Public Participation in Community Decision-

Making

–Jim Gruber, Antioch New England Institute–Michele Gagne, UNH Cooperative Extension–Charlie French, UNH Cooperative Extension–Dan Reidy, UNH Cooperative Extension

CTAP ConferenceSeptember 29, 2007

Why Engage the Public?

To identify and assist in addressing community needs

To educate and empower citizens so they can more fully

understand the complexities of issues you must address

To educate decision-makers

To broaden the asset base

To make implementation more likely by building ownership

of the citizens on the agreed upon approach

To build accountability and effective feedback

Different Approaches of Community Engagement for

Different Purposes

Is the purpose…– Community Building?

– Public Information?

– Deliberation?

– Decision Making?

Structure the Public Participation Process

Determine the purpose of the Process

Determine the Role of the Public

Identify and Involve Key Stakeholders

Determine how to engage the public

Develop a process

Build Accountability (how will info be used)

Public Participation Approaches

Strategic Planning

Community Visioning (Vision to Action)

Interest-Based Problem Solving

Citizen Advisory Committees

Strategic Planning

Strategic planning enables a group to come to a shared vision of its desired future and to create a detailed, participant-owned plan of action.

Advantages Brings community together

around issues Results-oriented process Addresses both short and

long-term issues Components of plan

adoptable by other plans

Challenges Requires skilled facilitator Participants may get

frustrated with the process There is not always

consensus re objectives and strategies

Results may be long term

Vision “Dream” of where the community/group

wants to be far in the future

Example:– Our town is committed to improving the quality

of life for our residents by building a community in which all people have access to economic opportunity, the ability to pursue that opportunity, and a voice in the decisions that affect their lives.

Mission

The “what” and “why”

Example:– To build a healthy community through a

comprehensive initiative to promote jobs, education, and housing

Objectives

The how much of “what” will be accomplished by “when”

Example:– Quality Affordable Housing is housing that is free of

significant structural defects, meets the basic living needs of residents, and is reasonably safe and secure. To be “affordable,” the cost to live in quality housing should be within the financial reach of residents (30 percent of income) at various income levels. Quality affordable housing must be profitable for the builder, developer, landlord, etc., or it will not be built and/or maintained.

Strategies and Actions The “how” and specifics of who will do what and

when Examples:

– The City of ---- should enforce existing health and building codes encouraging rental property owners to recognize problems and take action.

Form a committee to determine problem areas in town and report this back to town committees by March 2008

Selectmen will make a determination after hearing report about expanding code enforcement officer hours to full-time by town meeting 2008

Community Visioning…the first step of a vision-to-action process

This approach can be used to either “map” the current condition (called a mind map) or to create a shared, collective vision of the future.

Advantages Builds a broad ownership

of where the community wishes to go

Sets broad priorities of the created vision

Inclusive…100s can participate in one hour

Challenges Must have a broad

cross-section of the community “in the room”

Must have a plan to translate the vision into tangible objectives and actions

This is only the 1st step

Step One: The Vision Map

Twenty Years form now….if there is sustained growth…How do you want your community to look, to feel, to have as a home?

The Vision Map

Develop a shared vision of where you want to be in 20 years based upon:– the characteristics of your community that

you value and wish to sustain– changes you wish to encourage and– changes that you wish to discourage– prioritize key elements of the vision

Step Two

Review previous successful (and unsuccessful) approaches, actions, and events that were effective (or not effective) with planning, managing, and directing growth.

Assess resources currently lacking that are needed to plan for growth.

Step 3 Translate the Vision Map

into prioritized objectives Identify existing barriers

that are in the way of achieving these objectives (economic, political, social, organizations, knowledge, etc.)

Develop preferred strategies/ approaches that are most likely to address these barriers

Step 4

Identify the specific types of resources/ strategies that are needed to fill the gap between the current resources of local government and what are needed to achieve the shared vision (prioritized objectives)

Revise community’s master plan, capital budget, and other actions needed to proceed towards prioritized objectives

Ground Rules

Rules:– All ideas are valid– The person with the idea says where it

goes– Give an example to clarify– Everyone has one contribution before a

second contribution to the vision– Opposing ideas are OK

Interest Based Problem Solving

Interest-Based Problem Solving is an issue-resolution process that addresses individual and group differences in a problem-solving environment.

Advantages Focuses on common

interests – win-win Fosters creativity Solutions weighed with

objective criteria Builds leadership

Challenges Not all issues can be

resolved Process can be frustrating

and take a long time Some parties intentionally

work to corrupt process

When you hear the word “conflict”

what images come to mind?

Mutual gains solutions Addresses problems and promotes action Builds long-term relationships Stimulates creativity Strengthens democracy Leadership emerges

Positive aspects of public conflict:

Emotions – how someone feels about an issue

A pre-determined solution

Positions Are…

Problems with positions:

Predetermined way to resolve problems.

Does not deal with interest of parties in dispute

Limits creative options.

Needs, beliefs, values behind the positions.

Why something is important.

Interests are…

Why focus on interests?

Gets to heart of issue. Moves people beyond polarized positions. Sets stage for mutual understanding. Leads to group cooperation. Sets stage for issue re-framing. Sets stage for generating creative options.

Examples of interests & positions:

Want school consolidation Positions

Oppose school consolidation

InterestsCost-efficiency Educational quality Stretch resources

Community pride Value historic school Educational quality

Citizen Advisory Committee

Citizen advisory committees foster positive relations with the community by engaging citizens in the development of policies and programs to ensure that they are enriched by diverse perspectives.

Advantages Diverse representation Based on local assets Directly engages citizens

in policy-making

Challenges Committees often don’t

have jurisdictional power Requires much time/effort Can suffer low return rates

How are they helpful?

Help anticipate public reaction to proposed decisions

Provide communication to constituencies Organize a forum for building consensus The advisory committee becomes more

educated and their feedback is more informed

When are they used?

Master Plans– Representative of various groups in

community with a chair to coordinate meetings and report back to town boards

– Can work to develop public involvement opportunities for Plan update

Even More Approaches to Engage Community Members

Search Conferences Collaborative Decision Making Study Circles Deliberative Dialogue Public Information Outreach Citizen Surveys Youth Involvement Programs Public Listening District Council Community Celebrations Volunteerism

(See handout for a description)

Further Resources re Public Participation Tools:

Asset Mapping: http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/sub_section_main_1043.htm

Concerns Survey: http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/sub_section_main_1018.htm

Needs Survey: http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/sub_section_main_1042.htm

Focus Groups: http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/sub_section_main_1045.htm

Interviews: http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/sub_section_main_1047.htm

Public Forums: http://ctb.ku.edu/tools/en/sub_section_main_1021.htm

Break Out Activity

Strategies for Enhancing Public Participation

An Example: Involving the public in a community master plan and capital budget planning and implementation process

Specific Goals

All approaches should support overall community building and…

– Informs the Public (provides public information)

– Solicits input from the public (that includes public deliberation processes)

– Engages the public in “the work” (including the decision making process)

Three Break-out Groups

Group A) Informs the Public (MG facilitates)

Group B) Soliciting Input from the Public (JG facilitates)

Group C) Engaging the Public “In the Work” (CF facilitates)

Impact vs Feasibility

Each group brainstorms potential, specific approaches of engaging the public including:– both what your can do and how you can do it.– Each approach is written on a sticky note.– Each sticky note is placed on an “Impact vs

Feasibility Grid” (Low, Medium, or High” feasibility and Low, Medium, and High Impact”