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”