments), and therefore many tiers of decision making.
Think through which decision maker(s) you want to connect with, and get clear about what you are hoping to achieve from the engagement (e.g. better relationships, to have your voice heard, to achieve a particular change or improvement to policy or to influence how things are done in your community).