civic handbook

7/31/2019 Civic Handbook

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Civic

Interaction:A hand guide

or hostingexceptional

publicmeetings

May 2011

Prepared or the Ministry o Labour, Citizens Services and Open Government


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5Civic Interaction: A hand guide or hosting exceptional public meetings

Introduction

Across western democracies the story is the same: Condence in political

institutions is declining and trust o all kinds in both proessional

expertise and public authority continues to erode. Tis is why public

engagement, community engagement, citizen engagement engage-

ment by any name is an important concern or political leaders andpublic servants. oday, public engagement and political legitimacy

are ip sides o the same democratic coin, and the question or public

servants and leaders isnt whether to engage, but how.

Tis guide presents advice and practical considerations or anyone

planning public meetings. It should serve as a useul resource or

public servants, communications experts, political sta and public

representatives who want to better understand the social dynamics

behind ace-to-ace public engagement. It will help you to plan meetings

where citizens and public leaders interact more productively, learn

rom one another, solve problems, reach agreement and build trust.

Created by a small team o engagement experts who specialize inpublic dialogue and consultation, and supplemented with inormation

rom interviews with proessionals in the eld across Canada, this guide

contains inormation on:

Te basics o ace-to-ace consultations

Why public meetings are increasingly important

Key elements o successul public meetings

Practical ideas or planning, publicizing, hosting, and reportingpublic meetings

Troughout the guide you will nd checklists to review the key steps

in the meeting process and tips rom the experts, including the dos

and donts o public meetings. A list o additional resources or

urther reading appears in the Appendix. Use this guide as a spring-

board or designing exceptional public meetings by reviewing the

options it sets out and identiying what makes the most sense given the

resources, purpose, and desired outcome or your meeting.


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Civic Interaction: A hand guide or hosting exceptional public meetings 6

Contents

IntroductIon 5

Why do We need exceptIonal publIc meetIngs? 9

What defInes a publIc meetIng

as exceptIonal? 10

the poWer of publIc meetIngs 12

What do exceptIonal publIc meetIngs requIre? 13

Why host a publIc meetIng? 14

What are you askIng the publIc to do? 16

usIng delIberatIve processes 19

plannIng your meetIng 21

Planning the program ......................................................................

Choosing a venue ............................................................................

Setting meeting length .................................................................... 5

Staging your meeting ...................................................................... 5


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convenIng partIcIpants 26

Inviting the public ...................................................................................6

Crating the invitation ..............................................................................7

Using social media ...................................................................................7

the actual meetIng 29

Welcoming Participants ...........................................................................9

Making presentations .............................................................................. 0

Plenary and small group discussions ........................................................ 0

Using table acilitators .............................................................................

Keeping an eye on the time .......................................................................

Capturing notes .......................................................................................

Reporting Back ........................................................................................

Analysis o discussions .............................................................................

Photography and video ............................................................................5

Summing up ............................................................................................6

Follow-up and Reporting ..........................................................................6

conclusIon 37

appendIx 39

Further reading: .......................................................................................9

About the authors: .................................................................................. 40

Contributors: ........................................................................................... 4

Expert interviews: ....................................................................................4

Te Dos and Donts o Hosting Public Meetings .................................4


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Why do we need exceptionalpublic meetings?

Day by day, people are becoming more inormed and better connected

thanks to the spread o powerul new communications technologies.

Social media like Facebook and witter can seem overhyped, but theyare changing how whole societies communicate and share ideas. Tis

explosion o inormation and social interaction upends old ways o

doing things. It challenges hierarchies, conventions and closed systems.

Inormation wants to be ree, said the prophetic sixties radical Stewart

Brand, and in an environment saturated by bandwidth and cheap

communications, the publics expectations regarding transparency and

access continue to expand. Freedom o Inormation Acts once brave

and democratic advances that heralded a new level o transparency

are being replaced by Open Data and Open Inormation mandates that

are based on the expectation that government will share what it knows

not because it has to, but because it can and seeks the advantagesthat openness provides.

Tis culture o openness is changing not only what happens online,

but also what the public expects when it comes to providing input into

government decisions and ace-to-ace interaction. By right, citizens

expect to have a greater say in the aairs o government, and a seat at

the table when difcult or important decisions need to be made. When

government undertakes a course o action without public consultation,

it shows. Teres no surer way to guarantee protest, objection or sub-optimal

decision-making than to close ranks and doors and make summary

decisions without involving stakeholders or checking in with public

sentiment. In the Openness Era, shared governance or co-governancebecomes the norm.


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What denes a public meetingas exceptional?

Well-designed and organized public meetings allow participants to

understand one another better, or eel that a difcult problem is being

both shared and solved. Its no accident that we valorize the AthenianAgora or traditional New England own Hall: they werent places ree o

conict or unrest, but they nevertheless provided their members with a

proound sense o importance and public value. Successul public events

do just this: they convey the sense that what is being discussed matters,

and that the consequences o any public decision will be shared.

Exceptional public meetings create real opportunities or direct

participation, hands-on learning and cross-cutting dialogue. Tey

help reverse the trend o declining trust in public institutions and

repair the toxic relationships that poorly designed public consultation

can create.

Consider the experience o a traditional town hall. Members o thepublic are giving their time to learn about an issue and express their

views, and may have had to make special travel or childcare arrangements

to attend. At the meeting, the program involves several presentations

in a row and leaves little time or questions rom the public and long

lines at the microphone have already started to orm. Participants

have only seconds to convey their concerns over a decision or policy

with an adverse impact, and their heart is pounding with the strain o

public speaking. Public representatives and hosts o the meeting must

respond quickly to the concerns raised; in the absence o adequate time

to discuss the issue, can raise suspicion and doubt in the publics mind

over how committed policy-makers are to considering public input.Meetings like this can end badly, with groups o strangers splitting

into actions, or with harsh emotions erupting to take over otherwise

useul discussion. An additional consequence o poorly designed public

consultation is that it can leave public representatives with the alse

impression that the public is too ill inormed, emotional or volatile to

make an inormed contribution to public policy.

Now consider a well-planned and purposeul public meeting that

brings participants together to identiy common goals and solve

problems. Participants and public ofcials alike spend time learning

rom one another and discussing the serious choices and tradeos

associated with a particular decision. Te meeting taps into the energyand ability o the public to nd solutions that are in the best interests o

their community. Participants leave with greater clarity on the issue, a

eeling that their contribution was useul, and with an understanding o

the next steps in the policy process. Public ofcials leave with a better

sense o the publics concerns and support or the issue, an increased


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sense o trust in and stronger relationships with their community,

and a list o participants who are energized and ready to help with

an implementation plan.

An exceptional public meeting has:

A dened purpose

A clear task or par ticipants

Diverse and adequate attendance

Direct public participation

A ocus on dialogue rather than question and answer

Opportunity or all participants to share their views

Community-building outcomes

Prompt and responsive reporting

A ollow-up communications plan


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The power o public meetings

Enlisting citizens to participate in the development o public policy is an

important and progressive step towards strengthening public condence in

government and improving policy outcomes. Moreover, good processes

that are inclusive and deliberative do more than address a perceived

democratic decit. Tey pay a democratic dividend, ultimately improvingthe democratic tness and readiness o citizens to play an expanded and

more resilient role in the public lie o their communities.

Public meetings are powerul precisely because they aord members

o the public an opportunity to engage with decision-makers and make

an assessment concerning both their sincerity and their ability. In this

way, public meetings are essentially about leadership. But the kind o

leadership that great public meetings require isnt the kind o heroic

leadership that we normally think o, where leaders make decisions

on behal o their constituencies. Instead, leading exceptional public

meetings is about cultivating a sense o clarity about a public issue, a

sense o purpose or participants, and the space or others to make avaluable contribution. Public meetings require acilitative leadership,

where leaders actively engage the public to maximize and leverage their

contribution to solving the issue at hand. For example, acilitative leaders

help participants make connections between what they are learning

and what they experience in their daily lives. Facilitative leadership

also ocuses on building capacity among participants to take action in

solving public problems.


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What do exceptional publicmeetings require?

Great or exceptional public meetings need our things, and theyre

easy to remember because they each start with the letter P. Tey are:

Purpose, Planning, Participation and Product.Great meetings have a clear purpose. Tis sounds easy, but in practice

being clear on the purpose o a meeting can be difcult. Oten its hard

to decide on an agenda, or i a decision is at issue, exactly how much

inormation or context to provide.

Great meetings also require planning. Tis can also be difcult

because oten times organizers have tight timelines and are asked to

do the impossible, lling whole auditoriums with only a ew days

notice, or suggesting topics or conversation without any sense o the

true strategic purpose o the meeting. Planning also includes all o the

logistic and atmospheric details that can help make a meeting go more

smoothly. From catering, to acilitation, to venue, to agenda, extra careand time spent properly planning a public meeting is never wasted.

Participation is the third important key to successul public meetings.

Few people really enjoy sitting around listening to long-winded speeches.

Tey want to talk and more than talk they want to share their experi-

ence and solve problems. Participation is about a lot more than asking

people what they think. It involves a careul assessment o exactly what

members o the public can contribute, and creating an opportunity to

really get the best out o each participant.

Finally, product matters. Good public meetings arent simply about

talk or the sake o talk, or getting a better sense o the publics mood.

Tey are meetings where things get done. Tese can be recommendations,priorities, principles, or simply a clearer sense o the pros and cons

associated with a difcult decision. Regardless o the result, the product

o a public meeting should be as tangible as possible, and communicated

in a ormat, like a report or newsletter, that can be shared.


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Why host a public meeting?

Tere are many reasons to host a public meeting, each with its own

implications or the purpose o the meeting and the task you are asking

o those who attend. Being honest and clear about the reason or your

meeting will help you set parameters or who will attend, how you invite

them, what inormation they need to know, and what you are askingthem to do.

there Is an absence of publIc opInIon on an Issue/you need to

Increase publIc aWareness of an Issue

Raising public awareness or hosting a public inormation meeting will

require a structured program to ensure you present the public with

all the inormation they need. Te meeting should allow attendees to

interact closely with decision makers and experts on the subject, and

ocus on how the issue will or wont aect their daily lives. Te invita-

tion process will require targeted and extensive outreach to ensure the

meeting is well attended.

the publIc Is dIvIded on a contentIous Issue

I an issue in your community is causing intense and polarizing public

debate, public meetings can help community members understand one

another and work towards aligning their priorities. Consider hosting a

series o meetings and setting objectives or each one, such as getting

clarity on the issue, understanding its eects on the community, and

nding common ground. Be sure to spend some time talking about next

steps. A neutral, third party acilitation team can help mitigate tensions and

keep the discussion ocused on community priorities, and inviting inter-

est groups representing all sides o the contentious issue will ensure themeeting remains a legitimate and non-biased discussion in the publics eye.

the publIc demands a say

In some cases, you may encounter public demands or input on an issue

or decision that you hadnt thought o as an important public issue.

Listen careully to why community members are asking to talk about

the issue, and prepare as much inormation as you can to ensure the

meeting clears up myths and misconceptions o the issue. Outline clear

ways you will use the publics input and ensure you have a ollow-up

process in place to let the attendees know the results.

You have a challenging decision to make and want the public toweigh in, understand tradeos, and provide guidance.

Hosting a public meeting to ask the public to weigh in on a tough

decision requires careul planning and a thorough examination o the

tradeos associated with the issue at hand. Your program will need to

ensure adequate time or presentations on all aspects o the proposal as


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well as a series o discussions where participants can think through

implications and make recommendations o what is in the communitys

best interest. It is important to ensure a representative sample o the

community attends by sending targeted invitations or directing resources

to widespread publicity. Participants will want to know how their input

will aect your decision, and the timeline or ollow-up and implementation.

a decIsIon has been made and you need to Inform the publIc about It.

Public meetings can generate support or a policy or decision and pave

the way or smooth and eective implementation, but only i partici-

pants eel they have a real part to play. I you are not able to involve the

public in decision making, consider the aspects o the implementation

plan that you need their help with. Be honest and up ront about the

reason why the decision was made, and ocus on enlisting their support

or the next steps.

you have an Idea and need to determIne the extent of publIc support0

Public meetings can be useul or gauging public support or a new

idea, but it is important to be clear about the meetings purpose inorder to manage participants expectations. Situate the proposal within

the policy-making process and time rame, and explain to participants

how their input will help you in the decision-making process. Outline

the next steps and when they can expect to hear rom you again, and

provide options or pro-active participants who will want to ollow the

idea or proposal more closely. A wide cross-section o the community

will provide the best indication o public support a low turnout or a

meeting dominated by special interest groups will skew the results.

you need to raIse your profIle and buIld a relatIonshIp/trust

WIth the publIc

Inormal public meetings provide an opportunity to build your

proile and check-in on current public attitudes. hey also show

members o your community that public oicials are open to and

genuinely interested in what the public has to say. Combining

regularly scheduled public meetings with short presentations on

how government and the policymaking process work can enhance

transparency and increase public trust in public institutions. Provide

options or interested participants to stay connected with you and

the issues youre working on.


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What are you asking the publicto do?

Exceptional public meetings are clear about their purpose. More than

being clear they are candid with participants about whats possible

and what kind o a mandate public ofcials want. When participantsunderstand the purpose o the meeting, their task, and nd them both

easible within the meeting time rame, they will work hard to reach the

desired outcome. Tis clarity o purpose also nips in the bud rustration

that might be caused by unmet expectations.

Te purpose o the meeting will determine the publics task.

Public meetings can generate enthusiastic supporters o an idea,

plan or policy. Te earlier you involve the public in problem solving

and decision-making, the more ownership they wil l have in the

outcome. Public meetings can also deuse detractors by identiying

and responding to their concerns. Being clear about the purpose o

the meeting and the task or participants in invitations and promo-tional material will help set the expectations or attendees. Dont ask

or public opinion i it wont be used to make a decision, and tell the

public i a decision has been made beore theyre consulted. Good

practice dictates that the public knows why theyre there beore the

meeting starts.

Are you asking their advice on a decision that you have to make?

Is a decision already made, and you need to inorm them o it

and answer any questions they might have? Are you correcting

or misinormation about a contentious issue? Is there a commu-

nity problem that you need the publics help in resolving? Do you

need eedback on an ongoing project? Situating the purpose o themeeting within the context o the decision or policymaking process

will help participants understand their role, your role, and the

limitations o both.

Tink careully about what you would like participants to do at your

meeting, and what your desired outcomes are. Even in meetings that

do not involve decision-making or problem solving and are ocused on

raising awareness and clariying inormation on a public issue, the key

to success is to give the public a task to complete and show them how

they are helping you.

asks or participants can include:

defInIng the problem and mappIng out the Issues

Public meetings can unction as a learning opportunity or partici-

pants and public ofcials alike. Begin by giving participants the context

o the issue, and ask or their help in dening the problem this is

useul because the public might see the problem dierently rom a


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policy-maker. Next, spend time mapping out the issues associated with

the problem, including potential short and long-term impacts and how

these dier or diverse members o the public. Position the meeting

as exploratory, and ensure participants know the desired result is not

a resolution o the issue, but greater clarity on the problem and how

members o the community eel about it.

understandIng and evaluatIng tradeoffs assocIated WIth a decIsIon

You may want participants to evaluate the tradeos and choices associ-

ated with a decision. Tis will provide you with insight into what the

public will consider a easible and desirable course o action. Tese

meetings require a program that presents inormation in a neutral and

act-based manner to ensure participants do not eel swayed by expert

opinion. Plan or several meetings i there is a lot o inormation to

cover and several difcult tradeos to consider, and incorporate activi-

ties that allow participants to assess the impact o a decision according

to multiple criteria (cost, eectiveness, short and long term benets,

etc.) Be sure to have a ollow-up plan in place to show participants how

you will use their evaluation o the issue.

IdentIfyIng communIty values and prIncIples

When you host a public meeting to build community connections, raise

your public prole, or establish common ground on a difcult issue,

start by asking participants to identiy the values, principles, or hopes

or their community. Conversations on what they currently enjoy or eel

pride about in their community, and what they hope will hold true or

the uture, are good ways to begin thinking about community values.

Tese conversations work well in small groups, and i you ask each

group to report back their list o values or principles, chances are you

will hear the same words several times. Tis can help diverse partici-pants realize the connections they have with their neighbours, and can

result in a solid oundation o community principles to use in subse-

quent public meetings.

establIshIng prIorItIes

Prioritizing issues or actions is one o the most ruitul tasks or public

meetings. In addition to giving public leaders clear signals o what is

important to the public, it generates a clear mandate or public ofcials

to make decisions and take action. Participants will eel included in

direction setting and can be enthusiastic supporters o what policies

come next. It is important to rame priority-setting around the needsand interests o the wider community, and ask participants not just to

contribute their personal choices to the discussion, but to consider as

well those o their neighbours.


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solvIng problems and makIng recommendatIons

Usually, participants will only be able to solve tough problems and make

recommendations ater they have completed a number o the above tasks.

Meetings that ask participants or concrete and innovative solutions

will require act-based, expert presentations, establishing community

values, prioritizing issues, evaluating tradeos, and nding common

ground. Consider hosting a series o meetings or complex or contentious

decisions, or limiting your meeting to one specic problem and a desiredoutcome o three to ve recommendations. Focus on participant learning

and creating inormed opinion, and be exible about the ormat or

language o the nal recommendations not everyone in the room will

crat expert policy suggestions. Reect participants words and senti-

ments in the nal report and communicate back to them the reasons or

or against nal acceptance o their recommendations.

helpIng publIc offIcIals understand the publIcs concerns or

support for an Issue or decIsIon

In meetings with a simpler task, such as asking or the public to voice their

concerns about an issue or decision, it is important to be honest and clearwith participants that what you need rom them is their point o view not

their recommendations. Frame the meeting as exploratory, and explain

how their participation will give you a better understanding o the impacts

the issue has on the community. Tis will help you make a more inormed

decision when the time comes. Use the meeting as a public education tool

by including inormation on how the decision-making process will work,

and what timelines you expect to ollow as you decide on/resolve the issue.

What the experts say:

Clariy the expectations and responsibilit ies o everyone involved in

the public meeting at the outset and work rom a collaborative spiri t.

Shit your role rom representative, advocate, or problem solver to

convener and listener.

Complete transparency in why certain issues or items cant be

addressed (out o your purview, too costly) is necessary to manage

expectations.


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Using Deliberative Processes

Broadly speaking, conventional approaches to public consultation like town hall

meetings, ocus groups and opinion polls create unrepresentative proxies or

the public interest. They exaggerate dierences, encourage NIMBYism, solidi y

stakeholder views, and are rarely constructive inluences in the development

o ar-reaching and ar-sighted policy.A deliberative approach to publ ic consultation amplies areas o common

interest, ocuses on learning and creating inormed opinion, and asks partici-

pants to think about and represent the needs and interests o their wider

community. It assumes that citizens have preerences that can change as they

learn and debate new inormation, arriving at thoughtul, concrete, and useul

policy recommendations.

Design Principles or Deliberative Processes

1. Demographically diverse participants

Using random selection methods to recruit participants will help to ensure a

representative sample and a scientically credible selection process. It is

inclusive and air because it provides everyone with an equal chance o being

selected to participate, and serves deliberation well because it is more likely to

select nonpartisan participants than open, sel-selection methods.

2. Facilitated dialogue

Facilitators and moderators play an important role in ensuring inclusive-

ness and respect during deliberations. They also help participants see their

primary task in terms o deliberation and learning rather than representation

o personal interests.

3. Accessible, non-partisan inormation on the issue and policy options

Participants need accessible inormation about the issues and choices

involved to articulate inormed opinions. This inormation helps level the

playing eld or participants and oers them an unbiased overview o the

issue rom which to begin thinking about tradeos and choices.

4. Agenda-setting that accounts or citizen interests and priorities

It is important that deliberation pursues a topic that is relevant to policy-

makers and citizens alike. Participants will be less willing to debate on

issues they nd boring or unimportant, but enthusiastic when they under-

stand the potential impact the issue has on their lives.

5. Results that reect the diversity o views and highlight shared priorities

Results should refect all the reasonable views on display in the room,

but highlight those views that suraced as sponsored by a majority o

participants. Activities that help participants brainstorm, cluster, theme,


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and prioritize ideas or recommendations can prompt results that refect

common goals.


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Planning your meeting

Nothing creates negative public sentiment aster than a meeting that

participants deem poorly planned, last-minute, and just or show.

A poorly planned meeting invariably leads to one o two problems: too

ew members o the public attend, or too many. Poor public meetings

do not let you hear rom the right people in the right way. For example,when a meeting has too ew attendees, it lacks the critical mass that

legitimizes the meeting in the publics eye creating the need or

more public meetings to ensure adequate numbers o people have been

involved. I a last minute meeting is held on a contentious public issue,

public ofcials might be seen as dodging interaction with the public,

hoping that no one shows up. Tis can backre and ll the room with

special interest groups, lobbyists, and community members who see

the meeting as their one chance to have their say. Long lines at the

microphones, inadequate discussion time, and crowds o people without

chairs to sit on set the stage or conrontation.

Tere are three main aspects o a public meeting to plan or: theprogram, event logistics, and convening participants.

plannIng the program

Once you have determined the reason you want to meet with the

public and the purpose o your meeting, you can plan the meetings

program. Tink about what you want to achieve, who you want in the

room, what inormation they will need in order to accomplish their

task and how you will capture this public input. Identiy credible

sources to present this inormation politically neutral and actualinormation will empower participants to orm opinions and make

decisions. Presentations that lead participants to a particular conclu-

sion can create rustration and suspicion that the meeting is rubber-

stamping a previously decided issue or policy. Prepare presenters in

advance to ensure their presentation is short, engaging, and accessible

to a public audience.

Te bulk o the program should allow or participants to talk about

what they are learning and work through their task. Small group

discussions are best or allowing participants the time to share their

experiences and exchange ideas on how to solve the problem put to

them. o get the most out o the discussions, create a set o clear, open-ended questions that you need the publics help in answering three

questions will oten be enough or one meeting. Sequential questions

allow participants to have several conversations that build towards a

result. I it is important that you get as much input as possible on each

question, your program could establish simultaneous conversations that


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participants can join and leave throughout the meeting according to

their interest.

Planning or participants who dont understand the purpose o the

meeting, or who are not interested in staying on task, is a lso important.

One option is to reserve a portion o the program or a table in the room

or discussing issues that participants bring to the meeting. Alternatively,

encouraging participants to provide input on such issues through a separate

mechanism can keep the public meeting ocused on the task at hand.

What the experts say:

Think about targets to set or actions to take with your community. When

participants see their actions are having an impact they will eel that the

meeting was a success- people like doing their part and seeing results.

Programs or meetings that solve clearly defned problems allow partici-

pants to:

Bring their own experiences to the table

Learn rom subject experts

Identiy a set o common shared values

Deliberate with one another

Prioritize issues based on their values

Generate ideas and recommendations

Produce their own report o their ndings

Sample Program Elements:

Welcome and context

Presenting inormation

Identiying community values

Understanding issues/impacts/tradeos

Brainstorming solutions/opportunities/ideas

Grouping ideas into clusters and themes


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Prioritizing themes/solutions

Outlining scenarios

Drating recommendations

The space

choosIng a venue

Just as great parties rarely happen in dull rooms, exceptional public

meetings need original and pleasant venues to add energy and set a

positive tone. oo oten meeting rooms are poorly lit, windowless

spaces with poor acoustics. Instead care should be given to nd venues

that are well-maintained, memorable, known to the community and are

civic, rather than commercial spaces.

Oten inormal spaces work well. Atriums in civic buildings, libraries,theatres and community centres are particularly well suited to public

meetings. Public meetings are also good occasions to give members o

the public access to spaces that they might not normally experience.

Even the experience o being in a public acility aterhours can create

a sense o importance and privileged access that can lend esteem to

the meeting.

Tough school gyms are requently used or public meetings, their

acoustics make them ill suited to have meaningul conversation in

anything but small groups. I a gym is the only venue thats available,

ensure that you have a good sound system and can control the lighting

appropriately. Also try to make the space more intimate by organizingseating in a an shape, rather than long rows, and use roundtables

whenever possible to acilitate a more convivial interaction between

participants.

Its also important to select venues that are easily accessible by public

transit and have ample parking, and meet all modern accessibility

codes. Additional considerations, such as translation, childcare, and

timing o meeting to avoid civic and religious holidays and sporting or

community events, will make the meeting accessible to a wide range o

potential participants.


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When deciding on a venue, consider:

The Space

What does the space eel like? Tone? Mood? Lighting? Dcor?

What size is the auditorium?

How many seats are there? Is there room or round tables?How many?

What are the acoustics like?

How high are the ceilings?

Does it need to be heated/air conditioned?

Are there break-out rooms or alternative spaces?

What is the light like or photography/videography?

Is there a podium or stage?

Presentations

Do speakers need microphones?

Is there a screen or presentations?

Can everyone seated in the room see the screen?

What AV/tech needs do you have?

Trafc Flow

How will people move around the space? How long will it take to walk

around the space or between rooms?

How many doors are there in & out o the auditorium?

Where are the washrooms? Break out rooms?

Where is the registration area? Where will people put their coats?

Where can people with wheelchairs access the room?

What directional signage is needed?

Where will ood be served?


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Convening participants

InvItIng the publIc

Te success o any public meeting is largely dependent on the peoplewho choose to attend. Notably over the course o the past ty years, as

our towns and cities have grown, and participation in traditional civic

associations and religious congregations has diminished, it has become

harder to promote and encourage residents to attend public meetings.

Te decline o local media has also has made it difcult or government

and public ofcials to communicate eectively with their communities.

Against the growth o the population and the diusion o points o

social interaction, new online platorms like social media still have a

ways to go.

Determining who should be represented in the audience and how

to get them there will determine the method o invitation required.Options include: random invitation, where letters are sent out to the

public and attendance is based on a selection o who responds; targeted

invitation, where certain stakeholders or members o the public are

invited only, which is useul when trying to avoid those who would use

the meeting to air personal grievances; open invitation, where anyone

can attend; or blended invitation, a combination o any o the previous

three methods. o increase open attendance, encourage participants to

bring a amily member, riend, or neighbour.

Eective contact list management is a great instrument or promoting

public meetings. Ofcials need swit, low cost channels to advertise

meetings, and ensure good penetration throughout a community. Tedevelopment and maintenance o these lists should be a constant priority

or any representative or ofcial who routinely holds public meetings.

Good lists will include individuals and organizations with a declared or

evident interest in one or more public issues.

It is challenging to solicit input rom the majority o residents who do

not belong to an organization, or have registered their interest. Here,

many ofcials will all back on traditional orms o advertising that

can include paid advertising in local publications, and placing posters

or notices in public places. But consider using randomized AdMail, a

service oered by Canada Post or bulk mailing leaets, or automated

phone messages that can be cheaply placed to all households within ageographic region. Another option is to use ree online event planning

tools like EventBrite to encourage participants to learn more about the

meeting and to RSVP.


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The experts say:

Match the method o invitation to the audience you are inviting. Consider

cultural barriers and language. In the case o consulting with First Nations

and Aboriginal populations, request to attend and observe their internal

meetings and build a relationship with their community leaders.

craftIng the InvItatIon

Many o us wouldnt consider going to a party without being invited.

But i we received a special invitation in the mail that asked or our

personal contribution to an event, we would give it some real thought.

Tis is the thinking that underlies crating an invitation that appeals to

citizens sense o public purpose. Emphasize attendance as a orm o

community service and as an opportunity to learn more about an issue,

rather than simply the chance to have your say.

Equally important in public meeting invitations is clearly outlin-

ing the goals and benets or both government and the public. I it isknowledge or learning, promise to provide the public with answers;

i the purpose is to advise on a policy, promise to respond to their

concerns and questions; and i the basis is or discussion, promise a

respectul interaction.

Te invitations should cover whats being discussed, who will be

there, the goal o the meeting, and the t ime and location. echnology

allows invitations to encompass links to surveys asking people what

they expect to get out o the meeting and why they plan to attend, links

to documents or websites detailing the inormation about the issue

to be discussed, and the opportunity to sign up or services such as

reminder texts, weets, or Facebook alerts as the date approaches.

usIng socIal medIa

Internet-based platorms such as Facebook, witter and blogs can be

eective methods o advertising an event and its details, given sufcient

resources. Tey are enormously powerul and inexpensive tools or

sharing inormation, and public meetings can prot when social media

are used to encourage participation and debate beore, during and ater

a meeting. However, social media are tools or participation, not strategies

in and o themselves. Tese tools may not work well or conversationswith a dened objective, but dont always acilitate the sense o commu-

nity, commitment, and alignment on public values that accompany

exceptional public meetings. Plan to use social media as a complementto

your ace-to-ace meetings.


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Social media can be used or:

Monitoring identiying what is being discussed online around the

issue, the tone o the discussion, and who is leading the conversations.

Outreach using Facebook and other social media platorms as a

channel or outreach and invitations to groups that use those platorms

or their own purposes o convening, gathering and discussion.

Promotion using social media to promote your event to the public,

leveraging their social networks by rst inviting key inuencers in

certain constituencies or communities.

Storytelling using video and blogs to tell the story o what those who

attended the meeting learned and did together, how their eedback was

used, how their ideas or opinions shited as a result o their interactions.

Interaction using social media to maintain a channel o conversation

and discussion ater the event is done or between meetings o a program.


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The Actual Meeting

WelcomIng partIcIpants

Like any other rst impression, the initial minutes o a public meetingare critical to establishing trust and comort with your participants.

In just a ew minutes, the welcome speaker should orient participants

to the objectives o the meeting, the contribution they will make, and

communicate appreciation or their participation.

Begin by thanking participants or attending, noting the many

pressures competing or their time. Be orthright and transparent about

any shortcomings o the meeting (eg: lack o space or time, a broken

microphone, etc). Acknowledging any weaknesses will demonstrate

openness with and trust in your participants. It will also anticipate any

grievances so participants can ocus on the task at hand.

Te convener may also want to deer to a lead acilitator to host therest o the meeting and level the playing eld. Legitimacy comes rom

the public eeling that their participation is more than cosmetic, and

shiting a political ofcials role rom leader to listener will ampliy the

publics participatory role.

It is important to quickly situate the meeting within the larger

context. Tis will rame the issue at hand or participants, and help

them understand how the meeting connects to other political processes

that are underway. I possible, highlight additional opportunities or

participants to meet and provide input.

Ten, describe the purpose o the meeting. Here its very important

to be explicit. Manage expectations by clearly stating the meetingobjectives. Explain what is, or more importantly is not up or

discussion and the rationale or that decision. Acknowledge that there

may be other issues that participants wish to address and propose other

avenues where participants can take up these issues.

ake time to orient participants to the meetings agenda. Establishing

the agenda will signal the meeting has been well planned, and under-

score that you know everyone is relying on you to make sure that as a

group you reach a good conclusion to the meeting in the allotted time.

Knowing they will have opportunities to both listen and speak will

diuse the sense o urgency and intensity participants may eel. It will

set them at ease to know what will be expected o them and when.Finally, incorporating humour will help to establish a riendly,

welcoming atmosphere and trust in your leadership. Keep in mind

many participants may not have attended a public meeting beore, and

some may be intimidated particularly i the issue is complex or there

are many experts present. Be gracious by acknowledging the presence


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o members o the community by name whose participation is signicant.

Level the playing eld by acknowledging the expertise participants

bring to the conversation, and show your appreciation or the valuable

contribution they will make.

makIng presentatIons

Presentations are an important part o most public meetings. Tey

provide the context or a discussion, and are a good way to bring

an audience up to speed on a given issue. Still, it can be difcult to

judge how much or how little inormation to share. Many public

meetings either overshoot or undershoot this mark, providing ar

too much inormation or too little. I you do need to err on the

longer side, consider breaking up the presentations into two or

more segments, perhaps providing them as an introduction into

subsequent conversations.

A good rule o thumb or most public meetings is to ensure that

no less than one-sixth and no more than one-quarter o the allottedmeeting time is spent making presentations. Tis means that between

ten and teen minutes per hour o meeting time can saely be used

to welcome participants and introduce any background inormation

relevant to the discussion. Applying a one-quarter rule requires discipline,

which is why its so important to evaluate exactly what inormation

participants will need to make an inormed contribution, and prep your

speakers in advance.

Introduce any speakers and special guests switly and condently.

Do not read out lengthy biographies or lists o accomplishments. Te

purpose isnt to atter the speaker or guest, but rather to explain to the

audience why their participation is relevant to the meeting.Presentations should be designed to inorm as objectively as possible,

without patronizing or unduly inuencing participants. Do not make

assumptions about what participants know. Slides and presentations

should be clear, concise and in plain language. I there are a lot o

complex, new ideas, consider preparing a two-page handout with key

inormation. Like the presentations, documents should be unbiased and

easy to understand.

plenary and small group dIscussIons

Both plenary and small group discussions are important elements o

good public meetings. In plenary, individuals address the entire group,

and at any given time most o the participants act as an audience. Small

group discussions can range in size rom only two participants to twelve.

Each group size will produce a dierent social dynamic:


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Groups under fve will allow each participant to have the most talk

time. Tis can be helpul i participants need to get to know each other

or share personal stories: it will be easier or them to conde in a ew

people rather than a room o strangers. Tis is not a sufcient number

or participants to eel as through they have been heard adequately.

Conversations in groups under ve people must be combined with

larger group discussions or reporting.

Groups o six to eight are ideal to maximize group productivity. In small-

er groups participants will be challenged to keep the conversation going,

while larger groups will limit the opportunity or spontaneous discussion.

Groups o six to eight people will allow each individual time to speak while

involving enough voices to achieve a constant ow o ideas.

Groups o nine to twelve are useul or building consensus and

nishing o ideas. Tis is most benecial as an intermediate step rom

smaller groups to plenary. Tis size allows participants to combine their

ideas or negotiate agreement once a baseline has been established. It ispossible to have initial group conversations with up to twelve people,

though these will have to be more disciplined. Tis is the maximum

number o participants or a small group discussion. Support rom a

person with acilitation skills can be useul to groups o this size.

Individual activities it is oten useul to have participants reect on

the discussion question on their own or 60 to 90 seconds, so that they

have a moment to consider their answer beore jumping into discussion.

Consider also using individual exercises to gather ideas or opinions

rom participants ater their group discussion.

Te most successul public meetings incorporate both plenary and small group

discussions. Beginning in plenary will allow all participants to have the same

understanding o the objectives and to voice major concerns that most

participants will have. Small group discussion will allow each participant a

chance to speak and be heard, and encourage participants to understand

each other and work as a team to oer solutions. Concluding in plenary

with report outs provides each group the opportunity to hear and recog-

nize elements o their own discussion in what the others have produced.

usIng table facIlItators

Good acilitators are skilled at encouraging conversation, keeping

groups on task, and balancing dierent points o view that sometimes

can come into conict. More generally, they are convivial and welcoming

and know how to put strangers at ease. For all o these reasons, discussion


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table acilitators can do a lot to ensure that public meetings are productive

and run smoothly.

While proessional acilitators can be useul and even essential or

dealing with complex, lengthy or emotionally charged and combative

meetings, more oten you can simply designate volunteers or colleagues

to ll this role. Volunteer acilitators, with no special training, can be

useul during meetings to maintain ocus and momentum especially

when they work in concert with a moderator or host providing cleardirection rom the ront o the room.

Good judgment, a sense o airness and an open and inquisitive mind

are the most important qualities when playing the role o a acilitator.

able acilitators should ensure each participant gets a chance to speak,

highlight key points o agreement or common themes that emerge rom

the discussion, explore areas o disagreement and ask questions to solicit

urther discussion. Facilitators can also be called upon to periodically

summarize the discussion in plenary sessions, or designate a member o

their table to represent the group in plenary.

For a public meeting with an ambitious agenda, or that is addressing

a contentious issue, neutral, third party proessional acilitators shouldbe used. Tey are perceived by the public as unbiased, can articulate

the objectives and purpose o the meeting without pushing a political

agenda, and lend transparency to the process by keeping the meeting

on track and recording the results.

keepIng an eye on the tIme

Successul meetings end on time adhering to a set schedule will

show participants that you respect their time. At the beginning o the

meeting, establish clear guidelines or the length o each discussion,and remind participants rom the ront to the room a ew minutes

beore they need to wrap up their current conversation. Staying on

time reinorces the momentum o the meeting and provides a sense o

achievement at each phase. People are accustomed to hearing politi-

cians and experts discuss issues publicly. It is important to limit expert

presentations; the majority o time should be reserved or participants

to present their perspectives and discuss the issue at hand.

capturIng notes

Notes promote an iterative process, whereby the events organizers can

reect on discussions that happened and provide eedback according to

common issues. Facilitators should keep notes on the issues, disagree-

ments and other points o interest that were raised at their table. Be sure

to capture the process o coming to consensus or alignment on the issue


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this will be valuable or the meetings organizers, who will need to

provide a report/eedback not just on the results o the meeting, but the

process used to obtain those results as well.

Providing participants with writing materials to record thoughts,

concerns, perspectives, and values can produce valuable notes and

insights or the meetings host. Tese can be collected by acilitators

throughout the day to record common themes, which the lead acilitator

or convener may present during plenary to see i it resonates with thewhole group and warrants urther discussion. Furthermore, these

materials are essential to supplement observation and note-taking or

reporting and ollow-up with participants. Be sure to let participants

know that you will collect these pages.

The experts say:

During the meeting, keep asking: what did we learn? What are the key

issues here? Building on what you are hearing as you go makes or

richer results.

Dont hide rom criticism or dissent the public understands that not

everyone agrees 100% o the time.

reportIng back

I you ask participants to share their small groups ideas in plenary, provide

clear instructions to avoid losing the groups energy during the report backs.

At the start o the table discussions, ask each group to choose a reporter and

clearly describe their task (share two o the most important ideas discussedat your table, or, give us one new idea). Te lead acilitator should begin that

session with a reminder to participants about the time constraints and goals

o the report back (such as only sharing ideas that have not come up at

other tables). Consider also using alternate orms o sharing discussion

group ideas like an idea gallery on the wall or written summaries.

analysIs of dIscussIons

Analysis can happen one or more times during a meeting to use the results

o one conversation to seed the next conversation. For example, a reportback on participants ideas about the biggest challenges acing an issue can

kick start a conversation about addressing those barriers. o do this, collect

ideas during or at the end o the discussion and build on-the-spot analysis

into the agenda. Encourage participants to report back on their conversa-

tions by only noting ideas that another group have not already reported.


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Tips rom Involve (www.involve.org.uk)

Eective Questioning Can

Sort acts rom eelings

Break down issues into manageable components

Identiy personal interests/preerences/ concerns

Tips

Encourage people to elaborate (Ask why? How? What do

you mean?)

Ask open questions to encourage creativity and problem-solving

Use questions to seek clarication on what is being said

Give people time; do not rush to ll the silence. The silence is thinking

time!

Consider how you come across. Remember that people are as aware o

your body language and tone o voice as o the actual words you use

Suggested Listening Interventions

Encouraging/acknowledging: Tell us more... That sounds like it is

important to you...

Checking/clarication: Am I right in thinking that...? Im not sure I

understand, did you say...?

Armation/empathy: I understand why you are concerned about

this... Thanks or that inormation...

Activities or on-the-spot analysis:

Dotmocracy: Participants indicate their eelings on a sheet that contains

a recommendation or idea by shading in a circle on a scale o agree to

disagree. Alternatively, the place a sticker or draw a dot /mark by the ideas

that they support. This becomes a clear visual indication o where public

support or dissent lies.

Clustering: Similar to the theming process described above, but replaces the

sta theme-team with plenary report backs, table by table, so that partici-

pants discover or themselves the similarities and themes in the room. In small


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groups, participants write their ideas/concerns/values on small cards. One by

one, a representative rom each table presents each card to the room, taping

them to a wall or board, keeping signicant space between each card. Subse-

quent table representatives place cards containing similar ideas on top o or

clustered around those already taped to the wall, and star t new clusters or

columns or new ideas. Facilitators or the meeting host can prompt discussion

or clarication and suggestions o the emerging themes. This becomes a clear

visual indication o participants common goals/priorities/values.

Aggregation o values:Participants pair up to identiy common values

surrounding an issue. Ater a ew minutes o discussion, they join another

pair to highlight similar values and continue brainstorming. This process can

be repeated until the common values o the whole group are determined.

Report backs:Divide participants into smaller groups and ask one person to

report back to the main group. Encourage reporters not to repeat ideas rom

other groups, only report whats new and interesting to help illuminate the

issue. This orces reporters to make choices on what they say and prevents

anyone rom taking up too much time. Choose engaging and concise people

as reporters and show them examples o a successul report back beore

group deliberations.

Individual Surveys:Unlike the methods outlined above, surveys can be used

beore, during, and ater the meeting to identiy shared goals and common

points o dissent among the participants.

Consider also using sta members or acilitators or receiving notes

rom each table discussion, distilling them into common themes

and presenting back to the group at the end o the meeting. Keeptrack o: (1) the ideas that seem to repeat; (2) general topics being

addressed; and (3) poignant quotes rom participants that illustrate

the ideas being discussed. Continue to reine themes and strengthen

them with quotes. Check back with participants to ensure you are

adequately capturing their thoughts. hese summarizing eorts

make it possible or all participants to gain an understanding o the

group as a whole, while there is still time at the meeting to address

any gaps or inconsistencies.

photography and vIdeo

Media documentation is valuable to participants as well as organizers.

Photos can be integrated into any reports that are released and video

interviews with participants are useul to provide reections and documen-

tation o the meeting itsel. However, it is important all participants ll


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out a release orm in order to ensure their privacy and saety, especially

or discussions o sensitive subjects.

summIng up

At the meetings end, the host should provide a brie synopsis o the

session, recounting some highlights and any achievements that were made.

It is important to emphasize the importance o public participationand mention any ongoing eorts or uture initiatives that the public

can participate in. I possible, the host should review what was learned

that day, and what key issues were taken away. Also make clear how and

when participants can expect to hear back about the impact o their

contributions.

folloW-up and reportIng

Reports that clearly communicate the purpose, process, and results o

the public meeting, absent o bureaucratic language, are essential orany public meeting.

Making a report public lends transparency to the process and, when

combined with a eedback mechanism to allow or comments or input

on the report, creates an opportunity or urther participation. Keep

the language o the report simple and use the report to reect the

participants own words, opinions, and decisions.


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Conclusion

Public meetings dont just happen. o be successul, they require careul

planning. In this way, exceptional public meetings are designed. From

the purpose, to the composition and recruitment o the participants,

to the ormat o presentations, the atmosphere o the room and the

duration o the meeting: each o these are design choices that willinuence, both dramatically and subtly, the success o your meeting.

Good design choices make public meetings orums or dynamic and

productive conversations.

While having the opportunity to express a point o view is important,

public meetings are about something even more critical: trust. When

you see your representative or a public ofcial up-close, do you trust

them? Are they honest? Are they open and genuinely interested in

understanding dierent perspectives or dierent approaches to

solving a problem? Well-designed, meaningul public consultation

can help repair some o the antagonism that currently exists between

public representatives and citizens.Public meetings also serve as your chance to learn more about how

society works and especially about how the systems o government

are interpreted rom the citizens perspective. In this way, public leader-

ship, public learning and public engagement should be synonymous.

Tis hand guide was designed as a springboard or designing excep-

tional public meetings and to give you a sense o resources, purpose

and desired outcomes. It also shows how leadership, learning and

engagement each come together to reinorce one another. Tey are

important watchwords or todays public leaders.


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Appendix

further readIng:

What the public say: Public engagement in national decision-making; Involve,

London, July 00 (http://bit.ly/cz6pR)

Deliberative Public Engagement: Nine principles; Involve, London, 008

(http://bit.ly/cz6pR)

Participation Nation: Reconnecting Citizens to the Public Realm; Involve,

London 007 (http://bit.ly/cz6pR)

People and participation: Understanding diferent models o community engage-

ment; Involve, London, 005 (http://bit.ly/euy5HX)

Te Public Participation Handbook: Making Better Decisions Trough Citizen

Involvement; James L. Creighton, Jossey-Bass, March 005

Te Deliberative Democracy Handbook: Strategies or Efective Civic

Engagement in the wenty-First Century; John Gastil and Peter Levine;

Jossey-Bass; June 9, 005

Best o the Best Resources, Te National Coalition or Dialogue &

Deliberation (http://ncdd.org/rc/best-o-the-best-resources)

ParticipateDB, a collaborative catalogue or online tools or participation

(http://participatedb.com/)


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about the authors:

Joslyn Trowbridge

Joslyn rowbridge is the Director o Research and Learning at

MASS LBP. She received her Master o Public Policy (MPP) rom the

Hertie School o Governance in Berlin, Germany, where she ocused

on Democratic Teory and Design, Public Management and PolicyAnalysis. She garnered signicant experience in citizen engagement

with AmericaSpeaks in Washington, D.C. and collaborated on several

projects on global governance and public space with CivWorld at

Demos in New York. Prior to receiving her MPP, she ounded and

directed a Montreal-based youth program, managed violence-preven-

tion programs or young women at the Girls Action Foundation and

assisted her Member o Parliament in his constituency ofce. She has

consulted on engagement strategies or Canadian Policy Research

Networks, UN Habitat, and the McGill Institute or Gender, Sexuality

and Feminist Studies. She directs MASS LBPs research services,

including literature reviews, planning and design or data collection,and project analysis and reporting. She also manages MASS LBPs

regional and municipal government citizen engagement projects.

Peter MacLeod

Peter MacLeod is the co-ounder and principal o MASS LBP, an

innovative rm based in oronto that works with visionary govern-

ments and corporations to deepen and improve public consultation

and engagement. Since 007, MASS has led some o the Canadas most

original and ambitious eorts to engage citizens in tackling tough

policy options while pioneering the use o Civic Lotteries and Citizen

Reerence Panels on behal o a wide array o clients. Over the past tenyears Peter has worked with leading organizations in North America and

Europe, including Fast Company magazine, Vancouvers Wosk Centre

or Dialogue, Britains Demos think tank and the Kaospilots, a Danish

school or business design and social innovation. A ellow at the Centre

or the Study o Democracy at Queens University, he writes and speaks

requently about the citizens experience o the state, the importance o

public imagination and the uture o responsible government. A gradu-

ate o the University o oronto and Queens University, he subse-

quently let his doctoral program at the London School o Economics

to ound MASS, ater travelling across Canada and visiting nearly 00

ederal constituency ofces. He is the 008 recipient o the Public PolicyForums prestigious Emerging Leaders Award.


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contrIbutors:

Susanna Haas Lyons

Susanna Haas Lyons is a public engagement specialist who provides

strategy and training or better conversations between the public and

decision makers. Bridging online and ace-to-ace methods, Susanna

has worked on some o North Americas largest and most complexcitizen engagement projects. She is a senior network associate with

AmericaSpeaks, a global leader in large-scale public participation on

the policy issues that matter most to the public. Previously, Susanna

was project coordinator with the internationally recognized British

Columbia Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reorm. Susanna is currently

researching collaborative policy development, with a ocus in digital

engagement practices, at the University o British Columbias Institute

or Resources, the Environment and Sustainability. She is an advisor

to the Alberta Climate Dialogue project and board member o the

Canadian Community or Dialogue and Deliberation (CD).

Mark Kuznicki

Mark Kuznicki works at the intersection o technology, open govern-

ment and social innovation. Marks work combines social media, ace-to-

ace gatherings and open source approaches to engage citizens, connect

communities and oster creative and innovative ideas or the uture.

Mark helped organize oronto ransitCamp, a solutions playground

that looked at the uture o orontos transit system, and wrote about

the model orHarvard Business Review. Mark brought a similar model

to VOs Te Agenda with Steve Paikin to engage citizens around

issues relating to Ontarios changing economy. Mark also launched

ChangeCamp, an event and a community that is spreading and sharingthe ideas, tools and methods o open government, social change, and

citizen participation across Canada and around the world. Marks prior

work includes consulting to government in the development o an

Entertainment & Creative Cluster Strategy or the Province o Ontario.

Prior to this, Mark worked or seven years in client management and

technology strategy in the investment industry in oronto. His educa-

tion includes an undergraduate degree in Business Administration rom

Wilrid Laurier University as well graduate work in Political Science

and International Political Economy at the University o oronto.


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expert IntervIeWs:

Dr. Amy Lang, Senior Corporate Management & Policy Consultant,

City o oronto

Dr. Charles Jago, C.M., O.C. - Canada West Foundation & Board Chair,

Northern Health, Prince George

Lyndsay Poaps, Research Assistant & Urban Fellow, City o oronto &

Co-Founder o Check Your Head

Mairi Welman, Director o Communications, City o Vancouver

Jim Nelson, Power Smart Marketing Manager, BC Hydro

Mayor Ken Melamed, Mayor o Whistler, BC

the dos and donts of hostIng publIc

meetIngs

DO:

Plan the meeting with the end in mind. Have a goal these meetings

should achieve.

Create a test group to assess questions beore the meeting.

Spend at least 50 per cent o preparation getting the right people inthe room.

Have a balanced perspective about the issues or bring in people who

can.

ake the reasonable persons test: would a reasonable person

looking at this process believe it was impartial, meaningul, easi-

ble, and credible?

Make it easy or people to get to and rom the meeting. ake issues

o mobility into account.

I conducting a large meeting with hundreds o people, ensure

theres adequate security to remove disruptive/violent people.

Respect peoples time: start and nish the meeting on time.


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Civic Interaction: A hand guide or hosting exceptional public meetings 43Civic Interaction: A hand guide or hosting exceptional public meetings

Communicate the purpose and expectations o the meeting with a

clear agenda.

Set the right balance between experts, authority gures, and

participants.

Plan or photos and video with the appropriate release orms.

Consider the capacity o the project leaders, ministers, and partici-

pants in addressing the issue beore the meeting.

Provide nametags or everyone, including politicians and experts.

Provide rereshments, keeping in mind dietary needs.

I using tables, have a randomized seating method.

Write a script beorehand and ollow it to keep the meeting on time.

But remain exible.

Break the ice: connect people to why theyre there and who theyre

with.

Set aside plenty o time or participants to talk.

Remember people learn in dierent ways; incorporate several kinds

o engagement or dierent kinds o people.

Pay attention to rules o engagement, deliberation, and power

relations to reduce uneven power during a meeting.

Separate the roles o the convener, who has the authority to

welcome people and open the space; the acilitator, who manages

the engagement process; and the recorder, who captures whats said

in a way thats useul to the customer.

Put importance on outputs and their legitimacy.

Identiy and clariy disagreements.

Be clear on what happens with public input.

Plan or a eedback mechanism to monitor whats happening at

each o the tables.

I using report back, select one person to report back and outline


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what they need to report back.

Summarize what was discussed, how the meeting went, and what

the next steps are.

Tank people; shake every hand as they go out the door.

DONT:

Spend the whole time talking about yoursel.

Make assumptions about what people know.

Hold a meeting at the last minute

But, i you have to, ensure that:

Te intentions or gathering the public and the questions to

answer are clear;

Te people who must be there are identied, sent personal invita-

tions, and asked to recruit ve to 0 members o the public to attend;

Te person responsible or taking action on the issue is at

the meeting;

All meeting orms are considered to ensure the correct method

is used;

Expectations are adjusted. Te results rom a week long engage-

ment cant be the same as those rom a year long engagement;

Teres a prominently displayed sign up sheet or the public to

leave contact inormation to notiy them o the next steps

Break the laws o social physics:

An agreement on an issue cant be reached in an hour;

Priorities cant be made beore you know the shared values

between government and the public;

Conuse public with stakeholders and vice versa.

ake more than three lines to introduce someone.Just say:

Who they are;


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Something interesting theyve done;

Teir relation to the issue

Expect everyone who attends will have done the pre-reading

Be a slave to the script; be sensitive to the needs o the moment

Do it alone: there is a lot o nuance in setting up and running

a public meeting and it should be done with people who have

experience


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Civic

Interaction:A hand guideor hostingexceptional

publicmeetings

civic handbook

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