Public & Stakeholder Engagement

Framing for Deliberation

Engaging for Change

Building Civic Capacity

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About Public Agenda

•Nonprofit, nonpartisan

•Mission:– Bridge gaps between public & leaders– Foster public dialogue & collaborative problem solving

•Major components:– Stakeholder opinion research– Citizen education materials– Public & stakeholder engagement tools & programs

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Why New Approaches are Needed•Confidence in leaders & institutions continues to decline

•Communication gaps between leaders, experts & the public obstruct effective problem solving

•Traditional communications strategies are often insufficient

•Typical models for gaining “public input” exacerbate cynicism & reinforce hostile, partisan rhetoric

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Business as Usual vs. Authentic Engagement

Business as Usual

•Expert-driven, elite decision making

•Top-down, one-way communication

•Experts debate, citizens viewed as spectators or customers

Authentic Engagement

•Decision making is more inclusive & collaborative

• Two-way communication

•Public/stakeholders deliberate, citizens viewed as valuable resources, co-owners, partners in problem solving

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Why Bother? Public engagement makes decision making & problem solving:

• More legitimate – process is open, transparent, inclusive, collaborative

• Better quality – leaders & public are better informed, can generate clarity & even totally new ideas

• More sustainable – can help leaders anticipate concerns & sticking points, inoculate public against hostile partisanship

In the best cases:

Public engagement strengthens civic capacity, creates new partnerships, more knowledgeable public, more trust in officials, & more momentum for sustainable progress on tough problems

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Traditional Approaches Ineffective

The most familiar ways of involving the public are frequently the least effective.

1. Public Hearing or “Town Hall”

2. Expert Panel

Ineffective because they typically:

•come in too late in the process

•fail to frame issues for deliberation

•fail to give citizens meaningful opportunities to grapple together

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Ten Principles of Effective Engagement

1.Begin by listening

2.Attend to people’s concerns

3.Reach beyond the usual suspects

4.Frame issues for deliberation, not debate

5.Provide the right type & amount of information at the right time

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Ten Principles of Effective Engagement

6.Help people move beyond wishful thinking

7.Expect obstacles & resistances

8.Create multiple, varied opportunities for deliberation and dialogue

9.Respond thoughtfully & conscientiously to the public’s involvement

10.Build long-term capacity as you go

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Engagement Strategies

Three examples of more effective engagement strategies & practices:

• Focus Groups are a good starting point

• Stakeholder Dialogues are a useful tool to span silos & build bridges

• Community Conversations are broadly inclusive vehicles for building civic capacity

Online engagement strategies can complement & support any of the

above

Different goals require different strategies

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Focus Groups: A Good Starting Point

Strengths•Can help you get a clear sense of different stakeholders’ starting point attitudes (vital for deliberative issue framing)

•Good way to get input in a controlled setting

Weaknesses•Because it is a research tool, not a “public process,” it does not foster legitimacy or inspire new forms of creative collaboration

•Does not strengthen civic capacity

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Stakeholder DialoguesStrengths•Like focus groups, they allow you to select target groups (can be homogenous or mixed groups)

•Can be very effective for strategic planning & needs assessment

•Potentially powerful tool for bridging gaps between experts/researchers

& between elected officials/policymakers

Weaknesses •Lack of broad public involvement can exacerbate “spectator” model of citizenship

•Can be dominated by “usual suspects”

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Community Conversations •Nonpartisan coalition sponsors/organizers

•Diverse cross-section of participants

•Small, diverse dialogue groups

•Discussion materials framed for deliberation that help citizens weigh alternatives (Choicework)

•Trained, non-partisan moderators & recorders

•Strategic follow-up

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Community ConversationsStrengths•Tend to reach the largest number of people & to gain the broadest input

•Can generate positive press coverage & raise general awareness

•Bring new ideas, resources & partners to an initiative

•Can build ongoing capacity for public engagement & improve the culture

of decision making

Weaknesses•Labor-intensive & usually requires some outside technical assistance

•Risk of alienating public if key principles aren’t taken seriously

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Final Words of Advice•Be clear about your goals, choose strategies appropriate to those goals

•Choose partners that lend credibility to your effort (e.g. “unlikely bedfellows”)

•Seek technical assistance from nonpartisan intermediary organizations that don’t have “a dog in the fight”

•Take the time to do it right

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