Perspectives on Involvement with the

National Issues ForumsDemographic Findings from a 2013 survey of active

participants in the National Issues Forums The Graphs

Prepared for the Deliberation in Everyday Speech Workgroup by Margaret E. Holt

Note: These are only the graphs. Qualitative responses that expand upon these inquiries are available in a separate document.

Introduction to Graphs

The following 29 graphs represent findings from a 2013 study of active participants in the National Issues Forums. The purpose of the study was to gain knowledge of the meaning of involvement from a purposeful sample of individuals who had extensive and sustained experience with these forums. They are based on 65 responses to the survey. Thirty five women and thirty men from 25 States and the District of Columbia responded to the 50-item survey online. Responses to the associated qualitative questions are reported in a separate document.

How did you first learn about the National Issues

Forums?

Responses

16

5

21

25

How you first learned about NIF

Involvement with Kettering FoundationColleagues at school/college/universityCommunity organizationOther

How many years have you

been involved with the

National Issues Forums?

Responses

6

9

24

26

0

Years Involved with NIF

0

1 to 10

11 to 20

21 to 30

31 to 32

What is or has been your

relationship to the National

Issues Forums?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

19

19

34

21

27

41

33

41

54

45

Relationship to NIF

forum convenor/sponsorforum moderatorforum recorderforum reporterforum observerissue book writer/researcherNIFI Board MemberIssue framerIssue testerOther

What has been the scope of

your work with the National

Issues Forums?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

14

39

29

45

53

Scope of Work with NIF

localstatewidemultistate/regionalnationalinternational

Approximately how many forums have you attended since you became associated with the National Issues Forums?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25

12

7

7

19

20

1

Forums Attended

01 to 2021 to 5051 to 8081 to 100100+

Do you believe there are

identifiable democratic

practices emphasized in NIF?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

4

0

61

Believe identifiable democratic practices in NIF

YesNoNot Sure

Do you think your involvement with NIF has influenced how you understand particular practices people in communities use to make

decisions together?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

5

2

58

NIF Has Influenced Understanding of Community Decision-Making Practices

YesNoNot Sure

Do you think your involvement with NIF has influenced how you

interact with family, friends, colleagues and/or associates in

making decisions?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

5

2

58

Has NIF Influenced Interactions with Family/Friends/

Colleagues/Associates?

YesNoNot Sure

Can you identify any changes in community discourse that you feel can be attributed to

NIF?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

36

11

34

Can you identify changes in community discourse attributed to NIF?

YesNoNot Sure

Has your involvement with NIF influenced other civic

endeavors in which you have been engaged?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

8

8

47

Has NIF involvement influenced other civic endeavors?

YesNoNot Sure

Do you generally use the NIF

discussion guides in your work

with forums?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

15

8

41

Do you generally use NIF guides in your work with forums?

yesnosometimes

Have you created any NIF-like guides specifically for your

community or other audiences?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

19

45

Have you created any NIF-like guides?

YesNo

Have you connected to the

National Issues Forums

Institute?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

16

48

Have you connected to the NIF Institute?

YesNo

If you have connected to the National Issues Forum Institute, why did you

connect?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

34

23

Reason for Connecting to the NIF Institue

Board MemberOther

Do you use the National

Issues Forum website

(www.nifi.org)?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

4

60

Do you use the NIF website?

YesNo

If you have used the National

Issues Forum website, how did

you use it?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

5

25

45

20

47

53

50

42

How do you use the NIF website?

order issue booksscan issues that have been frameddownload materials like moderator guides & starter videosget news about the networklocate moderator training & issue framing meetingsread reports on issueslocate indiviudals for assistance/collaborationOther

Do you connect with others in the

network?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

14

50

Do you connect with others in the network?

yesno

If you connect with others in the network, what has

motivated your connection with others?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

18

36

29

39

What motivates you to connect with others in the network?

share resourcesget assistance with forum prac-ticesdevelop/plan collaborative projectsOther

If you connect with others in the network, how do you most

frequently connect?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

4

20

24

48

How do you connect with others in the network?

emailsphone callsface-to-faceOther

Has your involvement with NIF resulted in any direct communication with

policymakers?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

17

48

Has your involvement in NIF resulted in communication with policymakers?

YesNo

If you involvement with NIF has resulted in communication

with policymakers, at what level was the interaction?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

5

21

35

34

At what level have you communicated with policymakers?

localstatenationalinternational

Has your involvement with NIF contributed in any notable

ways to your understanding of public life?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

4

2

56

Has your involvement with NIF contributed in notable ways to your understanding of

public life?

YesNoNot sure

Have you modified or adapted any of the NIF practices for civic engagement in other

work that you do?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

13

52

Have you modified/adapted NIF practices for other civic engagement work?

YesNo

Do you participate with other civic engagement networks/organizations (such as America Speaks, Everyday Democracy, National Coalition for

Deliberative Democracy?)

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

28

35

Do you participate with other civic en-gagement networks/organizations?

YesNo

Are there particular forums

that you have found very

effective?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45

17

42

Are there forums you found very effective?

YesNo

Are there particular forums

you found very ineffective?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

35

23

Are there forums you found very ineffective?

YesNo

Compared to other civic engagement practices with which you are familiar, is there anything particularly unique about

the National Issues Forums?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

9

4

46

Is there anything unique about NIF com-pared to other civic engagement practices?

YesNoNot familiar with others

Is there any way(s) you wish NIF (as a network, distinct from the National Issues

Forum Institute), could be different?

Responses

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

21

10

28

Is there any way you wish NIF could be dif-ferent?

YesNoNot sure

Do you generally think the way National Issues Forums are framed is beneficial to

deliberation of public policy issues?

Responses

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

9

2

52

Do you think the way NIF issues are framed is beneficial to deliberation?

YesNoNot Sure